Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has responded after veteran actor Chiranjeevi denied the casting couch culture in the entertainment industry. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Chinmayi talked about several instances where women had to face the casting couch, adding that it’s “rampant.” Talking about Chiranjeevi, she added that he “comes from a generation where they all were friends or even family friends with their female co-artists, mutually respected each other.”
Chinmayi shares incidents of casting couch, assault on women in entertainment industry
She shared a screenshot of an incident where a woman who came to India from the US to work was verbally assaulted. Sharing it, Chinmayi wrote, “Casting couch is rampant, women are refused roles if they don’t offer ‘full commitment’ – a word that means completely different in the film industry.”
“If you come from an English-educated background and believe ‘commitment’ means ‘professionalism’, showing up to work and being committed to your craft, you’ll be wrong. Men remain in positions where they believe they are entitled to, and WILL demand and expect sexual favours from women,” she added.
Chinmayi reacts to Chiranjeevi’s remark
Chinmayi shared two other instances where women are sexually assaulted. “I know of a _______ who attempted to sexually assault a female musician in a studio; she locked herself in the sound booth until she was rescued by another senior in the industry. She quit that space after that. And of course we have repeat offenders like this male Singer who’ll be platformed without any remorse by the audiences – he misbehaved with, sent genitalia photos, and asked for blowjobs without ANY triggers just because he thought he can. The abuse and sexual harassment of girls is a rampant issue,” she wrote.
The singer, talking about Chiranjeevi and his peers, said that they are “legends themselves.” “Legendary Chiranjeevi garu comes from a generation where they all were friends or even family friends with their female co-artists, mutually respected each other, worked with legends, and they are all legends themselves,” she added.
Chiranjeevi talks about MeToo movement
She also opened up about the MeToo movement. “The MeToo movement was something a whole generation of people couldn’t comprehend, with ladies like Sowcar Janaki even insulting women who outed their molesters. Sowcar Janaki mdm could be a woman who claimed to be a “feminist” in her interview with Y G Mahendra but she and Mr YGM went on to insult women who spoke of sexual harassment at the workplace – saying, doing all this is an insult to the women’s spouses, families etc.”
Chinmayi shares she faced molestation
Chinmayi also opened up about how she had to face molestation. She said, “Girls are now aspiring to work in the film industry from either abroad, where they have a broad world view, are highly educated, and they know what’s going on here. So, no – the Industry is not a mirror that reflect who you are.”
“I didn’t get molested by Vairamuthu because I was asking for it. I was barely an adult out of my teens, I respected him as a mentor, legendary lyricist – and didn’t think he was an unsafe OLLLLLDER man, my mother was literally IN THE same premises – he molested me anyway. Having a parent around also changes nothing with men like this. Men believing they are OWED sex in return for giving work are the problem. End, “concluded her note.
What did Chiranjeevi earlier say
Earlier, Chiranjeevi, during the success meet of his film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu in Hyderabad, talked about the casting couch. As quoted by India Today, he had said, “There is no casting couch culture as such, it depends on the individual.” He had added, “The industry is like a mirror, it reflects who you are.”
