Let's Listen To What Mandira Bedi Has To Say About Casting Couch In Bollywood

Mumbai: Actor Mandira Bedi has become the latest celebrity to talk about the ongoing debate on sexual exploitation in the entertainment industry. She believes casting couch is a two-way street and that it takes two to create a compromising situation.

There are 2 sides to every story.. . . . Photography: @rafique_sayed Makeup: @im__sal Styling: @shivani_cherian #yinyang #asymmetry #blackandwhiteonly

A post shared by Mandira Bedi (@mandirabedi) on Jan 22, 2018 at 12:25am PST

She says, “In the 23 years that I have been here in this industry, I have not once been in a position where somebody has propositioned me or I found myself in a place where they’re offering me good work in return for some favours.” She further added, “You can’t put the blame squarely on one person. Casting couch is not just about one person who says ‘come and compromise’. The other person is also willing to compromise. It’s always a two-way street. People are willing to do whatever it takes to get to where they want to,” she states. She even talked about her own experience, adding how she carried herself in a dignified way, “I can tell with certainty that in all these years, nobody has once said ‘Aapko compromise karna padega (you have to compromise)’ or ‘We need you to do this for this’. My work has spoken for itself, and I’ve been offered work purely on merit. And if ever I found myself in a certain position, which I found was dodgy or weird, I’d step away. So, I really can’t point a finger at one person.” She also exhorted Bollywood actresses to speak up on the issue and not remain silent if they have experienced assault of any kind.