Kolkata/IBNS, Nov. 21 -- When the message first popped up on her phone, Russian actress Natalia Witmer didn't think twice before closing it. A casting director from Kazakhstan reaching out to her directly? It felt too random - too unreal to her.

But the second message made her pause.

This wasn't a scammer or a stray text. The casting director genuinely wanted her to audition for a role in a Kazakhstan-based film, titled as Evacuation.

Still unsure but curious, Natalia set up her camera and recorded an audition video by herself. She sent it off, hoping for the best.

The reply came swiftly - and it wasn't the one she expected.

Natalia sat there, frustrated, wondering how to bring more emotion into her next attempt. That's when her fami...