"He Touched Me Wherever He Wanted": Radhika Apte and Usha Jadhav Speak About the Casting Couch

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                                                Radhika Apte
An upcoming BBC documentary is set to smash the façade and reveal shocking details about the casting couch. The docu, titled ‘Bollywood’s Dark Secret’, will feature Hindi film actress Radhika Apte and Usha Jadhav from the Marathi film industry, talking about their experiences with this shameful system.
Radhika, last seen in PadMan, speaks out on why victims choose to remain silent. “Some people are regarded as Gods. They are so powerful that people just don’t think that my voice is going to matter, or people think that if I speak, probably my career is going to get ruined.” The actress hopes that a movement similar to Hollywood’s #MeToo campaign also starts in Bollywood. The campaign saw industry men and women coming together to ensure no more sexual harassment.
The documentary will also feature Usha Jadhav’s experiences. The award-winning actress confirms what has long been suspected – that it is common for men with power in the industry to demand sexual favours. Sharing her own experience of being asked to give something in return for a film, she maintained, “I said something on the lines of, ‘What? I don’t have money’. He said, ‘No, no, no, no. It’s not about money, it’s about you sleeping with, maybe it can be a producer, maybe it can be a director, it can be both too.”
‘Bollywood’s Dark Secret’ will also include the shocking confessions of a young actress who was molested on multiple occasions. The 25-year-old shares chilling details about her experiences with her molester… “He started telling me that for an actress, you should be happy to have sex as and, when possible, and embrace your sexuality…He touched me wherever he wanted, he kissed me wherever he wanted and I was shocked. He put his hand inside my clothes so I asked him to stop and he said: Do you know what, if you really want to work in this industry I don’t think you’ve got the right attitude.”
The documentary, which airs over the weekend, is bound to have viewers glued.

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