Behind the bright world of Bollywood is a darker reality that many performers grapple with. While many people have freely discussed encountering the casting couch, Mouni Roy has recently recounted a troubling occurrence from her early days in the industry. In an interview with Apoorva Mukhija on Spice It Up, the actress revealed that, while she had never been on the casting couch, she did confront appalling misbehaviour at the age of 21.
Mouni Roy recalls the scarring incident of misbehaviour
When Mouni was asked about whether she faced the casting couch or if someone misbehaved with her in Bollywood, the actress quipped, “Casting couch toh nahi hua, but badtameezi hui hai(Never faced casting couch but was misbehaved with). I was 21-22 years old, and I had gone to someone’s office where people were there inside the office where narration was being given. Suddenly, there was a scene where the girl falls into the swimming pool, she loses consciousness, and the hero gets her out and gives her mouth-to-mouth respiration, and she gains consciousness.”
Without saying if it was an actor, director, or casting agent who misbehaved with her, Mouni continued, “The man literally held my face and showed me mouth-to-mouth respiration. Uss 1 split second main mujhe samajh hi nahi aaya mere saath kya hua (I didn’t understand what happened with me in that split second). I started shaking, and I ran down. It really scarred me for a really long time.”
Mouni Roy`s acting trajectory
Mouni began her acting career with the classic show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and has since become a household name with shows such as Kasturi, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, and Naagin. She made her Bollywood debut with Akshay Kumar in Gold (2018), later acted in Romeo Akbar Walter, Made in China, and gained industry accolades for her role as Junoon in Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva.
She will next appear in the romantic comedy flick Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The film, directed by David Dhawan and starring Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur, is set to appear in theatres in 2026.