Actor Chiranjeevi stoked a controversy while denying the existence of ‘casting couch’ — an euphemism for sexual favours in return for work opportunities — in the Telugu film industry. Stating that the Telugu film industry is like a mirror which reflects one's character and attitude, he faulted women’s behaviour for sexual harassment.
“This is a great industry. If some people could not make it, or some say that there are negative people, or someone says that they had faced bitter experiences, I believe it is because of your fault,” he said.
The actor made these comments at the victory celebrations for his latest film Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu, while boasting about the success of his daughter, Sushmita Konidela, who worked as a costume designer for the film.
“If you are strict and serious, no one would take advantage of you. There won't be any casting couch. It depends on your behaviour. Because of your insecurity, you might think, ‘oh maybe this is how we should behave’. You behave professionally, and the opposite person responds in the same way. This industry is like a mirror. Whatever you show, it projects it back,” Chiranjeevi further said.
Citing the examples of his own daughter and the daughters of popular film producer Aswini Dutt–Priyanka Dutt and Swapna Dutt– Chiranjeevi went on to say that several women have made successful careers in the film industry without facing any difficulties.
Several actors in the past, including popular actor Anushka Shetty, have disclosed that they were approached with “casting couch” proposals. While some of them, like Anushka herself, said that if women say no, they would not be harmed, others responded more sharply.
In 2018, actor Sri Reddy stripped her clothes in front of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce in Jubilee Hills to protest against the alleged sexual harassment. Alleging the rampant prevalence of the casting couch, she had claimed “at least 90% of the women would have been asked for such ‘requests’ but would not openly admit it.”
The protest prompted the Women and Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee (WTOJAC) to approach the High Court in Telangana to look into the exploitation of women in the entertainment industry. Following this, a High-level committee comprising all police commissioners, labour commissioners, including the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner, and other stakeholders was formed to study workplace harassment and discrimination against women and gender minorities in the industry.
The committee had conducted at least 20 meetings with various stakeholders from the Telugu film and television industry to draft a legal framework to address workplace sexual harassment.
However, the report about the findings of the Committee titled ‘Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination in the Telugu Film and Television Industries’ is yet to be published.