Surveen Chawla says she faced casting couch in south Indian film industry.

Actor Surveen Chawla has called out the supposed physical “parameters” that question a female artiste’s future in the country’s entertainment industry. During a chat with RJ Siddharth Kannan while promoting her latest web show Decoupled opposite R Madhavan, Surveen got candid about facing casting couch and body shaming at work.

Surveen pointed out at people who “get you in this space where you question yourself.” She recalled that it was the time she was trying to make a transition from television to films. It happened during her first film meeting in Mumbai. She said the experience made her doubt herself as her ‘appearance, weight and waist size, chest size’ was questioned. She said that these are not the right parameters that should define a woman.

Pointing out that a lot of it happened in the south Indian film industry, she added that things have changed over the past few years. She said that it was a difficult phase earlier, but things are changing with things like body shaming, mental health and rejections being talked about.