“Casting Couch Is Real": Chinmayi Sripada Reacts To Chiranjeevi’s Viral Statement

Singer Chinmayi Sripada has strongly reacted to veteran actor Chiranjeevi’s recent remark in which he claimed that there is no casting couch in the Telugu film industry.

The controversy began after Chiranjeevi commented on an event for his film Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu in Hyderabad earlier this week.

Speaking on stage, the actor said that the industry does not encourage exploitation and added that a person’s behaviour decides how they are treated.

He described the film industry as a “mirror” and suggested that negative experiences happen because of individual actions.

Soon after his statement went viral, Chinmayi took to the social media platform X to share her disagreement.

In a detailed post, she said that the casting couch is very real and continues to exist in the film industry. According to her, many women are denied work if they do not agree to what is often described as “full commitment,” a term she said carries a very different meaning behind the scenes.

Chinmayi also pointed out that senior actors like Chiranjeevi come from a different generation, where working relationships were built on familiarity and long-term associations.

She said that while mutual respect may have existed in the past, the situation for women entering the industry today is very different, especially for those who are young or new.

Sharing a deeply personal experience, Chinmayi recalled the sexual harassment she faced years ago.

She said she did not invite or deserve what happened to her and rejected any suggestion that victims are responsible for the abuse they face.

She explained that she was very young at the time and had trusted the people she worked with, only to realise later how unsafe that environment was.

Chinmayi had earlier named lyricist Vairamuthu during the #MeToo movement in 2018, accusing him of sexual misconduct during an overseas concert in 2005.

After speaking out, she faced professional backlash, including being removed from a dubbing artists’ union, but she continued to support other women who shared similar stories.