13 October,2026 05:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Niti Taylor. Pic via Instagram
Actor Niti Taylor, known for her work on television, has revealed why she stopped pursuing films after making her debut in Telugu cinema. During an appearance on Hauterrfly, Taylor recalled an alleged casting couch experience with a director that left her shocked and reluctant to return to movies.
The actor, who appeared in three Telugu films between 2012 and 2014, said the director of her first film contacted her about another project after they had finished working together. However, she claimed the conversation took an uncomfortable turn when he made a sexual demand in exchange for the role.
Recalling the incident, Taylor said, "The director who did the first film with me called me for another movie when we were done with it. Then he said, but you will have to sleep with me for it this time." Describing her reaction, she added, "You do not realise, you do not know how to react. I just cut the call, I blocked his number, I called up my mom, and I'm like, imagine that old man."
Taylor also suggested that she had seen the director with other female actors but had not expected him to make such a proposition to her. "I never knew when he would try this with me," she said, explaining that the experience changed her outlook towards working in films.
The actor said she did not tell anyone else about the incident at the time because she was left stunned. "I was just taken aback, and I only blocked him. I did not tell this to anyone because I was zapped," she recalled. Taylor did not name the director during the conversation. Niti Taylor was last seen in Alliance.
Taylor made her film debut with Mem Vayasuku Vacham in 2012. Directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, the Telugu film starred Tanish in the lead role and performed well commercially.
She followed it with Pelli Pustakam in 2013, directed by Ramakrishna Machakanti and starring Rahul Ravindran. The film failed to make an impact at the box office and received a poor critical response.
Her third and final film was Love Dot Com, released in 2014 and directed by Raja Vannem Reddy, with Aarya Sandeep as her co-star. The film also failed commercially.
Although Taylor went on to build a career in television, she did not return to films after these three Telugu projects. Her recent account sheds light on the personal experience that contributed to her decision to step away from cinema.
