"I was asked to sleep with a producer": Ankita Lokhande shares her casting couch experience

Actor Ankita Lokhande opened up about encountering predatory men in the film industry. She spoke about being subject to the horrors of the casting couch twice, once when she was just starting out and again, when she was a successful television star looking to transition to films.

Ankita Lokhande who rose to fame with popular show Pavitra Rishta opposite late actor Sushant Singh Rajput revealed that she was asked to sleep with a producer to bag a project

The Pavitra Rishta actress said that she was asked to ‘compromise’ but she walked out. She said, "I was so smart, I was alone in that room and was 19 or 20 years old, and asked him, ‘Which type of compromise does your producer want? Do I have to go for parties or dinners?’"

She said that she wanted to avoid a situation where she was asked outright to ‘sleep with the producer’. She said, "And the moment he said it, maine uski band baja di thi (I took him to task). I told him, ‘I think your producer wants a girl to sleep with, not a very talented girl to work with.’ And I left from there. He then apologised and said he will try to take me in his film. But I said, 'If you try and take me in also, I’m not interested in your film'."

Talking about the second incident, Ankita Lokhande said, "When I got back again into films, I felt it again, just shaking hands with that person. I don’t want to take names, he was a big actor. I got those vibes, and I quickly got my hands away from him. I knew it, ab mera yahaan nahi hoga (it will not work out for me), because it is a give and take thing. I understood and I left from there because it was not for me."

During the interview, Ankita Lokhande also spoke about her relationship with Sushant Singh Rajput, how she turned down offers from many big filmmakers because of her relationship.

Ankita also mentioned that she was undergoing depression after her break up with Sushant.

Ankita Lokhande was asked how she was planning to start a family with Sushant Singh Rajput and how she gave up on many things. To this, she said, "I gave up on Happy New Year. I remember Farah (Khan) ma’am had offered me the film and I had also met Shah Rukh (Khan) sir who said 'I will try to give you the best debut'. And I was like, okay, but at the back of my mind, trust me... I was in Macau. Me, Sushant and Shah Rukh sir, we were sitting, and I was like, ‘Bhagwan, mera na ho (God, I hope I don’t get it).’ Ladki kaisi hoti hai na, she always tries ki, nahi yaar, mere partner ka achcha ho. (A girl always wants the best for her partner). That's what you think."

But Ankita said that she regret nothing. She added, "Till today, I have no regrets. I was trying to build a man and I did that. I was trying to be a very strong support for Sushant, and I did it.

Ankita Lokhande became a household name after her appearance in the popular serial Pavitra Rishta. It was on the sets of this show where she first met Sushant Singh Rajput. Soon, love blossomed between the two and they started dating. However, they parted ways in 2016. She made her Bollywood debut in 2019 with Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, starring Kangana Ranaut in the titular role. Ankita was also seen in Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 3 opposite Riteish Deshmukh.