Telugu actress Sri Reddy: I stripped to protest casting couch culture 

No actress has ever stripped in protest against the menace of casting couch which plagues India’s film industries from Bollywood to Tollywood. Telugu actress Sri Reddy is the first actress in India to go to that extreme. Reddy, who has changed her name to Sri Shakti, has been complaining for long that sexual favours are being solicited by directors and producers, and that the Telugu film industry has become a centre of exploitation for aspiring actresses. But she alleges that she was shunted out, ignored, humiliated, mocked and discriminated against. She says being a journalist helped her gain strength, reassess her struggle and decide on her course of action. In this exclusive interview with National Herald’s Bhasha Singh, she talks about her life, struggle and aspirations.

You were forced to take the extreme step of stripping and, now, the Movie Artist Association (MAA) has finally accepted your demand and given you membership…

You see nude protest was the only option left to me to get people’s attention. I thought this was the only way the world would listen to my pain and agony. I have anyway had to strip in front of a number of people in this film industry who promised me work. And even after that, I got no roles. I have been shouting from the rooftop about the injustice meted out to me and to several other women in this industry and yet, I got no response from MAA. So I decided to strip naked. What is wrong in it? I don’t find any fault.

I am not happy with MAA’s attitude. This whole protest was not for me alone. This was to ensure justice for all, to clean up the house. Casting couch is a reality and people openly ask for sexual favours. It is an open secret, kind of a norm that you have to sleep with them and even then, you may not be given any role. I don’t feel any shame in saying this openly because I am not the only victim. They have reduced Telugu film industry into a brothel, it is worse than a red light area. I could no longer be silent and suffer alone. I wanted to bring this into the limelight so that we can change this whole structure.

Why did MAA deny you membership?

Because they were troubled by me. They hated my uncomfortable questions. By denying me membership they wanted to show me who wields power. They prevented other artistes from working with me. They thought they would finish me by isolating me. They are sending out a message to all women that this is what will happen to them if they speak up about the harassment and abuse they face. But I will not be deterred. I have been saying right from the beginning that women feel unsafe in the film industry, that local talent is ignored and actresses are sexually harassed. So, people are targeting me because they don’t want the truth to come out.

MAA said openly that they couldn’t give me membership as it would apparently mean anyone could strip and get film roles. They were so insulting and unapologetic. Now MAA has given me membership under huge pressure and I am not happy with it. I am fighting for all the Telugu girls who are exploited like anything. Nothing has been done in this regard.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) came out in your support. Did things start changing after that?

Yes, that’s correct. After my protest, everyone started blaming me, threatening me, cursing me. The state government also filed a case against me. This was expected as everyone knows that politicians and film industry people are often hand in glove. I have seen myself how this whole nexus operates. NHRC expressed its reservation that how did the Telangana government charge me with obscenity but did not act upon my complaints of sexual exploitation and casting couch in the Telugu film industry. NHRC openly said that action taken against me by the movie association and the state government was “an attempt to muzzle the voice of a whistle blower”. This observation boosted my morale and set me up for further struggle.

You held a press conference at Somajiguda Press Club. What were the issues you raised?

Around 25 junior and character artistes came and spoke. Some senior fellows also came in. For the first time, so many artistes came on one platform and raised their voices against the problems of casting couch and sexual exploitation. This is not my individual fight, this is for everyone who wants to become an actress. We want gender justice to be ensured in Telugu film industry. We want MAA to ensure gender justice. We are demanding that like the SHE team of Hyderabad Police, MAA women cell should be made powerful and it should not be an in-house thing. It should have one lawyer, one woman police officer, one woman activist, one from the film industry. There should be multiple stakeholders.

Tell us about your journey.

I am from Vijaywada. Both my parents, father Venkat Reddy and mother Pushpa Reddy were not in favour of me joining the film industry. They were very conservative. My mother did not keep well. From my childhood, I have seen her sick. I didn’t enjoy my childhood. I ran away from home to Hyderabad on December 31, 2009 with just ₹5000 in my bag. I joined the media industry as a newsreader. It was then I turned my eyes on the film industry.

Are you in touch with your family?

I am in touch with them now. When I first came to Hyderabad, I was completely cut off from them. But when I held my nude protest, my parents called me. To my surprise, instead of scolding me, they were very compassionate. They asked me, “Amulu (my pet name), are you holding a dharna?” And I was in tears. It gave me tremendous strength, something I can’t explain in words.

When did you get your first break in the industry?

I got in touch with director Govind Varha. By this time, I was fully aware that if you didn’t offer your body, you could not move a step ahead. I slept with him, but later I refused to give in to his daily demands. He directed my first film, Nenu Nanna Abaddam (2011). My second film was Aravind 2 (2013) and I was traumatised by sexual exploitation. The producer not only asked me to send across nude photographs and videos, he forced me to sleep with his friend Vanshi. After this, it became a trend in the Telugu film industry for producers to solicit nude pictures and videos from aspiring actresses. My third film Zindagi went well. It was event-free as I had already started revolting against this exploitation. Since then, they joined hands and turned my life into hell, especially over the last three years. I have endured torture, abuse, blackmail, threats and what not.

How are you coping with it?

I know I will die. It is really difficult to survive as I am fighting some very powerful people. But I am satisfied that at least I dared to challenge their uncontrolled lust, their crime and their dirty design to exploit women actresses. Now it is out in the open, nothing is left behind the closed doors.

What response did you get from the Telugu film industry and Bollywood?

Till now, no big actor has shown the courage to come out openly in my support. Actually they fear that they too will be exposed. Telugu film industry is a bastion of patriarchy with very few women voices. Many senior actresses are extending their support, albeit silently. They are also not coming out openly. Irony is that people like Pawan Kalyan are saying why I have not gone to the police. I want to ask them why they never bothered to take notice when I raised this issue. And, instead of supporting the cause, they are giving me suggestions. I want them to take a stand and do something about it.

Has Bollywood taken a stand?

I must thank Ram Gopal Verma, he has shown solidarity. He is a wonderful man. He is tweeting almost every day in my support. He said, “Rani Jhansi is born again. Her mother must be a very proud mother.” He calls me too and extends emotional support. This has helped to stabilise and organise myself. Now I am ready for the big, long struggle. I am disturbed by Kangana Ranaut’s stand though. The way she reacted hurt me. Nobody should decide how another person will deal with her pain. I went for nude protest because that’s the way I thought I can draw attention to the issue. I am the whistle blower here, I should get protection and support.

What are your future plans?

I am doing this for the future generation. This is not for me. I know they will not accept me. A rebellious women is not welcome anywhere. It is a man’s world, they love submissive women who won’t ask uncomfortable questions. I am like the candle. I have to burn myself so that the path of the next generation is lit. In the 85-years-old history of the Telugu film industry, these questions have been raised for the first time. So, naturally everyone is in shock. I know I may die doing this but, at least, my life will not be a waste.