It Just Felt Dirty: Surveen Chawla Recalls Casting Couch Becoming A Trend In Bollywood

Surveen Chawla is making her comeback with Netflix’s Mandala Murders, but honestly, her journey hasn’t exactly been a fairytale. At one point, she almost quit acting for good.

Chatting with Siddharth Kannan, Surveen opened up about a time when harassment in the industry was so common, it made her question if it had any decency left. “Back then, everything felt like it revolved around the casting couch. It got so bad, just stepping out felt filthy. I thought, ‘I don’t want any part of this.’ It was everywhere, almost like it was in vogue,” she said—not talking about social media trends, but the ugly reality of how often women were expected to compromise.

Standing her ground cost her work. Every time she turned down something shady or refused to bend, she lost out on roles. “It was insane. I honestly felt like I’d hit a dead end. That phase was brutal. I just wanted to disappear and told myself, ‘This isn’t what I signed up for.’”

She didn’t shy away from sharing specifics, either. In another chat with Hauterrfly, Surveen talked about a chilling incident on Veera Desai Road in Mumbai.

She’d just finished a meeting with a director, discussing her marriage and even chatting about her husband. As she was about to leave, he suddenly tried to kiss her. She pushed him away, shocked, and just walked out. That moment stuck with her—a harsh reminder of what women in the industry still go through.

Even now, after everything the #MeToo movement has exposed, this kind of behaviour hasn’t disappeared. Surveen’s honesty is a reality check for the industry—a reminder that respecting boundaries isn’t optional.  

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