Exclusive: Surveen Chawla On Toxic TV Industry Environment: “There Was A Notorious Director But He Was Balaji’s Favourite”

Surveen Chawla, best known for her roles in Hate Story 2, Sacred Games, Kaajjal, and, more recently, Rana Naidu, recently opened up about the toxic work culture she experienced in the Indian television industry. In an exclusive conversation on The Male Feminist with Siddhaarth Aalambayan, Surveen Chawla recalled how dehumanising the environment could be, especially for women. Read on to find out what she had to say.

Surveen Chawla On Toxi TV Industry Environment

Surveen, who began her career in the early 2000s with reality show Coke [V] Popstars, and later became a household name through shows like Kahiin To Hoga and Kasautii Zindagii Kay, described how actors were often treated like they were part of a factory assembly line.
“It felt like a factory, with timelines and episode pressures, they don’t care who you are. You’re just another cog in the wheel,” she shared, comparing the treatment of actors to “cattle being herded.”

When host Siddhaarth mentioned that some directors would even scream on mics in front of 150 people, Surveen agreed. “Yes, yes, I’ve been through that. There was one director who was particularly bad. A lot of women had issues working with him. I won’t name him, but it happened. And he was Balaji’s favourite,” she said.

Surveen reflected on the paradox of working at a company like Balaji Telefilms, which was headed by a woman, yet still allowed this kind of treatment to go unchecked. “Even though a woman was leading Balaji, the energy that trickled down from the top didn’t reflect that. The team mirrors its leadership, and unfortunately, that energy wasn’t positive,” she added.

Also Read: Exclusive: Surveen Chawla Reveals Director Tried Kissing Knowing She’s Married: “We Were In His Cabin…”

She also pointed out the flawed mindset that employers sometimes have. “Just because you’re paying someone doesn’t mean you own them. They’re doing the work, and you’re compensating them for that, it should be a respectful exchange.” While acknowledging that Balaji gave her a big break in the industry, Surveen didn’t hold back from calling out what she felt was wrong. “I know I’ll probably get a lot of flak for saying this, but I don’t appreciate that kind of work culture, she said firmly.

On the latest episode of The Male Feminist, Surveen Chawla also opens up about feminism, working in the Tamil industry and more.

Also Read: Surveen Chawla Drops New Pics From Cannes. Full Marks For Effort But It Looks Off