5 Actresses Who Shared Their Horrific Casting Couch Experiences With Sajid Khan

Since its Saturday launch on Colors TV, the immensely popular Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss, who is renowned for creating controversies, has already been embroiled in a heated conflict. Film director Sajid Khan’s inclusion as a contestant in the Salman Khan-hosted show’s 16th season has drawn criticism.

Netizens are reacting left, right, and centre bashing the show because of ‘Me Too’ accused Sajid Khan’s entry into the show. Many people on various social media platforms have stated that they want Sajid Khan to be excluded from the program and that he shouldn’t be given a platform to improve his reputation in a new trend.

Let me tell you that well-known director Sajid Khan is not only notorious for his weird choices in movie-making, but he is also notorious for being one of the most high-profile alleged casting-couch offenders. Not one of two, there are eight women who made accusations against him of casting couch in exchange for roles in his movies.

So now, his inclusion in the popular show has made everyone furious, with many celebrities also raising their voice against his inclusion. Since then, the stories of many celebrities with the same experience have been making the rounds on social media.

So, here’s the list of the specific incidents and charges brought against Sajid Khan by a number of actresses:

1. Mandana Karimi

When Sajid Khan invited Iranian-born actress Mandana Karimi to strip for him, she was attempting to get a role in “Humshakals.” The actress spoke with India Today about her experience and stated,

“I was in talks for Sajid Khan’s Humshakals at the casting stage. My manager and I visited his office. After meeting producer Vashu Bhagnani, I was in a room with Sajid, when he said, “Lovely pictures but you need to remove your clothes. If I like what I see, you might get the part.”

The actress also recently voiced her dissatisfaction that Sajid Khan was chosen as a contestant by the Bigg Boss 16 producers. Due to the lack of respect for women in the profession, she declared her retirement from Bollywood.

2. Sherlyn Chopra

Sherlyn Chopra’s encounter was even more miserable. When the actress first met the director, she was still dealing with the death of her father. Back in 2021, she tweeted about her dreadful experience. She stated:

“When I had met him in April 2005, a few days after my father’s demise, he had taken his p*nis out of his pants and had asked me to feel it. I remember having told him that I know how a p#nis feels like & that the purpose of my meeting with him was not to feel or rate his penis..”

When I had met him in April 2005, a few days after my father’s demise, he had taken his penis out of his pants and had asked me to feel it.
I remember having told him that I know how a penis feels like & that the purpose of my meeting with him was not to feel or rate his penis.. https://t.co/2gnGSdEIrU

— Sherlyn Chopra (शर्लिन चोपड़ा)🇮🇳 (@SherlynChopra) January 18, 2021

3. Simran Suri

Simran Suri, “Khuda Haafiz” renowned actress, commented after Rachel White described her encounter with Sajid Khan on the casting couch. She tweeted,

“I kept thinking all these years @whitespeaking to talk about this a## @SimplySajidK and what stopped me was that nobody would listen. He did exactly the same with me while he was casting for Himmatwala. Called me to his juju house and asked me to strip.”

I kept thinking all these years @whitespeaking to talk about this a## @SimplySajidK and what stopped me was that nobody would listen. He did exactly the same with me while he was casting for Himmatwala. Called me to his juju house and asked me to strip. https://t.co/BSNnMFjv9K

— Simran Kaur Suri (@29simran) October 12, 2018

4. Jiah Khan

Karishma Khan, the sister of Jiah Khan, was the one who spoke up in the BBC documentary “Death in Bollywood.” During a screenplay reading session, he had urged Jia to take her bra off. Karishma remarked, She came home and cried.

“It was rehearsal. She was reading the scripts and he asked her to take off her top and her bra. She didn’t know what to do, she said “the filming hasn’t even begun yet and this is happening.”

5. Aahana Kumra

Aahana Kumra’s interaction with Sajid was pretty peculiar. He attempted to take her to his “really dark” room after inviting her to his home.

While talking with India Today, she revealed,

“He wanted to chat with me. I told him my mom’s a police officer which I think made him behave. But he still asked me bizarre questions like, “Would you have s*x with a dog if I gave you Rs 100 crore?”

Numerous other people, including the Indian model Dimple Paul, the journalist Karishma Upadhyay, and Rachel White, also exposed Sajid Khan by providing their own first-hand experiences.

While it is also true that none of these accusations have ever been technically proven, we are also aware of how this industry operates. So, is it ethical to aid Sajid Khan in reviving his career through Bigg Boss 16?