Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker and Sonam Kapoor, known for not mincing their words, refrained from commenting on the prevalence of casting couch in the film industry, a day after veteran choreographer Saroj Khan’s controversial remark. They were asked the question at the trailer launch of Veere Di Wedding.
Perhaps, it was irrelevant to ask Kareena and Sonam the question as they are the products of nepotism, coming from well-connected Bollywood families. Bollywood that recently took a stand on women’s safety and the brutal Kathua and Unnao rape cases, lost its tongue when it came to cleaning their own backyard.
The three actresses, along with newcomer Shikha Talsania, daughter of veteran actor Tiku Talsania, were present at the trailer launch of their upcoming film Veere Di Wedding on Wednesday. During the interaction with media, they were asked for their opinion on the casting couch in the Indian film industry.
Swara, who is known for being very vocal about women empowerment and gender equality, said: “Firstly, this topic has nothing to do with our film Veere Di Wedding, and I think today we should keep our focus on the film. For the rest, you please come on my Twitter timeline.”
Adding to that, Kareena said: “I do not think we should divert focus from this film. This is a very special film, and we have put in a lot of effort. I think the film should get its relevant attention.”
Sonam promised to answer questions on the casting couch and women empowerment when she gives personal interviews for the movie. “I would like to say that all these questions which are not related to film, I promise that we will answer them during one-on-one interactions. But not today. We are trying to keep the focus on the film. We will talk about it in our personal time.”
Casting couch, a euphemism for the supposed practice whereby actresses are given parts in films in return of sexual favours, has been the best kept secret of the film industry.
Recommended
While the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns gained momentum in Hollywood, the Indian film industry is miles away from it. Recently, when veteran choreographer, Saroj Khan, at an event in Sangli, had said the casting couch had been happening since the beginning of time, and that it was not restricted to the film industry where “it provides a livelihood at least”. She later retracted and apologised for the comment.
Read: The Casting Couch Is Not Just A Bollywood Problem, But Why Normalise It?