Last week, Karan Johar caught the attention of many when Dharmatic Entertainment, his production house’s web wing, announced Showtime. The Disney+ Hotstar offering is touted to be an insider’s look into the entertainment business, examining the practice of nepotism and the struggles of outsiders viewed through the lens of a leading studio. That it is coming from the filmmaker who faced the heat in the nepotism debate makes it all the more intriguing. While it was announced that Emraan Hashmi will headline the series, mid-day has learnt that the makers have zeroed in on television actor Mahima Makwana for the female lead. 

For a studio that has launched many star kids in the recent past, the casting can be viewed as an interesting move to subvert its public perception. A source reveals that Makwana — who has done a string of popular television shows, including Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, Adhuri Kahaani Hamari and Mariam Khan: Reporting Live — was brought on board after several rounds of auditions.