Actor Rajeev Khandelwal recently opened up about a disturbing casting couch experience with a film producer who bragged about having recently delivered a Rs 100 crore hit. During an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rajeev recounted the unsettling details of the interaction, revealing how the producer tried to serenade him and then issued an icy warning after Rajeev turned down his advances.
“I didn’t create a scene or anything, but I as good as gave him a middle finger and left,” Rajeev said. When asked if the person was well-known, he confirmed, “Yes. He’d just given a Rs 100 crore film recently. He said this to me. He said, ‘I’ve just delivered a 100-crore hit, you’re saying no to me?’”
Rajeev described the bizarre and uncomfortable encounter where the producer refused to show him a script but insisted on singing a song. “Imagine the situation. You’re sitting across somebody who is telling you, ‘I was told you’re a drop-dead gorgeous man, but I don’t see it. But there’s something very masculine about you.’ I got the hint. He asked if I wanted to do his film, but I told him I needed to see a script first. He said, ‘I don’t give my scripts to anybody, but I like you, so I’ll sing a song for you.’”
He patiently listened while the producer sang, being asked to “look into my eyes” during the performance. Despite the awkwardness, Rajeev maintained his stance on seeing a script before agreeing to the film. This led to the producer showing him the door with a chilling remark, “I was going to sign you for a two-film deal, let me see where you reach in life.”
Shortly afterward, Rajeev starred in his breakout film, Aamir. He even invited the producer to the premiere with a message that read, “It’s not a 100-crore film, it’s a small film, would love to have you there.” The producer did not attend. Rajeev added that the producer has since tried to revive an old project but is not very active in the industry these days.
Comments
0 comment