Richa Chadda says: Its ironic how beneficiaries of casting couch talk about sexual harrasment

Gangs of Wasseypur actress Richa Chadha was one of the first stars to talk about sexual harassment. However, she finds it ironic that people who have benefited from the casting couch. They started calling the act wrong on public platforms due to the ongoing #MeToo movement.

While interviewing with an Indian channel, Richa said, “Now I see a lot of beneficiaries of casting couch talking about it. They go like, ‘Oh! It’s so wrong!’ It makes me scoff.”

While the #MeToo movement brought winds of change in Hollywood, the campaign didn’t manage to pick up well in India and Pakistan.

The 31-year-old actor blamed the lack of protection for women in Bollywood for this.  “Indian actors don’t have a strong union. They don’t have a legal help. If some woman gets up one day and says a name, I can write it down on a paper and sign it that no one will hire her again.

Addressing the dual standards of journalism, Richa added, “For your scoop, she will give out a name but then who will support her? Who is going to take care of her family? No one’s going to do it till you put that cushioning, safety net.”

The Gangs of Wasseypur actor also stressed that people don’t realise that cost that women have to pay if they name their abusers. “I have written about the opportunity cost of sexism. It takes six Oscar winners to tell the world that this guy Weinstein, is a douche. Didn’t we know that already? As a journalist, you also know who these people are.”

While her words don’t resonate with the rest of the country, Richa continued that she would never work with someone who she knows is a sexual predator. “I don’t work with those people. I just feel I could not compromise. What will I lose? Money? Doesn’t matter.”