Once more, Fatima Sana Shaikh has sparked an important discussion about the use of casting couches in the motion picture business. The Dangal actress opened up about her experiences in the South Indian film industry in an old exchange that was recently shared on social media. She revealed how certain producers and directors take advantage of young actors by pretending to offer them opportunities.
I submitted my profile for a casting call that was taking place in the South. He asked if I was prepared to do anything after receiving it, and I replied via messaging that I would be working hard and would do anything was needed for the position. But he kept saying the same thing over and over again: “You can do anything for your casting.” I was acting foolish. I wanted to see how long he would go on, but I was also growing annoyed. He eventually became annoyed as well and stopped talking about it,” she said.
Fatima went on to discuss the hard reality of working in the business, emphasising how many aspiring actors—women in particular—are frequently put in awkward positions. “There were many small-time manufacturers in the South when I was there. “You will get a chance in Bollywood after establishing yourself in the South industry,” we would think at the time. This used to be approached in a lot of different ways. The producers would openly tell us in the room that you would only have a shot there if you “met people” and such. They would speak in an ambiguous way and ask you to “do things” for a role rather than simply addressing it (casting couch).
The actress also admitted that these kinds of crimes happen in all industries, including Bollywood and modelling, and are not just found in the South. Although not all people are like that, we have heard similar stories from a number of actresses and even actors; abuse of any kind occurs in all fields, including modelling. But wherever there is power, you can’t avoid it.
As Fatima Sana Shaikh’s remarks continue to gain popularity, the long-standing issue of exploitation in the film industry has once again come to light thanks to her bravery in speaking out about it.
