Saiyami made her Bollywood entry with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film Mirzya, which also marked the debut of Anil Kapoor’s son, Harshvardhan Kapoor. Unfortunately, the film received mixed reviews and did not perform well at the box office.
Over the years, Saiyami has starred in various films, including Anurag Kashyap’s Choked, Unpaused, and Telugu projects such as Nagarjuna’s Wild Dog and Highway. Her recent work in R Balki’s sports drama Ghoomer, which featured Abhishek Bachchan, garnered widespread acclaim. Most recently, she appeared in a supporting role in the film Jaat, alongside Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, directed by Gopichand Malineni, which grossed ₹118.36 crore globally.
Saiyami Kher recounted her experience with the casting couch when she was just 19 years old while auditioning for a Telugu film. Many actors in Bollywood have come forward to share their experiences with the casting couch phenomenon. In a recent interview, Saiyami, known for her roles in Ghoomer and Choked, revealed that a casting director once suggested she “compromise” to secure a role in a Telugu movie.
She reflected on the casting couch experience she faced at such a young age, stating, “I’ve been very fortunate with the offers that have come my way. There was this agent who reached out to me for a Telugu film when I was around 19 or 20.” She mentioned, ‘You know, you’ll have to make compromises.’ I was intrigued by her words, particularly because it was a woman speaking to another woman. I felt that deeply.”
Saiyami continued, “So, I responded, ‘Ma’am, I don’t understand what you mean.’ I repeated that until she finally clarified, ‘See, you need to understand.’ I then said, ‘I’m sorry you think I’m someone who should go down this path. There are boundaries I’ve never crossed in my life.’ That was my only encounter with this situation, and it was indeed a woman who brought it up.”
This episode has once again brought the ugly side of Tollywood into focus. More and more Telugu speaking girls are shying away from the industry because of this casting couch which always exists in the background. Actresses bold enough like Saiyami are able to expose this while many may not be brave enough to come out due to many reasons and are falling prey to this casting couch.
