Shoaib Ibrahim recalls knowingly going to 'fake auditions' where they scammed aspiring actors for money

Actor Shoaib Ibrahim recalled that during his days of struggle in the industry, he'd go to fake casting calls knowing that they were scams, just to be able to 'learn lines' and prepare. Shoaib held a live stream for his fans on YouTube on Wednesday, where he spoke about his journey from 'Bhopal to Mumbai'.

Shoaib Ibrahim said that he went against his father's wishes to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, but arrived at a compromise where he'd be able to do both side-by-side.

He said in Hindi, "Dad told me to complete my studies first, and then we'd see what happens. I didn't know anyone in the film industry, so my struggle began in Bhopal. I used to go for whatever auditions I could find. I knew they were fake auditions, and that they would demand money, but I'd still go just to be able to rehearse delivering dialogues."

Shoaib also recalled how he got his first job in the industry. He said that he auditioned for a producer in Bhopal, but didn't hear from him for several days. After dropping daily messages, he even called the producer up but was told off. He assumed he'd blown the opportunity, but one day after giving an exam, he received a call from the producer, who told him to come to Mumbai the first thing in the morning for a final round of auditions.

Shoaib's father arranged emergency tickets for them to travel to Mumbai that evening, and when Shoaib reached the studio, he saw that there were around a dozen other candidates waiting to audition. Later, the list decreased to around four people. He said that after the final round, he was once again met with silence. He said in Hindi, "There was no response. He wasn't replying to messages or answering calls. In fact, he was declining to take my calls. It's understandable, I'd really annoyed him. But I was down and out at that time."

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Shoaib and his father decided that it probably wasn't going to work out, but thought that they should visit Haji Ali dargah now that they were in Mumbai. At the dargah, Shoaib said that he prayed for things to work out with tears in his eyes. He was on his way back in a local train when he got the producer's call that he'd been selected.

He made his debut with the show Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein, and followed it up with the popular Sasural Simar Ka.