Actress Helly Shah, known for her powerful performances on television, recently shared a chilling experience from the early years of her career. While she didn’t directly face a casting couch situation, she recalled an incident involving a casting director whose behaviour left her shaken and disturbed. In an exclusive candid chat with The Free Press Journal, Helly recalled how a 'creepy' casting director once tried to fool her.
“Once, my mom and I went to an audition at a casting company in Film City. I don’t want to name the show but it was a very popular one at that time. This happened within the first two-three years of my career,” Helly shared.
"We went and gave the audition. After that, they started indirectly talking to me in front of my mom. It was about money. It wasn’t exactly the casting couch but it was extremely creepy. I didn’t even want to tell anyone about it."
She went on to describe how uncomfortable the situation was and how the casting director's approach set off alarm bells. “You know, if someone had just said, ‘We’ll take 10 per cent as an agency fee,’ we would’ve given it. But the way he approached us and started fooling around was very, very creepy. He himself seemed shady. Maybe because I had my mom with me, he behaved a little more politely. But if I had gone alone, he could’ve done something else. I don’t know. I just remember feeling jittery and scared as soon as we left that office. I was literally shivering. The industry was new to me then, and I was still learning how it worked.”
Despite such experiences, Helly is grateful for the unwavering support of her parents, who allowed her to pursue her dreams in an industry often deemed unsafe, especially for young girls starting out alone.
“I’m sure it was tough for my parents to allow me to work in the entertainment industry at such a young age. I couldn’t understand it back then, but now I truly appreciate their support. It must’ve been hard for them to let me move to another city and live on my own. They used to visit me on weekends, and I always kept them informed about everything. Hats off to my parents for showing that kind of confidence in me. If they had been even slightly hesitant, I don’t think I would’ve made it.”
The actress concluded the chat by saying, “Coming from Ahmedabad, with no family background in the industry, nobody knew me. We had heard so much about how risky this field can be, and even our relatives used to taunt my parents. But they never gave up on me and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
