"Ladko Ko Bhi…": 'Bigg Boss 16' Fame Shiv Thakare Opens Up On Casting Couch Experience
'Bigg Boss 16' runner-up Shiv Thakare has spoken about his experience with the dreaded casting couch.
Shiv Thakare became a household name after he appeared on 'Bigg Boss 16'. The star was not able to win the show as he finished runners-up, but it is safe to say that Shiv Thakare went on to have one of the most loyal fan bases in the history of the show. Now, in the latest entertainment news, Shiv Thakare has opened on his experience of casting couch, saying "ladko ko bhi darr rehta hai." Shiv Thakare spoke about how during his initial days in Mumbai, he as an aspiring actor met with some predators.
"Mumbai mein aane ke baad pata chala ki sirf ladkiyo ko dar nahi rehta yaha, ladko ko bhi dar rahta hai. I once went for an audition in Aram Nagar and he took me to the bathroom and said, ‘Yaha pe massage centre hai’. I didn’t get the connection between an audition and a massage centre. He told me, ‘Ek baar aap aao yaha audition ke baad. Aap workout bhi karte ho...," Shiv Thakare told Hindustan Times.
"I just left the place, since he was a casting director and I didn’t want to take any pangas. I am no Salman Khan. But I realised there is no discrimination between men and women when it comes to this (casting couch),” he added.
Then, recalling another episode, Shiv Thakare said: "There was a ma’am in Four Bungalows. She would tell me ki, ‘Maine isko banaya hai, maine usko banaya hai’. She was calling me for an audition at 11 in the night. Itna bhola toh nahi hoon main ki I won’t understand what auditions happen at night."
"So, I told her that I have some work and I cannot make it. To this, she said, ‘Kaam Nahi karna?’ ‘You won’t get work in the industry’ and other such things. So they would demotivate you and manipulate you. But I would never get bothered by it," he added.
Shiv Thakare also opened up on how some people tried to exploit him financially.
“A lot of people have asked me for money, saying you give us money and we will get you good gigs. I just knew this basic thing that if I don’t fit in a character, no one can push me for a role,” said Shiv.
'Bigg Boss 16' was won by MC Stan while Shiv came second and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary came third.
