Indian actress Shreya Gupta has made a shocking revelation about facing casting couch pressure early in her career.
In a recent interview, the actress shared a disturbing incident involving a well-known director during an audition in Chennai in 2014.
Hailing from West Bengal, Shreya Gupta has worked in several films and web series and has shared screen space with leading stars like Rajinikanth, Suriya, and Salman Khan in the film "Sikandar".
However, behind her growing success lies a dark chapter she recently chose to speak about.
Recalling the incident, Shreya revealed that she had gone for an audition at a prominent director’s office in Chennai, accompanied by her mother. “When I entered the director’s cabin, he asked me to sit on his lap and perform the scene,” she disclosed.
“I was very young and terrified,” Shreya added. “I made an excuse, saying I would prepare the scene and return the next day — but I never returned.”
Although she chose not to reveal the director’s name, Shreya admitted that the traumatic experience pushed her away from the industry for a while.
One of the reasons behind her eventual move to Mumbai, she said, was to distance herself from such exploitative environments.
The actress’s brave account has once again highlighted the ongoing issue of casting couch in the Indian entertainment industry — a problem that many other actresses have also spoken about in recent years.
Stars like Fatima Sana Shaikh and several others have previously come forward with similar stories, shedding light on the abuse of power behind the scenes.
Shreya Gupta’s candid revelation not only adds to the growing voices against exploitation in the film world but also reignites conversations about the urgent need for safe, respectful, and professional workspaces in the entertainment industry.