'I was touched badly': Salman Khan's actress calls out filmmaker for disturbing audition experience. 'We were 6-7 girls'
Bollywood actor Daisy Shah, who made her film debut opposite Salman Khan in Jai Ho (2014), has spoken about a disturbing experience from the early days of her career. In a recent interview, she described an incident during a casting meeting in Mumbai where she felt uncomfortable with a filmmaker’s behaviour. The incident, she said, made her step away from the opportunity completely.
Casting meeting that turned uncomfortable
In a conversation with The Free Press Journal, Daisy Shah recalled that the meeting involved multiple aspiring actors, mostly young women, who had come to audition. According to her, around six to seven girls were present, and each one was being called individually to meet the filmmaker.
She said, “I was touched badly by one of the filmmakers in South. He had come to Mumbai for casting. We were 6-7 girls who went to meet him. He was meeting everyone of us individually. But I didn't like because he touched me and he was holding my hand.”
The actor did not share the identity of the filmmaker and kept the focus on her experience rather than naming anyone.
Daisy also explained that she has always been uncomfortable with physical contact, which made the situation even more distressing for her. She said her discomfort is not limited to this incident but is something she has felt for a long time.
She said, "I've always been apprehensive about people touching me. The reason why I don't get massage done is because I don't like being touched, even by a woman...by a man is a different story altogether. So that just put me off. I told him 'I will get back to you' but I never got back to him."
Following the experience, she chose not to pursue the project further and quietly stepped away.
Decision to walk away and lesson learned
Daisy Shah said she did not confront the situation aggressively at the time but decided to distance herself from it. She mentioned that she simply told the filmmaker she would respond later, but never followed up.
In reflection, she also said the experience left her with an important lesson about personal safety during auditions and meetings. She shared that she became more cautious about meeting people alone after the incident.
Career journey and current work
Daisy Shah began her career working behind the scenes as an assistant to choreographer Ganesh Acharya and also performed as a background dancer in several Bollywood songs. She later moved into acting, starting with Kannada films before gaining wider recognition in Bollywood with Jai Ho.
She went on to appear in films like Hate Story 3 (2015) and has also been part of dance reality shows and television appearances over the years.
More recently, she featured in the web series Red Room, which included actors Amit Gaur, Anuj Sachdeva, Reena Aggarwal, and Reeva Chaudhary in key roles. She is also active on YouTube, where she shares vlogs from her daily life with a subscriber base of around 50,000.
On the work front, Daisy Shah is set to appear in an upcoming thriller directed by Palash Muchhal, where she will star alongside Shreyas Talpade.
Casting meeting that turned uncomfortable
In a conversation with The Free Press Journal, Daisy Shah recalled that the meeting involved multiple aspiring actors, mostly young women, who had come to audition. According to her, around six to seven girls were present, and each one was being called individually to meet the filmmaker.
She said, “I was touched badly by one of the filmmakers in South. He had come to Mumbai for casting. We were 6-7 girls who went to meet him. He was meeting everyone of us individually. But I didn't like because he touched me and he was holding my hand.”
The actor did not share the identity of the filmmaker and kept the focus on her experience rather than naming anyone.
Daisy also explained that she has always been uncomfortable with physical contact, which made the situation even more distressing for her. She said her discomfort is not limited to this incident but is something she has felt for a long time.
She said, "I've always been apprehensive about people touching me. The reason why I don't get massage done is because I don't like being touched, even by a woman...by a man is a different story altogether. So that just put me off. I told him 'I will get back to you' but I never got back to him."
Following the experience, she chose not to pursue the project further and quietly stepped away.
Decision to walk away and lesson learned
Daisy Shah said she did not confront the situation aggressively at the time but decided to distance herself from it. She mentioned that she simply told the filmmaker she would respond later, but never followed up.
In reflection, she also said the experience left her with an important lesson about personal safety during auditions and meetings. She shared that she became more cautious about meeting people alone after the incident.
Career journey and current work
Daisy Shah began her career working behind the scenes as an assistant to choreographer Ganesh Acharya and also performed as a background dancer in several Bollywood songs. She later moved into acting, starting with Kannada films before gaining wider recognition in Bollywood with Jai Ho.
She went on to appear in films like Hate Story 3 (2015) and has also been part of dance reality shows and television appearances over the years.
More recently, she featured in the web series Red Room, which included actors Amit Gaur, Anuj Sachdeva, Reena Aggarwal, and Reeva Chaudhary in key roles. She is also active on YouTube, where she shares vlogs from her daily life with a subscriber base of around 50,000.
On the work front, Daisy Shah is set to appear in an upcoming thriller directed by Palash Muchhal, where she will star alongside Shreyas Talpade.
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