Rajeev Khandelwal, who was last seen in Shahid Kapoor and Diana Penty-led Bloody Daddy, recently opened up about his shocking casting couch experience and how the situation is perceived ‘differently’ when it comes to women facing casting couch than men.
The actor made his acting debut in 1998 with a television show. However, he became a household name with Ekta Kapoor's Kahiin to Hoga in which he played the role of Sujal Garewal opposite Aamna Sharif.
In one of his recent interviews, Rajeev opened up about dealing with the casting couch and how men don’t report the challenges they face.
"I have also faced the casting couch. For some odd reason, our society feels ‘Ha theek hain, ladka hain, manage kar liya hoga isne'. A friend of mine was talking about it and he said, as a man, you will only ignore it if I tell you I had to go through this casting couch. But things are different the moment you talk about an actress. We don’t feel the same emotions for a man as we feel for a woman. There’s history to justify it because women were kept in a certain way because of male dominance in our society. They weren’t given their dues for the longest period of time," he told India Today.
He also pointed out that if a woman goes through the casting couch and talks about it, she gathers a lot more momentum, compared to a guy.
Rajeev also revealed how he dealt with it. "Men, I think, can overcome. They are made like that, I believe. Tomorrow, if I go through the casting couch.. I have said it in the past also.. but you come back and say, ‘Oh, I have dealt with it and I am back’. I have heard from a lot of women that they feel dirty from inside. I didn’t feel dirty from inside. In my head, I abused that person and said ‘Sorry boss, I am not going to give in to that’."
He also pointed out that he can see a 'drastic' change coming in now and said that women are 'stronger, smarter, more confident and practical' to deal with these things now.
Rajeev is credited with several films like Salaam Venky, Table No. 21, Shaitan, Aamir and Court Martial among others. He has also done shows like Time Bomb 9/11, Deal Ya No Deal, Left Right Left and Sacch Ka Saamna.
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