MUMBAI :The entertainment world always seems glamorous and desirable, but there are always two sides to a coin. TV actor Shaan Shashank Mishra, known for his roles in ‘Abhay’, ‘Lovepantii’, ‘Kaun? Who Did It?’, ‘Choti Sarrdaarni’, and more, has worked on both sides of the camera. He shared and agreed that casting couch does exist in the entertainment world.
He said, “I went through a lot to reach where I am today and have faced casting couch, too. I didn’t believe in all these things till I went through it. When I came to Mumbai, I got a call from a very big production house for the lead role in a TV show. The only thing left was to sign the contract. That’s when the casting director associated with the production house, and had quite a say in finalising the cast, asked me what I could do for them in return. He was specific that I need to do something special for him adding, ‘Har cheez ki keemat chukani padti hai. Yahan par yeh sab normal hai’. He told me that I’ll become a star overnight with his help. I asked him, ‘If I have bagged the character on my talent, then do you think I should do this?’”
This incident had shaken the actor to his core. He further said, “I declined the offer and the project. I was so disheartened with things not going in my favour that I almost returned to my hometown, Dehradun. However, I realised that I have struggled enough to relinquish my dreams at this stage. So, I decided to stay back and overcome hurdles. I am glad about my decision. Since then, I have worked behind the camera for several projects, like Student of the Year 1, Always Kabhi Kabhi, Bullett Raja, and Yaara and acted in many shows, that too without compromising my self-respect and purely on my talent.”
However, Shaan reminisces about his days when he would struggle keeping a positive attitude. He believes that his difficult times have only worked to make him stronger and improve his skills as an actor. Shaan shared, “My experience has taught me that I shall value talent and respect people, something I will always follow without fail. Anybody can become a star by taking shortcuts but going places with your ethics in place is a different achievement altogether.”
