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TV actress Sulagna Chatterjee reveals the truth about casting couch in the industry

Sulagna Chatterjee shared a post on Instagram which showed a WhatsApp conversation with someone who wanted her to 'compromise' for a role

The reputation of the showbiz industry precedes it, and it doesn’t really show it in a good light. You must have heard stories about men and women being asked to ‘compromise’. How prevalent this sick practice is in the industry, was shared by TV actress Sulagna Chatterjee in an Instagram post. She posted a screenshot of a Whatsapp chat with someone who said the director demanded that she ‘compromise’.

Sulagana refused, writing on Instagram that such these offers are common and she doesn’t pay attention anymore. Here is her post:

A post shared by Sulagna Chatterjee (@suluclicks) on

 

Also read: Drake stopped live concert to address sexual harassment. Here are 4 other performers who did the same

In light of the #MeToo campaign, more and more men and women are coming forward with their stories of sexual harassment, molestation and other inappropriate sexual advances. Standing up to bullies and calling out perversion is the only way to stop this sort of behaviour from becoming the new-normal.

InUth reached out to Sulagna for an insight on the matter, and she said she doesn’t want it to become a publicity stunt. The actress said:

I just posted it casually and don’t want any publicity out of it. As far as the incident is considered, I had exchanged numbers with this guy for some work, but I did not remember him. He just suddenly dropped a message, and this was for an advertisement opposite a Bollywood A-lister. Of course was my first reaction was happiness, and then he explained that the shoot will last for one day. I was thinking he would ask me to come for a look test, but he texted about ‘a compromise’. The rest is in the screenshot. He went on to continue asking if I ever did ‘compro-projects’ and I said no, and said there is no point in asking me.

Talking about how the middlemen use casting couch in the small screen industry, she said:

I have never been offered anything like this by the topmost A-listers who work in the industry. All of these offers come from the middlemen who have nothing to do in life. I have never been told this by some director or producer- Tum yeh karo, main tumko star bana dunga.

Also read: Post Harvey Weinstein, these 12 powerful men of Hollywood were accused of sexual harassment

Sulagna, however, maintained she could not understand why people were surprised that she spoke up about the matter. In an age when sexual misconduct is supposed to swept under the rug and is treated as the victim’s shame, it is hardly surprising that they do.

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