Actor Rajeev Khandelwal, who was last seen with Shahid Kapoor and Diana Penty in Bloody Daddy, recently opened up about his shocking casting couch experience. Rajeev made his debut in the entertainment industry in 1998 with a television show. However, he became a household name after playing the role of Sujal Garewal in Ektaa Kapoor's Kahiin to Hoga opposite Aamna Sharif.
In one of his recent interviews, Rajeev opened up about dealing with casting couch and shared his take on how the situation is perceived 'differently' when it comes to women facing casting couch than men.
Rajeev opens up about his casting couch experience
He said that men don't report the challenges they face and added that if a woman goes through casting couch and talks about it, it gathers a lot more momentum as compared to a guy.
"I have also faced casting couch. For some odd reason, our society feels ‘Ha theek hain, ladka hain, manage kar liya hoga isne'. A friend of mine was talking about it and he said, as a man, you will only ignore it if I tell you I had to go through this casting couch. But things are different the moment you talk about an actress. We don’t feel the same emotions for a man as we feel for a woman. There’s history to justify it because women were kept in a certain way because of male dominance in our society. They weren’t given their dues for the longest period of time," he told India Today.
Rajeev: Women are more sensitive and emotional
Rajeev also revealed how he dealt with it. "Men, I think, can overcome. They are made like that, I believe. Tomorrow, if I go through casting couch.. I have said it in the past also.. but you come back and say, ‘Oh, I have dealt with it and I am back’. I have heard from a lot of women that they feel dirty from inside. I didn’t feel dirty from inside. In my head, I abused that person and said ‘Sorry boss, I am not going to give in to that’."
He also added that he can see a 'drastic' change coming in now and said that women are 'stronger, smarter, more confident and practical' to deal with these things now.
Over the years, Rajeev has been a part of films like Salaam Venky, Table No. 21, Shaitan, Aamir and Court Martial among others. He has also done shows like Time Bomb 9/11, Deal Ya No Deal, Left Right Left and Sacch Ka Saamna.
