Saba Bukhari accuses senior actors of discouraging newcomers
Actor Saba Bukhari had no idea about the support she received online after sharing her sexual harassment experience.
“I had no reach on social media,” Saba told BBC Urdu. “I don’t know how it went viral.”
Last week, Saba opened up on her casting couch experience and said it does exist in Pakistan. She was told by certain directors and producers that “good girls” don’t fit in showbiz. Her post instantly went viral and was picked up by several leading news outlets.
“I was shaking all over when I told my mother that the post was trending,” she said.
Saba accused senior actors of discouraging newcomers and promoting nepotism. “I’ve worked with a legend who once said to me actors with no face are coming into the industry.”
The phenomenon of a casting couch has been a hot debate in showbiz all over the world. Bollywood and Hollywood actors have shared their encounters with male directors asking for sexual favours in return for work.
Late Indian choreographer Saroj Khan had come under fire for defending the casting couch in 2018, saying it is not “something new” and that the industry “doesn’t abandon women after rape”. At age 16, Legally Blonde star Reese Witherspoon was sexually assaulted by a director and was forced to stay silent by Hollywood producers and agents.