Casting couch

The newspapers just came... seems Aman Verma is the latest person to be caught on hidden tape. I feel sorry for Shakti Kapoor though - why all the flak? What makes everyone so sure that Shakti was the one making all the covert advances... any crappy old team with a camera and a girl can capture anything they want... If they stick at it and use unethical methods. It took SIX months of advances from that girl before he agreed to come. Any one else would have fallen too. He is also human... and I am not denying the existance of a casting couch... the entire world is generally moving towards sexual perversion... what I am saying is that there should be a control on stings and the methoods they use to gain such footage. The worst thing about the whole issue is the lack of support from the industry. No one should have reacted to such sensationalist journalism with no other purpose than to defame an individual... those three producers should not have banned him - Amit Khanna, Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai - for me, these three people who apparently are the entire "producers guild of India" have come off in worse light than shakti kapoor.

the original letter from the guild:

Statement issued by the producers’ body

The Film & TV Producers’ Guild of India condemns the slanderous, mischievous ad unsubstantiated aspersions cast by the actor Shakti Kapoor in a ‘Sting’ broadcast on India TV.

All members of the Guild are eminent and respected Producers who have never indulged in any acts imputed to them in the said telecast. [yeah right]

Shakti Kapoor has been completely irresponsible in his behaviour and utterances and must publicly apologise to those whom he has insulted and slandered.

The Guild would like to clarify to all concerned that all its members who represent the cream of the Entertainment Industry have always stood for the highest moral, ethical and professional values and have been the fountainhead of the growth of this vibrant industry.

The Guild would also like India TV in particular and media in general to clearly state that none of the persons mentioned in the expose have in any way ever been involved in any reprehensible acts.

The Guild is advising its members not to engage Shakti Kapoor for any work in any of their productions.

Issued by The Film & TV Producers’ Guild of India Ltd.

— Supern Sen
Secretary General

poor guy