Riddhi
Fatima Sana Shaikh has reignited an important discussion about the presence of the casting couch in the film industry.
In an older interview, the Dangal actress shared her experiences in the South Indian film industry, on how some filmmakers and producers take advantage of actors under the pretense of offering roles.
“There was some casting happening in the South and I sent my profile. After he received it, he asked, ‘If I was ready to do anything’ and I responded on message saying that ‘I will be working hard and whatever is required for the role’, I will do that. But he kept repeating the same thing – ‘You can do anything for your casting’—again and again. I was playing dumb. I was getting irritated but I also wanted to see how long he would continue. Eventually, he too got irritated and left it there,” she shared.
Fatima further revealed the harsh realities of navigating the industry, highlighting how many aspiring actors, especially women, are often placed in uncomfortable situations. “When I was in South, there were a lot of small-time producers. At that point of time, we would think, ‘You will get a chance in Bollywood after establishing yourself in the South industry.’ There used to be so many ways to approach this. We were in a room where the producers would openly state that you would get a chance there only when ‘you meet people’ and things like that. They would not address it (casting couch) directly but would speak vaguely, but they would ask you to ‘do things’ for a role.”
The actress also pointed out that such incidents are not confined to the South Indian film industry but are prevalent across various fields, including Bollywood and modeling. She remarked, “Not everyone is like that, but we have heard similar experiences from many actresses and even actors. Exploitation exists in every industry, even modeling. But you can’t help it—wherever there is power…”
As Fatima Sana Shaikh’s remarks continue to gain attention, her bold stance on the issue has once again brought the long-standing problem of exploitation in the film industry into the spotlight.
