Casting couch continues to be a major issue in the film industry, and several high-profile incidents have recently brought the dark side of the industry to light. The MeToo movement and the Hema Committee reports in Kerala have underscored the prevalence of such exploitation, exposing the abusive power dynamics that many actors and actresses face.

Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Sheikh, widely recognized for her role in Dangal, has now shared her own experiences with the casting couch, particularly in the South Indian film industry and Hyderabad. In a recent podcast, she revealed the uncomfortable situations she encountered while pursuing roles in the South.

Fatima explained that while every industry has both good and bad people, some individuals use their power to exploit others. Recalling one specific incident, she said, “Once, someone told me that casting was going on for a South Indian film and asked me to send my profile. I did. He then asked me if I would be ready for everything. I told him I would work hard and do whatever was required for the role. He kept asking the same question, and I continued to play dumb, though I was getting irritated. Eventually, he got frustrated and left me.”

She further spoke about an incident in Hyderabad, where the belief that excelling in the South would lead to better opportunities in Bollywood seemed to be exploited by small producers. “I was in Hyderabad once, and many smaller producers there would make such requests openly, but in a peculiar way,” Fatima revealed.

However, she made it clear that not everyone in the industry behaves this way. Despite the unfortunate reality, Fatima emphasized that some actors and actresses face such abuse at the hands of powerful people, yet not everyone is guilty of such exploitation. Fatima’s courage in sharing her story adds to the ongoing conversation about the dark realities of the film industry and the need for a safer, more respectful working environment for everyoneinvolved.