Bollywood star Kalki Koechlin, who is popular for portraying her bold, audacious roles and being truthful in her nature, spoke about heinous cases of harassment recently that occurred to her when she entered the industry. She talked about two such contrasting experiences, one at an audition in Mumbai and another on set of the Cannes Film Festival as a student, in an interview, pointing to the common issue of casting couch culture in films.
Kalki’s Harassment by a Prominent Indian Producer at Cannes
Kalki recalled an incident from the time when she was not even an actress, she went to the Cannes event as a promotion model for Nokia. At that time Koechlin, was studying in London, met with a well-known Indian producer through a friend. She went to watch his film in the hope of acquiring professional contacts.
But the director invited her out for dinner in London and made it clear that career promotion would mean that she had to meet his own criteria. Koechlin refused absolutely, later remembering the experience in disgust but deciding to protect herself by keeping back.
Similar Experience in Mumbai’s Film Industry
That was not the only incident, years later, Koechlin was confronted with the same experience in Mumbai during a screen test for a film labeled as a “big launch.” The producer told her that she would have to “know him” socially in order to play the part, similar to the exploitative response she had earlier encountered at Cannes.
Again, she declined the offer, again reiterating that she didn’t want to waste his or her time, demonstrating her determination to uphold her integrity despite unwanted advances. Further she said, Kalki said, “I have a raging fury inside me. I want to punch that person in the face but like any other woman, I tell myself to keep it in and just get out of the situation, cause it is also out of safety and other reasons. It’s kind of disgust, kind of experience.”
Kalki Addressing the Lasting Impact of Casting Couch Culture
Koechlin’s testimony sheds light on the normalised sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. She testified that such experiences, even if they become a standard, have a lasting psychological effect on aspiring actresses.
From her experience, Koechlin aims to shed light on better and more respectful working conditions, above her gender equality vision and women empowerment. That the vulnerability indicates the necessity to consider these so that meaningful change in the industry can be brought about so that it can be reached.
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