In 2005, a television event marked a turning point in Indian public culture. A news channel claimed to have exposed the Bollywood casting couch in a sting operation, in its grainy, hidden camera footage of actor Shakti Kapoor telling the undercover reporter, “I want to kiss you. I want to make love to you.” Rajat Sharma, the channel’s head, all but licked his chop as he framed it with lurid commentary about Bollywood’s seamy sexual politics.

AAP leader Sandeep Kumar. PIC/AFP