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Chitrangada Singh on the existence of casting couch in Bollywood

Casting couch is something which possibly exists in every industry related to showbusiness, be it Hollywood, Bollywood or the fashion industry around the globe. In the 2018 MeToo movement of India, we saw a number of prominent names from Bollywood getting into hot water when they were accused of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour.

Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh, who is known for her work in such notable films Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011) and Desi Boyz (2011), reveals that casting couch does exist in Bollywood. She even admits to have faced it. However, the actress maintains that there is no pressure to give in.


“There are people like this everywhere. Right from my modelling days to Bollywood, I have seen them at all times. Corporate industry is just as bad. Yes, it has happened with me but I would like to say that the Bollywood industry is not the place where anybody forces you. There is enough space and respect for everyone and their choices. You do feel bad when you lose an opportunity but then those are the choices you make. So, you don’t sulk about it,” she tells an entertainment portal.

The actress went on to add that she has lost out on several projects because she chose not to give in. “It feels bad and I have lost out on projects too but, at the same time, if you are comfortable with it, then go ahead and do it. I am not here to judge anyone.”

On the work front, Singh is currently penning a short story. She is making the most of the ongoing lockdown to work on it. The actress next stars in Red Chillies Entertainment’s upcoming film Bob Biswas with Abhishek Bachchan.

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Sudha Kongara on ‘Parasakthi’ and online backlash: ‘There is slandering and defamation of the worst kind’

Sudha Kongara is among the few Tamil directors whose films carry a distinct voice

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Sudha Kongara on ‘Parasakthi’ and online backlash: ‘There is slandering and defamation of the worst kind’

Highlights

  • Sudha Kongara on the turbulence around Parasakthi, from certification demands to online attacks
  • Why the film frames the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation through one man’s choices
  • Balancing politics, melodrama and cinema
  • How music, casting and tone were shaped by craft, not compromise

A film surrounded by noise

Sudha Kongara is among the few Tamil directors whose films carry a distinct voice. With Parasakthi, that voice has had to compete with chaos. Long before release, the film was caught in disputes over its title, shifting cast announcements, ED searches, plagiarism claims and, finally, a list of changes demanded by the Central Board of Film Certification.

In all that, the film itself risked becoming secondary. Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Sreeleela in her Tamil debut, retells the 1965 anti-Hindi imposition agitation in Tamil Nadu. The core of the film unfolds over just 19 days , from January 24–25 to February 12, 1965.

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