Rajeev Khandelwal sparks casting couch debate: 'You can't say you were exploited if you were looking for an easy way out'

Rajeev Khandelwal has always been outspoken about the grim truths of the entertainment world. Through the years, he has openly addressed problems such as the casting couch, exploitation, and the power imbalances that frequently influence careers in the industry.

Rajeev Khandelwal's early casting couch encounter

Early in his career, the actor admitted to facing the casting couch himself but stood firm, opting to carve his own path without betraying his values. He pointed out that such predatory encounters are all too frequent, as influential figures often prey on fresh talent breaking into the industry. Speaking to The Free Press Journal recently, he tackled film industry exploitation head-on, delivering his honest and multifaceted take.

Rajeev Khandelwal on persistent exploitation

Addressing the endless industry buzz on exploitation, Rajeev feels the problem persists unchanged after all these years. “We are talking about specific exploitation, we’re talking about physical, sexual exploitation - it’s been spoken about for the last decade now. I do not think that I’ve seen the crime rate going down. On the contrary, I keep reading about some really inhumane incidents that have been happening. Maybe they are being reported more, could be, or maybe they were not getting reported as often as they do right now, nowadays. But I haven’t seen anything going down, I mean. I would have to ask women, or I would have to ask newcomers who come into this town that do they feel safer? Are they facing the same situations that probably we faced when we were a little more tight-knit fraternity where nobody would talk about certain things and people would believe that these are the norms of the industry. I wouldn’t know what I’m missing unless I go and speak to them. But when it comes to reading, when it comes to consuming news from different platform channels, newspapers, I don’t see the crime rate going down."

Rajeev Khandelwal on vulnerability's role

He further pondered how personal vulnerabilities and life situations might influence choices in tough career moments. “I have a different way of looking at it sometimes. I understand you sometimes submit yourself while in your weak state, but you are also looking for an easy way out. And you submit yourself in an emotional or a weak situation of your life. You’re also looking for an easy way out, otherwise you would have fought like others, those who do it.”

Rajeev Khandelwal's layered exploitation views

Rajeev went on to stress that discussions on exploitation are layered, drawing in various viewpoints. “So then when you victimize yourself and you say that this is what happened with me. I’m not trying to belittle anyone, but each time you hear that 15 years back for this job, I was there and I was exploited for years. Why were you there for years? And probably you were looking for an easy way out. Now it didn’t pan out the way you were looking at it, and now you are calling it exploitation. Of course, somebody was definitely exploiting you in your vulnerable state, but you were also looking for an easy way."Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”