Bollywood actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya recently spoke about racism in the film industry, calling it a deeply rooted problem that continues to affect casting decisions. In a recent interview, the actor shared a personal experience to highlight how bias based on skin colour still exists in the industry.
Dibyendu Bhattacharya talks about racism in Bollywood
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, Dibyendu revealed that he was replaced in an advertisement just days before the shoot. He said, “This is an issue and it is very rooted. Just a few days ago, I got cast for an advertisement and for 4-5 days discussions went on and just three days later, the shoot was supposed to happen. So I asked them are we doing the shoot or not? They said, ‘Nahi Dada, aapko replace kiya kyunki aap kaale ho aur kaala actor nahi chahiye.'”
He added that the makers used these exact words and said he was not personally affected by the comment, as he is comfortable with his identity. However, he pointed out that such incidents reflect a larger problem within the system. According to him, the issue goes beyond individual experiences and is linked to how people are conditioned from a young age.
He said, “It’s very unfortunate par aap kuch nahi kar sakte ho. Jab Aapki buniyaad hi, primary education mein aap social ethics, norms introduce nahi karoge toh aap yeh nahi kar sakte (But you can’t really do much. If you don’t introduce social ethics and norms at the very foundation, during primary education, then this can’t be achieved).” He compared this with countries like Japan and Korea, where, according to him, children are taught discipline and empathy early in life through the education system.
Dibyendu further explained that in India, such values are often dependent on upbringing at home rather than being reinforced through schooling. He said that if the values at home are strong, a child can grow up to be well-mannered, but society as a whole does not consistently play that role.
About Dibyendu Bhattacharya’s recent work
Dibyendu was most recently seen in Undekhi Season 4, which released on SonyLIV on May 1. Directed by Ashish R Shukla, the show also stars Harsh Chhaya, Surya Sharma, Ankur Rathee and Gautam Rode in key roles, and has received mixed reviews.
Before this, he appeared in the Netflix series Maamla Legal Hai 2, which was well received by both critics and audiences. The show featured actors like Ravi Kishan, Naila Grrewal, Nidhi Bisht, Anant Joshi, Tanvi Azmi and Kusha Kapila in important roles.