TV actor Asha Negi shares her casting couch experience: He tried to brainwash me

Television actor Asha Negi shared a disturbing casting couch encounter from her early career days. She reflected on the manipulative tactics used by a coordinator and her resolve not to compromise.

In Short

• Asha Negi talked about casting couch experience during early career
• Coordinator implied that compromising was common among TV actors
• Negi said she chose to reject such advances

Television actor Asha Negi, best known for her role in Pavitra Rishta, has spoken candidly about facing the casting couch early in her career. Reflecting on a troubling encounter during an interview with Hauterfly, Negi shared how a coordinator attempted to manipulate her, citing that many well-known TV actors had compromised themselves to advance in the industry.

“Back then, there were coordinators. This was some coordinator during that time, some random guy I ended up meeting. I'm glad that we met and he started talking about television, and I was in my early 20s. He was almost trying to brainwash me that this is what happens and this is how you will grow. He told me, jitne bhi bade TV actors hai, all have done it (all the big actors have done it),” Negi recalled.

While the coordinator didn’t directly ask her to compromise herself, Negi sensed his intentions. This made her question whether she wanted to pursue a career under such circumstances. “I told him, ‘If this happens, then I’m not interested,’” she said, revealing her inner turmoil.

Though she acted confidently during the conversation, Negi admitted feeling terrified at the time. She reached out to a friend, hoping for reassurance, but was met with indifference. “My friend just said, ‘All this happens; it’s normal.’ He wasn’t shocked at all,” she added.

On the professional front, Negi was a part of shows like Pavitra Rishta, the web series Baarish, and was well-known for her participation in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 6.