Casting couch casts shadow on Subhash Ghai

Zeenews Bureau Mumbai: Rina Golan, an Israeli national has accused Bollywood filmmakers Subhash Ghai and Anees Bazmee of casting couch in her book `Dear Mister Bollywood`. The author is busy promoting her controversial book at the ongoing MAMI Festival but has admitted that she is scared of the people she has named in her book. The 119-page book is actually Shah Rukh Khan’s biography and it also has information about veteran Bollywood personalities asking her for sexual favours. However, she has said that some of her conversations with the celebrities in question are misfit to be printed because of their explicitness. Talking to a tabloid, Golan said, “My book is about Shah Rukh Khan. I needed to reach out to him. I fell in love with India, Bollywood and SRK,” said Rina, adding, “Yes, I have had some good and some bad experiences in the industry. But that is life. None of this has changed my feelings about the country. I still love India, Bollywood and Shah Rukh Khan.” She also clarified that her book is not about casting couch alone but also talks about courage, honesty and integrity. Dr. Ali Irani and singer Anoop Jalota are the other two people who have been accused of making indecent proposals to Golan. However, when the tabloid contacted the celebrities named in the book, all of them categorically denied having ever made such proposals to her. They also said, it was a sleazy publicity stunt on Golan’s part. In her book Golan quotes veteran director Subhash Ghai taking her to a bedroom and telling her to surrender herself completely to him. “I want you to trust me and surrender to me completely. I will take you around with me everywhere and you will see how your life will change,” Rina quoted Ghai in her book. However, Ghai chose to keep calm and did not react much when quizzed about Golan’s statement. Ghai said, “I am not aware of any book like this and can’t recall this name. If you say that derogatory things have been said by her about me, it’s her choice. In our profession we do get bouquets and bricks all the time from known and unknown both. We can’t even react.”