Chinmayi rebuts Chiranjeevi’s ‘no casting couch’ remark

Singer and activist Chinmayi Sripaada has strongly responded to Megastar Chiranjeevi’s recent remarks denying the existence of casting couch practices in the film industry, stating that the reality today is very different.

Speaking at the success celebrations of “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu,” Chiranjeevi encouraged women and young girls to pursue careers in cinema, citing the successful journeys of producers Sushmita, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka Dutt. During his address, the actor asserted that there is no casting couch culture in the industry, adding that professionalism and firm boundaries would prevent any misconduct. He also remarked that the film industry merely reflects an individual’s character.

Chinmayi, however, disagreed sharply with this assessment. Responding through a series of posts on X, she argued that Chiranjeevi’s perspective stems from a different era and does not align with present-day realities. According to her, while senior actors worked in an environment where female co-stars were often friends or family acquaintances, the meaning of “commitment” in today’s industry has changed drastically.

“Legendary Chiranjeevi garu comes from a generation where they were friends or even family friends with their female co-artistes, mutually respected each other, and worked with legends,” Chinmayi wrote, adding that such circumstances no longer reflect the current ecosystem.

She went on to state that casting couch practices are very much real and continue to affect women trying to break into the industry. Chinmayi also cited her own experiences and shared accounts of others to underline her point.