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Isha Koppikar on facing casting couch at age 15: ‘I never worked with that actor’

Hindustan Times | By
Nov 04, 2019 05:12 PM IST

Actor Isha Koppikar has recounted a casting couch incident that she faced when she was just 15 or 16 years old. She said that after top secretaries touched her inappropriately, she learned self-defence.

Actor Isha Koppikar has said that she was put in a casting couch situation by an actor, when she was just 15 or 16 years old. Isha said that she never ended up working with that actor.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, the actor also revealed that she has been inappropriately touched by ‘top secretaries’. She said, “Some top secretaries have inappropriately touched me. I started self defence because of that.”

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Recalling one particular incident, Isha said, “Yes, I have been propositioned. One producer told me, ‘This film is happening. Call up this actor, you need to be in the good books of actors. So I called him. He’s told me his full timetable. He’s an early morning person and he goes to the gym at this time. He asked me to meet him in between his dubbing and something he was doing. He asked me who I was coming with and I told him I will be coming with my driver. He said, ‘Don’t come with anybody’. I was not 15 or 16 then. I knew what was happening. So I told him, ‘I am not free tomorrow, I’ll let you know’.

Also read: Surveen Chawla on facing casting couch: ‘Filmmakers wanted to see my cleavage, thighs’

She added, “I immediately called up the producer and told him that he should cast me for my talent. But then, I can’t be forced into doing all these things for a role. That is what is intimidating for a lot of people. When a woman says no, they can’t take it. And temporarily, you’re written off. I never ended up working with that actor.”

After establishing herself in the south with Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, Isha made her Bollywood debut in Hrithik Roshan’s Fiza. She is known for films such as Don and Kya Kool Hain Hum. Recently, actors Surveen Chawla and Vidya Balan had also spoken about having faced sexual harassment in the film industry.

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