Aradhana Sharma: I went into depression after opening up about the casting couch incident

It’s never easy to speak up about casting couch in Bollywood, which continues to remain a grey area of the industry. Having confessed about facing it, actor Aradhana Sharma says opening up about it comes with many consequences.

The actor, who started off her journey through reality shows, going on to do Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, shared a nasty experience when a person, claiming to be casting for a film, tried to touch her at inappropriate places. Even though the incident dates back to 2017, the scars remain.

“It continues to impact me, and affect me. But the reactions that I got after opening up about the incident shocked and surprised me,” she tells us, adding, “I was told by many people, ‘Tumhara career khatam ho sakta hai jo tumne yeh casting couch ke baare mein jo bola hai’. Someone said that my career is already over.”

Sharma admits that all these remarks did have an influence on her. “I went into depression, thinking that I don’t even have a right to talk openly about something which has happened to me,” she shares, adding that the exact line was ‘Aap abhi utni badi ho nahi jo yeh sab bolo’.

“I was like I know that I’m not that big but at least, I have the right to speak up for myself. Also, I shared what happened to me so that other girls don’t have to go through the same,” stresses Sharma, who was shocked by the reactions she was getting because she didn’t say anything vulgar.

At that time, she used to call her mom and cry thinking her career is over, and is glad all those people were proved wrong, with work coming her way steadily.

Here, she clarifies that the industry is not bad, but casting couch is also a reality — just like in any field. “Just that it is not talked about much, but someone has to start and that’s what I did,” she ends.