Teenage Disney star Karan Brar, who played Chirag Gupta in the Wimpy Kid feature film franchise and Ravi Ross in the Disney show Jessie, was in Dubai on Friday to judge at a casting call for budding young screen stars.
The Celebrity Experience organised the auditions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Winners chosen over the four-hour audition get to attend a special week-long acting workshop in Universal Studios in Hollywood to meet casting directors, talent managers and agents.
The company’s website reads: “At our 5-day talent event, hopeful stars have the opportunity to film a scene on set with a Hollywood director, take a back-lot tour of the studio, participate in workshops with celebrities, producers, and directors, have private meetings with industry professionals, and even walk the red carpet!”
Filipina mum Lorena Catigan Basheeef was escorting her eight year-old daughter Yasmine. “It’s her dream to be an actress, she goes to dance and acting classes every week”, she says. “Yasmine loves the Disney show Jessie and wants to go to America because of that show. Is she wins, we’ll all be taking her to America.”
Yasmine had prepared a monologue acting piece especially for the audition. “I’m going to act as Frankie Stein from Monster High”, she explains. “I’m feeling very excited and am looking forward to meeting Karan, as I’m a big fan of his.”
artslife@thenational.ae
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
The%20Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Movie
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aaron%20Horvath%20and%20Michael%20Jelenic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Anya%20Taylor-Joy%2C%20Charlie%20Day%2C%20Jack%20Black%2C%20Seth%20Rogen%20and%20Keegan-Michael%20Key%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
