Rithvik Dhanjani has been a known face in the television industry with his memorable stints in shows like Pyaar Ki Yeh Ek Kahaani, Pavitra Rishta, and several others. However, his journey has not been a bed of roses. In a recent interview, he recalled a harrowing experience from his struggling days, recounting how he was subjected to a casting couch incident when he was just 20.
Rithvik Dhanjani on facing casting couch
He recently appeared on the Two Girls and Two Cups podcast and recalled how he met a casting director in Mumbai`s Aram Nagar and faced the casting couch when he was only 20 years old. Rithvik recalled that the director had chosen him from a line of actors. “That guy took me inside the studio and said, ‘You are shortlisted.’ I was shocked, it felt like an angel had come from nowhere, taken me out of the line and said I was shortlisted. I was elated, and I started thanking him,” Rithvik said, “Then he said I had to come to his office right away, and I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’”
View this post on Instagram
The actor said then recalled how the director insisted to travel with him on bike, and when they reached the venue, things turned awry. He said, “I saw there were no offices, there was a grocery shop, a bun-maska stall. I kept thinking, ‘Does he really do casting here? That can’t be.’ He asked me to come inside and led me into a narrow lane; I assumed there might be a bungalow at the end. Instead, there was a gate with a huge lock. He opened it, and inside it was completely dark, with stairs going up. He said, ‘Come up, this is my office.’ I swear I peed my pants, by then I had realised something was off, this is not right.”
Upstairs, the casting director asked Rithvik to show him his showreel. However, he stopped it midway and told the actor, “In the industry, you don’t have to work hard; you have to work smart.” Then he began touching the actor. “The moment he touched me, I froze. I was terrified inside. I was only 20 years old. I was shaking. Somehow, I managed to get out of there,” Rithvik said.
About Rithvik Dhanjani
The actor rose to fame with his stint in Pavitra Rishta, which starred Ankita Lokhande and Sushant Singh Rajput. He later went on to host shows like Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. He was last seen in web series Half Love Half Arranged with Karan Wahi and Maanvi Gagroo. Personally, he has been grabbing attention for his equation with Krystle Dsouza.
