The Casting Couch Syndrome

Keeping movie predators at bay.

- C V Aravind

Until the other day he was the blue eyed boy of Hollywood, a heavy weight film producer whose studio had bankrolled some of the biggest hits, including Oscar winning films. But today Harvey Weinstein has turned into just another bad egg, a predator on the prowl, one itching to lay his beefy hands on nubile female flesh. His targets were young winnable actresses, all in awe of the big man and the quid pro quo that he offered for exclusive massage sessions and a lot more was a role in his films, a gateway to stardom.

Skeletons have been tumbling down the cupboard with more and more Hollywood actresses – some of them include world renowned like Angelina Jolie and Gyanneth Paltrow – accusing Bernstein of sexual harassment. The movie mogul has put up a weak defence asserting that as per his recollections the stories were a lot different and the sex (ahem) was always consensual. There are, however, few takers for this theory as Weinstein is no Rudolf Valentino to have women falling all over him. The porcine faced, obese and ageing film tycoon’s personality or charm could not have drawn women to him like a magnet. Unconfirmed reports suggest that our own Aishwarya Rai too had been a potential target and Weinstein had made every possible effort to get the Miss World alone so that he could do the dirty on her. Her female agent however saved the beauty from the beast’s advances.