Imtiaz Ali Breaks Silence On Casting Couch Comment: Hundreds Of Men On Set Get A Bad Name...

Imtiaz Ali made headlines earlier in the day for sharing his opinion on the prevalence of the casting couch. The Jab We Met filmmaker was speaking at the IFFI 2024 Goa where he discredited the concept of the casting couch and indirectly called it a myth. This did not sit well with director Vinta Nanda who penned a long note slamming the filmmaker for speaking on behalf of women. She also bashed IFFI for selecting him to speak on behalf of women. Ali has now taken to his Instagram account to issue a clarification on the matter.

Imtiaz Ali issues clarification on casting couch comment 

On November 22, hours after Vinta Nanda penned a long note against him, Imtiaz Ali took to his Instagram account to share his clarification on the matter. The filmmaker shared a news article about the same and wrote over it, “Uh oh there seems to be a misunderstanding that I must clarify." He went on to stress that he is not ‘denying’ or ‘disputing’ any claims of harassment cases that Vinta Nanda and others have spoken about in the past. He added that such incidents are ‘deeply disturbing’ and ‘must be dealt with severely’.

Issuing a clarification on his comments, Imtiaz wrote, 'I was pointing out that it is doubly frustrating that the entire film industry, all those hundreds of men, on every set who are otherwise remarkably well mannered get a bad name for the acts of a few." He then added, “Of course, terrible things happen and continue to happen and they are shameful - as an industry and nation we should have a zero-tolerance policy towards them. We have to uphold our honour together and regardless of gender." Vinta Nanda is yet to reply to his comment.

What did Imtiaz Ali say about the casting couch in Bollywood?

The Highway director said that he has been part of the industry for 15-20 years and has heard a lot of stories about the casting couch. "A girl comes in, she's scared, and she feels the need to compromise. Let me tell you, if a woman or girl cannot say 'no,' her chances of succeeding don’t necessarily increase. It’s not like if a girl compromises, she’ll definitely get a role,” he said.

The director continued that if a girl respects herself only then others will show respect. "People like me and many others often think about whether we take someone seriously or not; we need to respect a person to cast her," he added. He sends a message to all newcomers that if they believe that compromising will improve their chances of getting them a project, then it is a "myth".

Vinta Nanda says 'Imtiaz Ali should stop pontificating about what women face in the entertainment industry'

Taking to her Instagram handle, Vinta, filmmaker and writer, shared a post in which she urged Imtiaz Ali to stop speaking on such issues as he has "no experience".  She wrote, “Imtiaz Ali should stop pontificating about what women face in the entertainment industry. Naturally, Kareena Kapoor is safe because she is privileged. And, he surely must know that the casting couch exists! Why has IFFI Goa selected him to speak on behalf of women? Is it to whitewash the truth? If men like him had the courtesy to abstain from speaking on a subject they have no experience about, one will believe that change in the taken place."

Sharing the post, she wrote in the caption, "It’s shocking to see reports of @imtiazaliofficial making all sorts of statements about women’s issues on an important industry platform like @iffigoa With zero experience, he should have abstained from speaking instead. For the unversed, Vinta has produced, directed and written the series Tara, Raahein, Raahat, Aur Phir Ek Din and Miilee.