Not easy being a soap star...
We come to that tricky casting couch issue. Sampada doesn't flinch. "Of course it exists," she tells us, adding that all actors face the problem at some level. "I remember going to a big meeting about a jewellery brand. The shoot was in Dubai and I was told everything would be on the house. The person in charge said he would take me shopping, but added that I would have to accompany him to all his conferences even after the shoot was over!"
Interestingly, she says this happens in the corporate world too. "It's up to you to take it or leave it." What does she do in situations like this? "I usually promise to get back to them, then start ignoring their calls. I also fire the coordinator who has fixed the meeting. I don't think people are going to change by my getting aggravated or lecturing them on morality. This is not cinema; this is reality."
Surprisingly, Sampada says the problem is worse for men than women, especially in the fashion industry. She talks about male models close to male designers, but refuses to divulge names. "They are friends," she says, "but some of these stories are open secrets."