Ranveer Singh, Sherlyn Chopra, Nargis Fakhri: Bollywood celebs who spoke up about their casting couch experience

If the past few months have taught us anything, it is that Bollywood is not always as glitzy and glamorous as it may otherwise seem. Behind the glittery facade, lies a big bad world with predators lurking around for easy prey to be lured with false promises of fame and fortunes. One of Bollywood’s most talked-about topics - casting couch, was back in the headlines when actress Nargis Fakhri opened up about her experiences. Over the past years, stars--from Ranveer Singh to Radhika Apte, Ayushmann Khurrana to Kalki Koechlin--have all gone on record to talk about their experiences. Here's what they had to say:

Nargis Fakhri made jaws drop when she revealed that she lost jobs in Bollywood because she didn't 'pose naked' or 'sleep with a director'. Revealing all about her struggling days in the film industry, she said that she lost work because she wasn't ready to let go of her moral compass.

Ankita Lokhande may be new to the big screen, but she has been one of the leading actresses on TV. The star opened up about being subjected to the horrors of the casting couch twice in her career. Lokhande revealed that one of these instances occurred while auditioning for a South film, where she was blatantly asked to ‘compromise’ and ‘sleep with the producer’, if she wanted the role. Determined to win roles based on her talent, she chose to walk away.

Ranveer Singh is now one of the leading men in Bollywood, but when he was a struggling actor, he, too, had faced the casting couch. Sharing his story, the star didn't just confirm that the casting couch does exist in Bollywood, but admitted that he also experienced it while starting out. He went on to add that a lot depends on how actors handle the situation, and that he chose to decline it "politely".

Radhika Apte recalled the horrors of being offered a role in a Bollywood film on the condition of being willing to sleep with that person. In a conversation with an online portal, Radhika revealed that she knows a lot of instances of casting couch and also knew several people who have gone through it. Sharing her story, she said that she was asked to meet the makers of a film, but, on the condition that she would have to sleep with that person. Radhika said she laughed it off and said that she would not do such a thing and asked the man to 'go to hell'.

In an interview with ANI, Ayushmann Khurrana also spoke about an incident he experienced while trying to find work. The actor said that while he was working in the television industry, he was asked for sexual favours by a casting director. "I was a TV anchor, so a casting director directly told me that I would have to do it. I told him that if I was not straight, I might have given it a thought, but I can't do it. So, yeah, the casting couch exists, but eventually, it's your talent or potential as an actor or performer which lasts. You don't need to give in to such stuff".

Kalki Koechlin, who has a long list of critically acclaimed films to her name, shocked fans when she revealed that she also faced the casting couch. Stating that such things go on in the industry, she said that she 'always managed to get out of it'. The actress said that the minute she felt uncomfortable with the situation, she chose to walk away and warned young talent that the couch is not the answer to success.

Sherlyn Chopra, who is in the news lately for the ongoing Raj Kundra pornography case, also confessed to facing incidents of casting couch. She revealed that filmmakers would invite her for dinner and it was only later that she understood that these so-called dinners had other meanings to them as well.