Fatima on casting couch and Me Too in Bollywood

Fatima Sana Shaikh, who is known for her roles in Dangal, Ludo, Thugs of Hindostan and Sam Bahadur, has once again spoken out about the prevalence of sexual misconduct and the casting couch in the entertainment industry.

The actress recently shared her views on how things have evolved in the post-Me Too era, and how much further there still is to go.“There’s more accountability now”When asked about being one of the few in Bollywood to address the issue openly, Fatima acknowledged that the landscape has changed. “I think things have changed. People are much more accountable. They are a little more fearful,” she said in an interview with Humans of Bombay.

She noted that most film sets today have designated personnel or units in place to address sexual misconduct complaints before they escalate to police cases.She also pointed out that conversations around these issues are now taken more seriously. “There is a conversation. There is an investigation... it exists in every industry,” Fatima added.“The lines are sometimes blurred”Fatima offered a nuanced view of how misconduct can sometimes exist in grey areas, especially when power dynamics or blurred personal boundaries come into play.

“You are working with someone, you have become intimate. But then you don’t understand, the lines are blurred. Then there is the dynamic of the power,” she explained.While advocating for thorough investigation before passing judgment, she also maintained that the benefit of the doubt is often, and rightly, given to women. “Because it is a male-dominant industry. And now, after Me Too, women can talk about it... You will be held accountable.”“I haven’t faced this in Bollywood”Clarifying her own experience, Fatima stated that while she has spoken of uncomfortable situations in the past, particularly in her younger years, she has never directly faced sexual misconduct within the Bollywood ecosystem. “It’s not like the industry is bad. Any incident that has happened, it’s just been this one little, small-time somebody and some conversation,” she said.She was quick to emphasize that issues like these are not exclusive to film sets. In fact, she pointed out that the problem is equally, if not more, severe in the corporate world. “Corporate is life when you are together. So there, it’s even more rampant... and even more toxic,” she said.

“Amazon and Netflix are very specific about Posh training”Fatima praised the preventive measures adopted by major platforms like Amazon and Netflix, revealing that every project backed by them includes mandatory PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) awareness sessions for cast and crew.

“Somebody will come from this agency… you will have a meeting with the cast, crew, and all the HODs. You will be told what your rights are, what is appropriate, what is not,” she explained.She added that most reputed production houses now conduct these sessions as standard practice, a move that she believes is a positive step toward safer work environments.“People are being held accountable for their actions — not only in our industry, but in corporate and beyond. And that is what progress looks like,” she concluded.