Vidya Balan recalls how she handled the unsettling casting couch incident once in Chennai!
- IndiaGlitz, [Saturday,March 11 2023]
Crimes against women seem to be increasing amid strong laws in India. Even the women in cinema, such a large-scale industry, are not safe. Many girls are coming out each day and opening up about the sexual abuse they face. 'Me Too' movement is very active in the Indian film industry.
Vidya Balan, a National Award-winning Bollywood actress, has revealed now that she hasnât encountered the casting couch herself but she had a rather discomfiting incident once. Vidya recalled what happened during the meeting with the unnamed man and said that she was ultimately dropped from the project.
During an interview with Humans of Bombay, Vidya Balan said, Iâve not had a tryst with the casting couch. But the one incident I had⦠I remember, on one of my films that I had been signed to do, I was meeting with the director because I was visiting Chennai for an ad film shoot. When they met in a coffee shop, he kept insisting that they go to his room.
âI didnât understand, because I was alone. But I did a very smart thing. When we went to the room, I left the door open. And then he knew that the only way for him was out. So, I donât really believe that Iâve had an experience with the casting couch. There was no suggestion made, there was no proposition made. But this was a sense, a vibe I picked up. And I reacted to it. Self-preservation kicks in, and a womanâs instinct. And then I got thrown out of that film,â she said with a laugh.