'He was a big actor': Ankita Lokhande opens up on facing casting couch

Many actors, be it a male or a female have spoken about facing the casting couch before or after foraying into films. Several actors spoke about how they tackled the situation and came out of it bravely. The latest celeb to do so is Ankita Lokhande who during a recent interview revealed that she faced the casting couch twice and shunned it like a boss. The actor narrated that she faced it for the first time when she was just 19 or 20.

Ankita told Bollywood Bubble, "I feel I am a very strong personality. I don’t let anybody look at me also like that. I’m like ‘Don’t you dare to do that.’ Yes, I have faced it once, no, I think I have faced it twice. Bohot pehle jab me choti thi, mujhe South film k liye bulaya gaya tha. (Long ago, when I was small and immature, I was called for a South movie)."

She added, "He called me into his room and said, ‘Ankita we want to ask you something.’ I was like, ‘Yes.’ He then said, ‘Aapko compromise karna padega.’ I was so smart, I was alone in that room and was 19 or 20 years old, asked him, ‘Which type of compromise does your producer want? Do I have to go to parties or dinners?"

Lokhande also narrated an incident when she faced the casting couch after gaining fame from Pavitra Rishta. She shared, "When I got back again into films, I felt it again, just shaking hands with that person. I don’t want to take names, he was a big actor. I got those vibes, and I quickly got my hands away from him. I knew it, ab mera yaahan nahi hoga, because it is a give and take thing. I understood and I left from there because it was not for me."