Maanvi Gagroo, known for her roles in shows like Four More Shots Please! and TVF Pitchers, has always been vocal about issues plaguing the entertainment industry. In an exclusive conversation on Hauterrfly’s The Male Feminist, Maanvi Gagroo shared her personal encounter with the casting couch and reflected on the subtle yet troubling tactics employed to exploit artists and by artists she meant female artists.
Maanvi Gagroo On Casting Couch
Recalling an incident, Maanvi Gagroo revealed, “I remember someone had said ‘compro,’ and mujhe samajh nahi aaya tha ki ‘compro’ kya hai. I kept asking, ‘What?’ and then someone clarified, ‘Compromise.’ Tab hasi aa gayi thi mujhe.” While she initially found the situation absurd, she acknowledged that such occurrences are not uncommon in the industry. She shed light on how these situations often manifest in more subtle ways. “They’ll text you and say, ‘Let’s go for coffee.’ Ab aap dost toh ho nahi mere, kyu jaun main? If it were just a normal catch-up, you might consider it, but you get a sense when something feels off. Everyone does.”
When asked about this “women’s sense of feeling” that helps navigate such situations, Maanvi explained, “We are brought up like that we have to pick up on these vibes. I think even men would pick up on these if they were taught the same way.” Host Siddharth quipped, “Yeah, if they were also pinched on the street,” adding a touch of dark humor to the conversation. Elaborating further, Maanvi described how certain behaviors cross boundaries. “They’ll say, ‘Chal milte hai,’ at odd hours, and you’re like, ‘Kyu?’ Even during normal interactions, something feels off. They’ll come and hug you, and their hand will stay on your shoulder even after the hug is over. And you’re thinking, ‘Ho gaya hug, ab haath hatao.”
On the latest episode of The Male Feminist, Maanvi Gagroo also opened up about navigating intimate scenes for the first time while shooting for Four More Shots Please!
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