KT's take on casting couch: article

With the casting couch now a reality in the TV industry, what sets it apart from Bollywood is the fact it's the male actors who face it more than their female counterparts.

And vouching for this are several TV stars, who feel that one of the main reasons for this is the fact that there are far more opportunities for women than men on TV.

"Fewer roles for men make the competition that much fiercer," says actor Karan Mehra.

Though he would never succumb to it, actor Mrunal Jain says he can understand those who do. "After years of struggle, not many find it easy to give up the temptation to do it 'just this once'! It's a personal call, so we shouldn't be judgmental," adds Mrunal.

Actor Giriraj Kabra seconds it saying, "Actors who come from cities are often aware that the casting couch is a reality for men too, unlike several who come from smaller towns." Kabra reveals that most often these actors succumb believing it to be the done thing.

"Men are more under pressure for sure to be successful. And when their struggling period extends more than they can handle, they are cornered into accepting and doing whatever it takes to make it to the top. There are enough phoney people around waiting to take advantage of such situations and that's what often happens," reveals actor Karan Tacker.

TV heavyweight Shashi Ranjan reveals that exploitation of this sort is not new to the TV industry, but it's unfair to pin it all as casting couch.

"Today there are hundreds of actors who willingly use their sexuality to bag work, be it men or women, and there will always be takers. We are talking of an age where actors are readily willing to share their intimate details or even get intimate on screen for two minutes of fame," points out Shashi, who admits that the male casting couch is a deep-rooted issue here.

An actor of a leading TV show sums it up saying, "When it comes to weighing between sleeping for work or being labeled a 'failure' making a choice is simple."He adds, "Not all give in, but those who do are definitely not in minority here," he adds.