Soha Ali Khan recalls being flashed in Italy, says Bollywood casting couch spared her due to family name: 'There’s Saif, Sharmila ji'

Soha Ali Khan has opened up about an unsafe incident she faced in Italy, where she was flashed in broad daylight. Calling it a disturbing experience, the actor admitted she couldn’t understand the motive behind such acts. “In Italy, yes. Apparently that happens often. But in broad daylight? Yeah... What is their motive? I don’t understand that. We don’t want to get into their heads to understand,” she shared.

Acknowledging her privilege, Soha said in an interview with Hauterrfly that she has largely been protected from such incidents in her life. “I understand that my life is privileged, my life has been protected. And I’m happy that I’ve not had such experiences. I know that for so many people who take public transport, something or the other happens every day,” she added.

On casting couch in Bollywood

The actor also addressed the issue of casting couch, admitting she was spared from such advances, possibly due to her film family background. “Somewhere, this privilege, where you belong to an industry family, maybe because of that, I was spared. Everybody felt that there’s Saif, there’s Sharmila ji. Maybe because of that. But I really haven’t had any experiences like that. Thank God for that.”

Women behind the scenes

Soha further spoke about being a woman on film sets and how much has changed over the years. Recalling her early days, she said, “For ages, Bharti, who’s been my hairdresser for 20 years, from my first film to now, Bharti and I were the only women on set. Then somewhere, a costume designer or assistant would be there.”



Now, she feels the presence of women has grown across departments, including cinematography, sound, editing, and even gaffers. But she admits the industry still has a long way to go. “Even now, a lot of times, you see yourself as a minority—in the boardroom, scripting sessions, casting. You still have to say, this is a female-oriented subject, this is a female-led film. Whereas when men are promoting a film, no one says, this is a male-led cast.”