Saiyami Kher Recalls Shocking Casting Couch Experience, Says Female Agent Asked Her To 'Compromise' When She Was 19
Bollywood actress Saiyami Kher recently shared a shocking experience from the early days of her acting career, and opened up about the casting couch problem in the film industry. In an interview, Saiyami shared that when she was just 19 or 20 years old, a casting agent approached her for a role in a Telugu film. What initially seemed like a regular offer took a disturbing turn when the agent made an unsettling suggestion.
"I have been very fortunate with regards to all the offers I have received. In the film industry, there was this one agent who called me for a Telugu film when I was 19 or 20 years old. She said, 'You know, you will have to make compromises'," Saiyami revealed during a conversation with Bollywood Bubble.
The phrase "make compromises," an expression often associated with trading sexual favours for work, left Saiyami disturbed, not only because of the implication but also because it came from a woman. "I was trying to test her, because it was a woman saying it to another woman. I felt that deeply," she said.
The Ghoomer actress went on to recall how she responded to the situation.
"So I said, 'Ma'am, I'm not understanding what you are saying.' I kept repeating that. And then finally she said, 'See, you have to understand.' So I said, 'I'm sorry that you feel I'm someone who needs to go down this route. There are certain limits I have never crossed in my life'," Saiyami revealed.
Saiyami began her acting journey with the Telugu film Rey in 2015, before making her Bollywood debut with Mirzya in 2016. Though the film didn’t perform well at the box office, her performance was noticed.
She later appeared in Anurag Kashyap's Choked on Netflix, where her natural acting earned praise. In 2023, Saiyami gained acclaim for her role as a para-athlete in Ghoomer, where she portrayed a one-armed cricketer.
On the work front, she was last seen in Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda's Jaat. The actress has not announced any of her upcoming projects yet.
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