Casting couch scandals resurface: Tamil actress Shruthi Narayanan's viral video sparks fresh debate in film industry

Many skeletons are likely to tumble out of their cupboards after the video purportedly showing Tamil actress Shruthi Narayanan making startling revelations on the casting couch went viral. The 14-minute video clip, recorded at a private audition, reveals the dark alleys of the Tamil film industry. The video clip gained traction on Instagram, Telegram and social media platforms, making the Tamil film industry the centre of discussion. 

With this, many old memories of Bollywood too came to the fore once again.  

Aman Verma caught in sting operation

Way back in 2003, the actor Aman Verma hit the headlines for the wrong reason as he was caught in a sting operation having conversations with an unknown woman. It exposed the issue of sexual exploitation within the film industry and raised questions about ethics and harassment in the film industry.

The expose ruined the professional career of the actor, his efforts to clear his name could not remove this stigma from him. Though he confronted the news channel that had carried out the sting operation and accused it of blackmail and extortion, the stigma could not be removed completely. 

Shakti Kapoor making 'Indecent Proposals'?

The dark side of iconic villain Shakti Kapoor remembered for his hilarious Crime Master Gogo act, was exposed when he was caught in a scandal. In a sting operation, he was seen soliciting an undercover reporter who had put up an act of an aspiring actress.

In the sting operation, Shakti Kapoor was seen telling the woman, "I want to make love to you…” and “If you want to come into this line, you have to do what I am telling you to do.” He also claimed to have slept with three actresses.

#MeToo movement

In the year 2018, Bollywood witnessed #MeToo movement when women across the spectrum opened up and shared their stories about abuse by men in positions of power. Beginning in October, when actress Tanushree Dutta accused noted actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment while shooting for the 2008 film 'Horn Ok Please', many actresses later came out in the open.

The hullaballoo generated by the #MeToo movement in India and abroad forced the film industry to find someone who could help the actors perform intimate scenes and monitor them. 

How to film intimate scenes?

After a 10-minute video clip recorded in May of 2023 showing three takes of a scene from 'It Ends With Us' went viral, Hollywood responded by hiring experts who can advise as well as monitor the intimate scenes. 

Bollywood too has started hiring experts for intimate scenes, though the practice is still not rampant. 

Accusations of casting a couch and crossing the limit during the intimate scenes are not new in the film industry. However, now the women are coming out and mustering the courage to level allegations against the stare, knowing well that it may fetch stigma, harassment and getting sidelined.