A Facebook post, now being shared among anti-caste activists on Twitter, details a casting requirement for an upcoming Ajay Devgn film. The casting agent has asked for male actors who “poor look, Dalit look” for the film.
Jai Bhim @MilindKamble_ @cbhanp @KalpanaSaroj @DICCIorg please provide good job to this cinema guys. Then they stop calling Dalits as poor. pic.twitter.com/oclMwIKCfl
— Karthik Navayan (@Navayan) October 12, 2017
The post and the casting agent display an appalling lack of awareness, and more particularly, reveal their bigotry and caste bias. At a time when more and more people are waking up to the evil of casteism, when some are able to acknowledge the social inequity and structural violence inherent in the caste system, it is frightening that some people can openly display such prejudice.
What exactly is Dalit look? What is poor look?
This is further proof that the film industry still is largely dominated by upper-caste, upper class people, and large scale discrimination happens behind the scenes, and on-screen. This despite hard hitting films like Sairat, Fandry, Kakkoos, and others that show the evils of caste system.
I am sorry to inform you people there is no “Dalit look”. There is only savarna outlook breeding dalit stereotypes. https://t.co/aw7bpBDet1
— Shivani channan ? (@DardEdiscourse) October 12, 2017
Yes. U know dalits are supposed to be the poor/downtrodden and all that
— Priyashmita Guha (@priyashmita) October 12, 2017
