Kalki Koechlin reveals Indian producer's indecent casting couch proposal at Cannes: I had to ‘be with him’ for work

In a recent interview, Kalki Koechlin spoke about her encounters with casting couch scenarios, detailing how harassment persists in the film industry.

Actor Kalki Koechlin has opened up about her personal experiences with casting couch, shedding light on the subtle and sometimes overt forms of sexual harassment that persist in the film industry. In a conversation with Zoom, Kalki revealed how these moments, though often ignored or normalised, can leave a lasting psychological impact.

Kalki Koechlin sheds light on the casting couch culture in the film industry, sharing personal experiences of sexual harassment.

Kalki recalls an Indian producer asking to be with him for work

In the interview, Kalki recalled one such incident that occurred while she was still a student in London and had gone to Cannes as a promo girl for Nokia phones.

“One was in Cannes. I wasn’t even an actor yet, just a student working as a promo girl selling Nokia phones. An Indian producer, who knew someone connected to my mother, invited me to his film screening. Later, he asked me out to dinner. When I inquired about work opportunities, he made it very clear that I had to ‘be with him’ for that to happen.”

She also recounted a second disturbing experience in Mumbai after entering the film industry. During an audition for a major film, a producer told her he would like to ‘get to know her better’.

“Other time it happened when I went for an audition here for a film, and the producer said, 'You want to do this film? That's great, but I need to get to know you because it's a big launch. So it was basically the same, like, 'Come out, let's go out for dinner,' So then again I was like sorry, I don't want to waste your time or mine," Kalki recalled.

Kalki's latest projects

Kalki Koechlin was last seen in the Tamil romantic action thriller Nesippaya, directed by Vishnuvardhan. It featured Akash Murali’s debut alongside Aditi Shankar and others. She will next be seen in the English-language film Emma and Angel, marking another interesting addition to her diverse filmography.