I WAS PROTECTED AND FORTUNATE: BANITA
Banita feels lucky that she didn’t face casting couch
Actor Banita Sandhu, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Varun Dhawan in Shoojit Sircar’s October, last month, got rave reviews for her performance. While most newcomers don’t have it easy in the industry and have to struggle to carve a niche, Banita calls herself lucky.
“I was 18 when I came to India for the first time to do ads, and I walked away with a film role from a director like Shoojit Sircar. I count my blessings every day for that,” she says. Being an outsider and having tasted immediate success with her debut, Banita clearly has put the nepotism debate on the back seat.
Was it difficult to bag the role, especially when there are so many star kids sitting around? “Honestly, I don’t really focus on other people’s careers. I’ll never compare myself to anyone else, let alone a ‘star kid’. I believe I was very fortunate in my journey that everything almost fell into place; it was like fate,” she says.
Like many debutantes, the actor agrees that she had also heard of instances of casting couch in the industry but she never worried about being caught in any such trap. “My casting for [projects in] India actually began in London with my agent at the time, so I was very protected and fortunate to be working with the right casting directors in the UK.
Stating that “although I’m lucky to have never had an encounter with it”, she is quick to add, “Casting couch does exist, in all industries and not just cinema. It should be spoken about, because people who abuse their positions of power should be reprimanded. It shouldn’t be a ‘given’ or a naturalised part of the industry.”