When it concerns exploitation, Bollywood will be no exception, but one of those kinds of abuse is the casting couch. The list consists of performers who have lately spoken out about their experiences on the casting couches.
Prachi Desai
The actor of Kasam Seh, a renowned daily serial, recently described the casting couch she experienced since she first entered the field. She revealed in a recent interview that she had been solicited for sexual favors in order to get cast and it was a “huge movie,” toward which she politely declined. Following her refusal of the proposal, the director contacted her again, however she maintained her position.
“I think very straightforward approaches were made to get cast up in a particular project, a huge movie, but I have openly said no,” Prachi told Bollywood Bubble. Even after that director called me and I told him no, I still told him I wasn’t interested in his project.”
Ankita Lokhande
Another well-known television personality, Ankita Lokhande, who is well known and respected as Archana in Pavitra Rishta, making her Bollywood debut within film Manikarnika, also faced the casting couch. She reported that the very first incidence occurred while she was a child.
She was urged to ‘compromise’ when she auditioned for a South Indian film, but she was adamant about breaking into the profession solely on the strength of her skill. ‘I think your producer wants a female to sleep with, not a highly talented girl to work with,’ she informed him flatly. The producer eventually apologised, but she was certain that she was not interested in the offer.
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin, who was best known for her quirky performances in Shaitaan, Margarita with a Straw, and That Girl in Yellow Boots, disclosed the casting process in her interviews. She claimed that while auditioning for movies, a producer invited her out on such a date, but she declined and indicated that she was dating someone at the time. She then didn’t hear from the production house again for a part in the movie.
The Gully Boy star also spoke up against a director’s snide remark claiming she purchased “Russian hookers” in the profession. “I have experienced sexual assault and I actually opened about it beforehand to our therapist and to my boyfriend,” she added.
Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra, well known for her performance in the film Taare Zameen Par, has also starred in a number of short movies available on YouTube as well as OTT platforms. Chopra also shared her experience with Bollywood’s famed ‘casting couch’ in an interview with Kommune India. Tisca, like every young actor in Bollywood, struggled much in her early days. Following the release as well as eventual loss from her first movie, Chopra described how she received an unexpected call from the well producer-director.
“But you know, choosing to make a film with him is like consenting to be his pet squeeze for the duration,” her pals said later when they disclosed the director’s stories. “Are you all right with that?” Chopra handled the issue deftly after discovering this knowledge, befriending him alongside his kid and wife to chastise him.
Ayushmaan Khurana
In Bollywood, not just women but also males are subjected to sexual harassment, as Andhadhundh star Ayushmaan Khurana recently revealed. He is most recognised for movies that tackle social stigmas as well as taboos such as homosexuality, baldness, and gender norms. He’s told a story about an event on the casting couch from his early days in the business. He ‘politely declined the offer,’ according to the actor.
“A casting director told me, ‘I’ll give you the main part if you show me your tool,'” he said in an appearance. “I informed him that I am straight and gently declined his offer.” He was also turned down for opposing the deceptive technique of solo tests,’ in which 50 actors would appear out of nowhere, undermining the objective of the exam.
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