Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who was recently seen in Undekhi Season 4, has spoken openly about racism and colour bias in the entertainment industry. In a recent interview, the actor shared his personal experience and said that discrimination based on skin colour still exists in casting and advertising work.
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, Dibyendu recalled an incident where he was removed from an advertisement project just a few days before the shoot. According to the actor, discussions about the project had been going on for 4 to 5 days and the shoot was scheduled to begin soon. When he contacted the team to confirm the schedule, he was informed that he had been replaced.
Sharing the experience, Dibyendu 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.’”
The actor further mentioned that these were the exact words used by the makers. However, he clarified that he personally did not feel hurt by the comment because he is comfortable with his own identity. At the same time, he said the incident reflects a much larger issue that still exists in society and within the entertainment industry.
Dibyendu explained that such thinking develops from a young age and is connected to the lack of proper social education and values. He believes that unless people are taught equality and social ethics during their early years, these problems will continue.
He further added, “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).”
The actor’s comments have once again brought attention to the issue of colour discrimination in the entertainment world and the need for wider conversations around representation and social attitudes.