Richa Chadha at an event in Mumbai.
Highlights
- Saroj Khan defended casting couch saying it "age-old"
- "I think people are making mountain of molehill," said Richa Chadha
- Ranbir Kapoor was also slammed for his tone-deaf joke on casting couch
Saroj Khan's shocking defence of the casting couch
infuriated the Internet and several celebrities on Tuesday but a section of social media came to the top choreographer's rescue. One of them was Richa Chadha. The
Fukrey actress told news agency ANI: "I think people are making mountain of molehill. There's narrative that people in Bollywood are the worst and indulge in malpractices which isn't the case. She meant to say it takes place in all industries, why is Bollywood being singled out?" Twitter was upset with the "hypocrisy" of Richa's statement, as she had raised her voice against the casting couch several times in the past. "And she was the one who pointed out this casting couch during her film promotion ... So it was for the publicity of film. Wow great," wrote one Twitter user while another comment read: "I want to smoke what she is smoking."
Here are some reactions:
In December 2017, Richa Chadha said that she could give names of the people involved in the casting couch if her
"safety and future can be secured." She told news agency PTI: "If you give me pension for life, take care of my safety, my family, ensure I'll continue to get work in films and TV or whatever I want to do, my career will grow unabated as it is right now after I name and shame somebody, sure I will. Not just me, million others will do that. But who will do it?"
Richa Chadha is not the only celebrity who has failed the Internet with their callous remarks on the casting couch after Saroj Khan's statement, in which she said: "At least the film industry provides work and
doesn't rape and abandon you." Actor
Ranbir Kapoor's tone-deaf joke on the casting couch was least appreciated by Twitter. At an event to launch the first look of his new film
Sanju, Ranbir was asked about the casting couch, to which he replied: "I have never faced it. If it's there, it's the worst kind." Hearing Ranbir Kapoor,
Sanju producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani burst into peals of laughter. "What a bunch of insensitive dolts," said one twitter another.
Watch:
Richa Chadha is awaiting the release of
Daas Dev.