'Aapko replace kiya kyunki aap kaale ho': Mirzapur actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya recalls facing racism in industry
ETimes | May 7, 2026 1:39 AM CST
Dibyendu Bhattacharya , who is known for his role in the Mirzapur series , recently spoke about racism in the film industry, calling it a deeply rooted problem that continues to impact casting decisions.
In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Dibyendu shared a personal experience to highlight how bias based on skin colour still exists.
He revealed that he was replaced in an advertisement just days before the shoot.
“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.’”
Calls it a larger systemic issueThe actor added that the makers used these exact words. He said he was not personally affected, as he is comfortable with his identity. However, he stressed 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.
'It’s very unfortunate'“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,” he said.
He also compared this with countries like Japan and Korea, where, according to him, children are taught discipline and empathy early through the education system.
Dibyendu further explained that in India, such values often depend on upbringing at home rather than being reinforced through schooling.
Recent workDibyendu was most recently seen in Undekhi Season 4 , which released 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 series Maamla Legal Hai 2, which was well received by critics and audiences. The show featured Ravi Kishan, Naila Grrewal, Nidhi Bisht, Anant Joshi, Tanvi Azmi and Kusha Kapila in important roles.
In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Dibyendu shared a personal experience to highlight how bias based on skin colour still exists.
He revealed that he was replaced in an advertisement just days before the shoot.
“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.’”
Calls it a larger systemic issueThe actor added that the makers used these exact words. He said he was not personally affected, as he is comfortable with his identity. However, he stressed 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.
'It’s very unfortunate'“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,” he said.
He also compared this with countries like Japan and Korea, where, according to him, children are taught discipline and empathy early through the education system.
Dibyendu further explained that in India, such values often depend on upbringing at home rather than being reinforced through schooling.
Recent workDibyendu was most recently seen in Undekhi Season 4 , which released 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 series Maamla Legal Hai 2, which was well received by critics and audiences. The show featured Ravi Kishan, Naila Grrewal, Nidhi Bisht, Anant Joshi, Tanvi Azmi and Kusha Kapila in important roles.
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