Nomita Jeswani, Mumbai Uncensored, 15th April 2023:
In a shocking turn of events, Malavika Sreenath, a prominent Malayalam actress, has come forward to share her horrifying experience of being subjected to casting couch tactics. Talking about the incident in detail to a Malayalam entertainment portal, she revealed that she was tricked into an audition for the role of Manju Warrier’s daughter and got molested by the person who had arranged the audition.
Malavika shared that she had no connections in the film industry at that time and was hesitant to accept the offer. However, she agreed to go for the audition, which was held at an undisclosed location in Thrissur. Upon reaching there with her mother and sister, she realized that the audition was in a glass room which made her feel uncomfortable.
After her audition, the person asked her to fix her hair in the dressing room. When she was alone, he suddenly grabbed her from behind and made unwanted advances. Despite her efforts to resist, the man persisted and even tried to isolate her from her family, asking them to wait outside for ten minutes. It was a really tough situation for her and although feeling helpless, Malavika broke down in tears and tried to knock down the camera to escape.
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident in the film industry, and Malavika’s experience is a grim reminder of the presence of casting couch tactics in the industry. Nayanthara, a popular actor, also recently revealed that she was subjected to similar demands in exchange for a role in a film. However, Nayanthara stood up for herself and rejected the offer, boldly choosing to rely on her acting skills instead.
It is time for the industry to take action against such molesters and create a safer working environment for all actors, especially women, who have been subjected to such exploitation for far too long.
