The case filed against producer Bhushan Kumar, by a 30-year-old woman, accusing him of raping her under the pretext of giving her a job, has again highlighted Bollywood’s casting couch. A statement from T-Series, his production house, dismissed the allegations as “false and malicious”. On a complaint by T-Series, Mumbai Police has registered an FIR against a local politician and a model for extortion.

But the incident brought back haunting memories of many previous instances where female actors have called out the casting couch culture in Bollywood. It has also made many wonder what has changed in Bollywood after the #MeToo movement. Has it scared the perpetrators or is it business as usual? Or, are women misusing their voice instead?

It is extremely horrendous. I know a lot of women who have been through embarrassing situations. Even though women draw a boundary, people just don’t get it. Men always misinterpret a woman’s psychology in the industry. I think they are so deprived sexually that they behave this way and also because of greed and weird fantasies in their head. I never go alone for auditions or for work meetings.

There are people who emotionally manipulate girls. They sense how vulnerable a girl is and how much she needs a job. There are many casting directors who have flirted with me and I took a call that I am not going to work with them in future. I trusted an upcoming director and he knew I was from Kolkata so my Hindi was weak. He said he would help me, he became a friend and started misbehaving. It was a shocker. I am not a big actor but I am in a position where in if a director says he wants to work with me, a producer or casting director cannot misbehave with me.

Casting couch prevails in the industry even today. Just pouncing on somebody is not what I call casting couch. Talking inappropriately, giving indirect hints, even these are a part of the casting couch. Every girl in her career has gone through this. If someone says they haven’t faced it, they are lying. But then, I feel nobody can do anything forcibly. When someone says ‘this guy raped me’ I don’t understand that. It always is mutual, at least in the industry

There are good and bad people everywhere. I think #MeToo movement gave girls a right to speak. But I think there are people who use it not in the way it was intended. We are living in a different time and in the age of social media, so whenever such instances happen to any female actor, they must immediately share their story. There are also some women who wait for an “opportune” moment, that also happens. Good people make sure women who work with them are safe.

In the time I have worked in the industry, I never had to go through the casting couch. I understand jispe beeti hogi, but I don’t know whether it is right or wrong. We all have a sixth sense, so when you know the other person’s intentions are not correct, you should go away from there. Kya kar liya #MeToo ne? You are getting followers on social media… what’s next? People used the #MeToo movement. A girl speaks up after two years. I have friends and family working in various fields, they all say one should speak up when it happened.

When some people are talking about a cause, others start getting aware of a situation. Let’s say if I was stealing money, I would become more cautious about it. But the fact is in a country like India, many production houses don’t give you the job until you have an equation or are friends with them. A lot of people say ‘let’s set a trap for a producer or a director’. They say, ‘He said this’, when they are the ones who are messaging that person.

I have been here for 10 years, nothing of this sort happened with us. However, some new casting directors have affairs with girls and say they will get them work. This is why these new casting people are scared ki kal kuchh ho na jaaye. And new actors are scared. But you only need acting skills. Post the #MeToo movement there has been a change in the casting process. Due to Covid-19, there are also online auditions now.

I know that the casting couch does exist, but I think that more than casting directors, the producers and directors are the people who misuse their power to exploit female actors. Also, there are various people involved in the casting process, so pinning the entire blame (for the casting couch phenomenon in showbiz) just on the casting directors is not right.