Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali breaks silence on casting couch in bollywood, calls it a myth

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, known for his acclaimed films like Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Highway, Tamasha, and Netflix’s Chamkila, recently addressed the topic of the casting couch in Bollywood, offering a candid perspective on the issue.

In a conversation at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Imtiaz spoke out against the widespread perception that compromising is the key to success in the film industry. He emphasized that this idea is a myth and does not guarantee success.

“I have been a director in the Hindi film industry for 15-20 years. I have heard a lot about the casting couch. A girl comes in, she’s scared, and she feels the need to compromise. Let me tell you, if a woman or girl cannot say ’no,’ her chances of succeeding don’t necessarily increase. It’s not like if a girl compromises, she’ll definitely get a role,” said Imitiaz as he discussed about the issue of casting couch in IFFI Goa.

Stressing on importance of self-respect, he shared,

If a girl can say ’no’ and respects herself, only then will others respect her too. People like me and many others often think about whether we take someone seriously or not; we need to respect a person to cast her

- Imtiaz Ali

The filmmaker concluded by urging the audience to understand that “this belief that compromising will improve your chances in the film industry is a myth.”

The filmmaker’s latest project, Chamkila, which released on April 12, is a Netflix film based on the real-life story of Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila and his wife Amarjot, who were tragically assassinated at a young age. The film was produced by Mohit Choudhary, Select Media Holdings LLP, Saregama, and Window Seat Films