LIVE TV
India
Photo: Instagram/eshagupta/kanganaranaut
Recommended Stories
Casting couch and sexual favours are the harsh truth of showbiz. From Kangana Ranaut to 90s diva Mamta Kulkarni, many actors and actresses have come forward to share their experience on casting couch.
Even after the #MeToo movement which took over the social media revealing dark secrets of many white collar Bollywood personalities, many cases of sexual assault still go unreported. Many aspiring actors allegedly fall victim to this power system and are taken advantage of.
Here is a list of actors who exposed the existence of casting couch in Bollywood:
Kangana Ranaut: In an interview, Kangana had claimed most of the actresses are forced to make a producer, director and actor happy to be a part of a film. They want the actresses to behave like their wives on film sets, she claimed. In an interview with Times Now, she had also said, 'The expectation from a girl is to behave like a wife on sets, next comes the film, and then the hero.'
Sunny Leone: During an interview, Sunny Leone spoke about the reality of casting couch. There were also reports suggesting that Sunny Leone was also asked to sleep with a producer in exchange for a role. But she declined the offer. Speaking on the issue, Sunny said, “It is not a myth. It exists everywhere. I believe when each woman speaks up, then it may eventually stop. And it is not just with women, it is with men also.”
Prachi Desai: The gorgeous actress had also experienced casting couch in the beginning of her career. She was asked for sexual favours for a ‘big film’, but she immediately refused.
Surveen Chawla: The Parched actress had revealed that a famous filmmaker wanted to spend time with her. He wanted to know ‘every inch of your body.’ Interestingly, it was not from Bollywood, but from a South movie producer. Similarly, a filmmaker wanted to see how her cleavage looks while another filmmaker wanted to see how her thighs looked.
Mamta Kulkarni: 90s diva Mamta Kulkarni was the most wanted actress back then. With her good looks, she was one of the most sought after actresses. However, she slowly drifted away from movies. She had once alleged director Rajkumar Santoshi of sexual misconduct. She had revealed that her screen time was reduced in China Gate after she refused a sexual advancement from Santoshi.
Esha Gupta: The Aashram actress has carved a niche for herself with many superhit movies. However, there was a time when the actress had also experienced casting couch. In an interview, she had opened up on the ugly side of casting couch in Bollywood. She revealed how she had to take her parents along with her for shoots to avoid any untoward incidents. She further added that she had lost out on many big projects for not agreeing to satisfy directors and producers.
