Ratan Raajputh has been in the news recently after she spoke about an unpleasant incident that she experienced when she had just come to Mumbai from Delhi. When we reached out to Ratan, she said, “It happened around 2008. I was very scared to talk about it then, but now I am not afraid and I feel new actors should know about these things, so that they are more alert.”

Recounting the incident, she shared, “I auditioned for a casting agent in Oshiwara, who said the director wanted to speak to me. So, I met the director at a nearby cafe along with a friend of mine. I was offered a soft drink, which I refused to have, but they persuaded me and I took a few sips. I left from there and within a few minutes, I got a call for a second round of auditions.”

She further added, “I went for it immediately, taking my rakhi brother along. The office where I had to give an audition had a few people, but it seemed a little fishy, so I left. An hour later, I started feeling dizzy and had no control over my body. I was sure that something was mixed in the soft drink. Luckily, I had reached home by that time.”

Ratan says that the new-age actors should be alert of such incidents. She said, "What I went through was not casting couch, but it was very scary. I remember at that time I didn’t go to any meetings or auditions for a month because I was nervous. I decided that I would audition for only well-known production houses. Young, aspiring actors should be careful and if they are not comfortable with something, they should say no."

On the work front, Ratan, who has acted in shows like Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo and Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, was last seen in Santoshi Maa five years ago. When we asked her about her absence from the small screen, she said, “I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder that affected my eyes. That’s when I felt that even though acting is a part of my life, it’s not my whole life. So, I started travelling more and enjoying the little things around me, while treating my health issue.”

Talking about her recovery, she shared, “I don’t want to talk about it much. I just remember how initially, I couldn’t even face too much light, but I have come a long way since then and have recovered well. I want to get back to work soon. Those who thought I had quit acting, I want to tell them that’s not true.”