Exclusive- Annu Kapoor on casting couch: There are jackals in the market

Bollywood’s veteran actor Annu Kapoor has always been outspoken and unabashed when it comes to casting his opinions on ongoing debates around the world. Without paying much heed to any kind of controversies, Annu Kapoor has expressed his thoughts which have made him stay in news for all the right reasons.
Recently, while interacting with us he threw some light on sexual harassment which is prevalent in Bollywood.In the wake of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct and several celebrities coming out in the open about their experiences and making the #MeToo campaign a trend on social media, Annu Kapoor was asked about how common is this phenomenon in the entertainment industry.
Speaking to us exclusively, he said, “Harassment, molestation and sexually exploiting a woman is not confined only to Bollywood, disrespect towards a woman has been going on since eras. It’s only that it has now a fancier name called “casting couch”. If you serve tea in a ‘kulhad’ it might not be pleasing to the eyes, but if the same tea gets served in a fancy mug, the price increases and it is valued at Rs 350. So it’s important to see the quality of the tea and not its packaging.”
He further added, “Since the media has a fondness for fancy terms, the name casting couch gets the limelight. But this has been going on for ages… Have you all forgotten about Nirbhaya? A girl was brutally raped on December 16, 2012 midnight. It shouldn’t happen and I diss it.”
The ‘Missing’ actor also shared a message for aspiring actresses who wish to make a career in the entertainment industry, and said, “For women who wish to come here in the film industry, I want to alert them. I would only talk to women here, if men have a different sexual preference then it’s their choice. But women have to make sure that they are strong…You have to choose what you want. If you want to retain your dignity and honour… Be ready. There are jackals in the market, so either you surrender to these jackals or you escape them. This world is full of demons and so you have to protect yourselves if you can do it then do it. You need to choose what you want. I am all for respecting women, and I’m aware what her problem is, but it’s not confined to just the film industry but it’s the problem with the society.”