Aditi Rao Hydari on the Casting Couch, Misuse of Power & More

If you are talented, the right people will call you, the actor says.

In less than a decade, actor Aditi Rao Hydari has become a name in pan-Indian cinema and has worked with some of the best directors in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu film industries. In fact, in the past year itself, she worked on projects like Padmaavat (2018), Bhoomi (2017) and Kaatru Veliyidai (2017).

But this success hasn’t come easily.

The actor has had to face casting couch and when she spoke out against it, she was left unemployed for about eight months. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Aditi reflected on the injustice and constant prevalence of this phenomenon.

I didn’t regret it but I cried about it because I felt so upset that this was true and this is how girls are treated. I was like, how dare someone speak to me like that!

Aditi Rao Hydari, actor

She further discussed how she dealt with casting couch, explaining that “you need to be comfortable with the consequences and have no regrets.” Aditi says that it was difficult to speak out about the issue, and is thankful to her family for their unconditional support throughout. She does not regret it at all.

I will always speak about the misuse of power which is there in every industry.... I made my decision and it was an empowered decision.

At the same time, the actor recognises that not everyone can make the decision to speak up and fight injustice, due to various reasons. “There’s no judgement,” she says. Yet she urges girls to speak up as much as possible, emphasising their right to do so in today’s world.

Nobody should misuse their power. Nobody can misuse you. I feel girls need to empower themselves—the moment you empower yourself, the decision lies with you.If anyone has been misused and they are living with that unhappiness, then they have every right to speak out and they should.

Based on her own experience, she encourages people to speak out. Aditi feels that the consequences of speaking out can never be as bad as keeping it to yourself. She expresses her (admittedly idealistic) view on the subject, using her life as a prime example.

What is the fear? That you won’t get work? If you are talented, the right people will call you. If they are there for the love of the medium, they will get work. This is my naive belief but I’m a living example of that.

(Source: The Sunday Guardian)