Exclusive - Yaadein fame Kiran Rathore opens up about facing casting couch and being in a toxic relationship; says 'A lot of hanky panky things happened in Bollywood'

Kiran Rathore, who shared screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor in Subhash Ghai's film 'Yaadein', was recently seen in Bigg Boss Telugu season 7, hosted by Nagarjuna. A very popular name in the South, the actress has worked in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She recently joined ETimes TV for an exclusive conversation where she spoke about life after her Hindi film Yaadein, facing casting couch and being in a toxic relationship. The 42-year-old actress shared that she was the original choice for Priyanka Chopra's role in Aitraaz and revealed why she couldn't do the film. (Photo: Instagram)

After Yaadein also the struggle was still on for me. Around the same time one of my movies got released in Tamil and I became an overnight sensation there. At that time the scenario was such that it doesn’t matter how big a name you are in the South, you have to still come to Mumbai and struggle. Nobody knew who the Top South heroines were. So I decided to shift there and rule the industry for the next 10 years. That’s the reason I shifted to Chennai. I really did some good films. Then I did a song with Salman Khan and around that time I shifted to Salman Khan. To crack the Bollywood industry is a very big deal and it’s not very easy. (Photo: Instagram)

A lot of hanky panky things happened in Bollywood. I had to face a lot of casting couch incidents which put me in depression. They would call me to sign a contract and after the contract was done, they would ask what are you doing at night. I had never witnessed such things ever and then it happened to me when I was not doing South movies or Bollywood and I was not here neither there, I got into depression and I drifted apart. I decided not to work and do some side business. Now things are sorted and I’m getting things on a platter all of a sudden. I just don’t have to go and ask for work anymore, work is coming to me. It is a good sign. (Photo: Instagram)

Getting a film was easy but to sustain the graph was very difficult. Bahut papad belne padte hain. I had never heard about casting couch in the South, maybe I never faced it. But I saw the true faces of my friends who were like known actors and directors in the South when I stopped working because of being in a relationship. I gave up films and wanted to get married. During that time I realised the true faces of people. (Photo: Instagram)

After being in a relationship for four years I realised it was a toxic relationship and I came out of it. I had to struggle again from being a South sensation to again being a struggling South, so there were my own friends who wanted to take advantage of me. They would say we will give you work but what next for us. I got to experience this during my struggle period. (Photo: Instagram)

Yaadein helped me only in getting my Tamil film. For them it was like she’s the Hrithik Roshan heroine and I got a very big project which was from AVM production. Gemini was my first ever super hot film. It was a milestone for me. Yaadein ne bus wahi tak help kiya Mera…. It would have helped me had I not quit Bollywood or left Mumbai. People in the industry were looking out for me. Yaadein waali ladki Kahan hai??? (Photo: Instagram)

I had changed my number and everything. In fact, Subhash Ghai once told me that they wanted to cast me in Aitraaz in place of Priyanka Chopra. They wanted me in that negative role as the film was made under his banner. Humari khud ki banner ke ladki thi… but tumne toh number he change kar diya. I feel I missed out on a lot of things, I should have been here in Mumbai. (Photo: Instagram)

It was a very difficult phase when I was in a relationship. Even today people try to put me down. Arre look she’s the same girl who had given six back to back hits, now she is nowhere to be seen. She doesn’t have any work. I lost out on my friends because when I got single they tried to take advantage of me. Whenever I used to go to Chennai for a few work meetings, they would ask me, can we come to your room? So I shifted to Mumbai. At that time I was naive and immature. (Photo: Instagram)

I thanked God when I came out of that toxic relationship. Maine socha main Bach gayi… what if I was married to this person. He would have killed me. I know it was a mistake and it was my choice to fall in love and then quit the industry. My second relationship was also a toxic one. I decided to focus on work and have decided no more relationships for me. For the last seven years I’ve not dated anyone. Now, I don’t want to fall in love. I think I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs and a biography can be made on my life. Stardom, to struggle to downfall. (Photo: Instagram)

My family was the biggest support. I’ve never lived alone in my life and they saved me. Mere jagah koi Aur hota she would have committed suicide. I’ve never lived without my family for 23 years. My parents, my brothers, they have always been around me. Now, I’ve developed a lot of trust issues. Life has taught me a lot and it has made me strong. (Photo: Instagram)

For me it was very difficult to get out of the toxic relationship. The age is such that when the person slaps, you feel he loves me a lot and probably that’s why he is possessive. You feel the person is protecting you but you should understand that it is possessiveness and it is the red flag in the relationship. A true relationship is only when there are no boundaries, no trust issues and there’s a lot of respect for each other. Trust and respect are the most important things. (Photo: Instagram)

I feel I was lucky to have gotten out of the relationship on time. Thank God I didn’t get married otherwise the society, my own relatives would have blamed me for it. They would have thought arre do baar divorce hua hai ismein he kuch gadbad hai… I think there should be no place for any kind of abuse in a relationship. It should be a red flag. (Photo: Instagram)