Bollywood industry often makes really beautiful films and gives important messages through it But there’s also a dark side of it in real which tells a completely opposite story. Richa Chadha while talking about the Casting Couch in industry and what will happen if the names of guilty filmmakers and artists were revealed, she had said-
“I don’t see that happening immediately given the culture of naming and shaming in our country. But when it happens, as it is happening in Hollywood right now, the entire power structure will change. People, who you see making feminist films and claiming to be progressive etc, they will all come tumbling down.”
The hint was enough to tell that the Bollywood industry has no lack of people who ask new heroines for physical benefits in return of the role. While many heroines shied away and never spoke about it, there were some actresses who took a brave stand and openly talked about it.
Have a look at the list of 10 such actresses who admitted that they were asked for the physical benefits by the filmmakers.
1. Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut has always been vocal about the issues that she has faced during her journey in Bollywood. She has never held back and has always pointed out the problems fearlessly.
Talking about the casting couch in Bollywood she once said that she was asked to give physical benefits in almost every audition. However, she had trust in her talent and refused all the demands
2. Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra once shared that in her earlier days she was approached by a famous filmmaker for the casting couch.
3. Chitrangada Singh
Chitrangada Singh had opted out of the 2017 film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz following her dispute with the director Kushal. She had revealed that the director forced her to do an intimate scene and used obscene language.
4. Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni was also asked to have an intimate relationship with popular filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi. He offered her a role in the film China Gate in return of the physical favour. After she denied it, her role in the film was edited and cut short.
5. Shilpa Shinde
Shilpa Shinde revealed in 2017 that she was touched inappropriately and physically harassed by Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai producer following which she left the show.
6. Payal Rohtagi
Payal Rohtagi had accused Dibakar Banerjee of casting couch and said that he asked her to remove her top during the auditions of Shanghai. Payal said that on refusing, she was thrown out of the film.
Dibakar Banerjee had denied the allegations and said that Payal lost her mind when she was denied the role. He also said that she gave this statement in the anger.
7. Preeti Jain
Preeti Jain said that she was raped by Madhur Bhandarkar and he had physical relationships with her in the period of 1999 to 2004. She alleged that he promised to cast her in his film but didn’t keep the words.
Later Preeti was arrested on the charges of planning Madhur Bhandarkar’s murder by paying someone an amount of Rs 70,000.
Charges on Madhur Bhandarkar were also revoked as nothing got revoked.
8. Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin had stated that she has witnessed the casting couch a lot of times. However, she escaped it everytime.
9. Surveen Chawla
Surveen Chawla revealed that she was also asked for physical favours during her early days in South industry.
10. Paridhi Sharma
The Jodha Akbar actress accused the director of the show, Santram Verma for physically abusing her on the sets.
What are your thoughts on it?