Casting couch or facing sexual assault is not new in the industry; both in Bollywood and television. Earlier, several celebs have opened up about being the victim of casting couch. But some actors faced sexual exploitation outside the industry as well. 'Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai' actor Saanand Verma aka Anokhe Lal Saxena is one such victim. Saanand has made a shocking revelation about facing sexual assault during his childhood. Read on to know for details.
Saanand told Times Now that he was sexually exploited at the age of 13. Recalling about his ordeal, the actor said that a man tried to sexually exploit him when he went to play a cricket match. Saanand called it a “terrible memory” which affected him a lot.
Saanand said, “It happened to me once, during a cricket match. When I was 13, I desperately wanted to be a cricketer. I went to a cricket training academy in Patna, Bihar. There, a big guy tried to exploit me. I was extremely scared and ran away. Since then, I have stayed away from cricket''.
He said that though it mentally affected him, the incident made him very strong. The 'FIR' actor said, “Whatever happened to me in my childhood is definitely a terrible memory, many terrible things have happened to me before. When a person has endured so much suffering, no other pain matters to them''.
Opening up about the casting couch in the industry, Verma that it ''still exists'' and revealed that many of his industry colleagues have shared their “painful experiences” with him.
“Casting couch exists here. I can’t give two opinions on this, but fortunately, nothing like this has ever happened to me. No one has ever approached me in this way,” he said.
Saanand Verma is a known face on television. Apart from 'Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai', he also appeared in shows like 'Laapataganj', 'CID' and 'Gupp Chupp' to name a few. He was also part of films like 'Mardaani', 'Babli Bouncer', 'Raid', 'Chhichhore', 'India Lockdown' and 'Mission Raniganj' among others.
