New Delhi:
Actor Siddhant Karnick, who played Ranbir Kapoor’s brother-in-law in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial Animal, spoke up about a casting couch incident he faced early in his career. Recalling the incident, Siddhant Karnick, 41 now, told Hindustan Times, “It shaped me to understand how to navigate through these tricky situations better. In 2005, at just 22, I had just started in the industry,” Karnick added, “I met a coordinator who asked for my portfolio and then invited me to his house at 10:30 at night. It felt odd, but I went ahead with it.”
Siddhant Karnick recalled, “There were photographs of his family all around, and it looked like a safe environment. But something was off. The coordinator discussed industry norms and subtly hinted at compromising for career opportunities. ‘Kuch compromise nahin karoge, tab tak kaam nahin ayega,’ he said, and I sensed where this was leading.” Karnick added, “I was very young at the time, and despite all the family photographs, I didn’t think much of it. But then, this guy came closer to me, and that’s when I said I’m not interested in this kind of work, especially not through these means.”
In Animal, Siddhant Karnick played an abusive husband to Reet (portrayed by Saloni Batra). In addition to Animal, Siddhant Karnick has worked in movies such as Listen Amaya, Thappad, and Adipurush. He has also appeared in TV shows like Mahi Way, Yeh Hai Aashiqui, and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani. His journey began in 2004 with the hit TV show Remix, alongside Karan Wahi, Shweta Gulati, Raj Singh Arora, and Priya Wal.