Finders, keepers

In cricket, football, music and film, getting discovered is half the battle won. Meet the talent scouts who can spot jewels in the dust, and why the job is so addictive

- Urvee Modwel

There was a time that people could walk down the street or head to the grocery store, be discovered by a director and shoot to fame. For Charlize Theron, it happened while she was arguing with a bank teller in 1994. Director Anurag Basu found Kangana Ranaut in a coffee shop in Mumbai and offered her a role in Gangster (2006). Rosario Dawson didn’t even need to leave home. She was discovered, at 15, sitting on her front steps by filmmaker Harmony Korine.

Things have changed since. Talent scouts now do all the dirty work of sifting through demo videos for entertainment firms, sports franchises, and studios. Scouts double up as managers and triple up as reps. See how new blood is changing the game.

On the lookout

Nisarg Naik is only 24. But already, aspiring cricketers know him as the man who can change their lives. He heads wherever matches are being played and says he’s watched over 150 matches. This sets him apart from older scouts, who mostly work remotely.

Naik also manages Uma Chetry, Kashvee Gautam, Shabnam Shakil and Aparna Mondal, and has recommended players for the Women’s Premier League. Last year, three of his finds participated in the Women’s World Cup; 13 played in the WPL.

“Getting discovered, and doing the discovering is all reference-based,” he says. Naik recalls how he spotted Chetry at a local match in Assam two years ago. “She was aggressive, her fielding skills were good too,” he says. “I signed her up in 2023; 10 days later, she got the call for the India team.” He also signed Gautam before the WPL. “She’s now the highest-value uncapped player, at ₹2 crore.”