Wed Apr 02 10:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Actress Shalini Pandey Recounts Disturbing Casting Couch Experience
**Mumbai, India** – Actress Shalini Pandey has shared a harrowing experience of facing unwanted advances from a director early in her career. In a recent interview, Pandey recounted an incident where a director entered her vanity van without knocking while she was changing clothes. The incident, which occurred during the filming of a South Indian movie, left her deeply disturbed.
“I was only 22,” Pandey said. “He just walked in. I screamed at him. It was my immediate reaction because I was so shocked. I couldn’t believe it was happening. Later, people told me I shouldn’t have yelled, but it was unacceptable. Just because I was new, it didn’t give him the right to enter without knocking or treat me that way.”
Pandey explained that this incident forced her to establish firm boundaries within the industry. She acknowledged that this often led people to perceive her as aggressive, but she maintained that it was a necessary measure to protect herself. She also criticized the common advice given to young actresses to be agreeable and avoid upsetting powerful figures to secure work.
“People often say be sweet, be nice. Don’t upset anyone, don’t confront them, because otherwise you won’t get work,” Pandey stated. “I was told that too.”
Despite this negative experience, Pandey clarified that she has worked with both good and bad men throughout her career, emphasizing the importance of establishing and maintaining personal boundaries to navigate the industry safely.
First Piper 