Neena Gupta, Kangana Ranaut, Ranveer Singh, Mallika Sherawat, Ayushmann Khurrana and many other celebrities working in the Hindi Film Industry have spoken about their ‘casting couch’ experiences and advocated for a safer work environment in the industry. For those who do not understand what ‘casting couch’ means, it is when aspiring actors and performers are expected or pressured to engage in sexual favours in exchange for career opportunities in the entertainment industry like roles in movies and TV shows.
Even though many top celebrities have spoken about it, thereby raising awareness, providing work opportunities in return for sexual favours is something that is still prevalent in the entertainment industry. People from all genders are victims of this exploitative culture, not just women, even though we cannot deny that female victims are more in number.
Dolly Singh, an Instagram content creator, influencer and actor, who is currently trying her hands on films and series, recently shared a post on social media expressing her doubts and apprehensiveness about such experiences.
View this post on Instagram
While conversing and networking with men working in the industry who hold more power than her, she cannot help but question the man’s intentions. She feels like their goodness comes from a place of wanting to have sexual relations with her. She is wary of friendships. She is scared of “leading” men on. She is doubtful of the opportunities that come her way – is she getting an opportunity because she deserves it or does the other person want something else in return?
Have a look at her post here:
View this post on Instagram
When her post was shared on Reddit’s r/InstaCelebsGossip subreddit, there were many users who shared that they had experienced something very similar. Have a look:
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by u/Opposite_Peak_5261 from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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by u/Academic-Material-55 from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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by u/EntertainmentThen113 from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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by u/gossipcutlet from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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by u/BuzzkillBittBis from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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by u/Royal_Ease621 from discussion Dolly Singh’s Poignant Post About Being a Woman In Any Industry.
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It is crucial to create safe and equitable working environments where talent is evaluated based on skill, merit, and professionalism rather than on the willingness to engage in inappropriate behavior. Don’t you think?