Casting introduced Skype to Indian village

Actor Anupam Kher, actress Jennifer Lawrence, actor Robert De Niro, actress Jacki Weaver, actor Bradley Cooper, filmmaker David O. Russell and actor Chris Tucker attend the “Silver Linings Playbook” premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, in Toronto. AP

TORONTO – Director David O. Russell said Sunday he used Skype for the first time to audition actors for his latest film “Silver Linings Playbook” and introduced the online video chat service to a village in India.

“The Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence skyped from her parents’ home in Louisville, Kentucky, while Anupam Kher auditioned from a village in India using the free online text, voice and video service.

“It was the first time for me on any movie to Skype auditions,” said Russell, who directed “The Fighter” (2010) and “I Heart Huckabees” (2004).

Kher said that when he auditioned over Skype for Russell, he was in a village in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan for another film.

“They had not heard of Skype and neither had I used Skype and the whole village was looking for Skype and it became like a folklore,” Kher said at the premiere of his film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“And now everybody uses Skype there,” he added, without identifying the village in question.