Recently, Vinod Suryavanshi—an actor from the popular web series *Panchayat*—spoke candidly about the caste-based discrimination he endured during his early struggles, both in his village and within the film industry. His personal account sheds light on a dark facet of the Indian entertainment world—one that is often overshadowed by the glitz and glamour of the industry.
Vinod Suryavanshi, who gained recognition for his portrayal of the new secretary in the fourth season of the *Panchayat* series, recently shared his painful story of falling victim to caste-based discrimination during an interview. Suryavanshi—who has worked in projects such as *Panchayat* and *Jolly LLB 3*—revealed in a recent interview that the roots of casteism run deep even today in his ancestral village in Karnataka. His statement comes at a time when voices against not only caste discrimination but also gender bias and colorism are growing increasingly louder within the film industry.
In recent times, several films have been produced that brilliantly depict caste-based hatred and the hierarchical mindset prevalent in society. The most recent example is the film *Vadh-2*, in which Prakash (played by Kumud Mishra) portrays a casteist and ruthless jailer who exhibits a fanatical mindset regarding caste distinctions, even within the confines of the prison. The film depicts how he brutally murders his niece and her husband for entering into an inter-caste marriage, with the blame ultimately falling upon the protagonist—played by Neena Gupta—who subsequently endures a lengthy prison sentence.
Similarly, the central theme of the 2025 film *Dhadak-2*—directed by Shazia Iqbal—revolved around caste-based discrimination, inequality, and the challenges faced by inter-caste romances. This film portrays the conservative societal attitudes toward the love shared between an upper-caste girl and a lower-caste boy. The birth month of Babasaheb Ambedkar is celebrated globally as ‘Dalit History Month.’ In keeping with this tradition, *The Mooknayak* presents a comprehensive report examining this issue in depth, drawing upon the experiences of discrimination shared by various artists within the film industry.
In a recent podcast conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Vinod Suryavanshi revealed that casteism remains as entrenched as ever in his village in Karnataka. He stated, “My village is divided into two sections—one for the upper castes and one for the lower castes. The area inhabited by Dalits is segregated from the rest of the village. When I was 12 years old, I visited the village with my father; whenever we ate at a local eatery, we were required to wash our own plates—even after paying for the meal. Furthermore, there is a temple in our village to this day that we are forbidden from entering.”
Vinod also spoke of the severe financial hardships he endured. He shared that his mother worked as a domestic help, while his father was a mason. Whenever his father failed to find work, he would return home intoxicated and physically abuse his mother. “Festivals were a time of tears for us,” he recalled, “because we could never afford to celebrate them.”
“No one treated the junior artists with any respect. We were frequently subjected to verbal abuse and humiliation. The assistant directors, in particular, treated us very poorly. However, the established, senior actors never insulted us.”
— Vinod Suryavanshi
Moreover, even after entering the industry, Vinod continued to face humiliation based on his physical appearance. Once, while he was eating during a shoot as a junior artist, a senior colleague snatched the plate right out of his hands. Vinod recounted, “Even for the role of a beggar, they would specifically ask for someone with a fair complexion. I was told, ‘You have a dark complexion; you can pack up and leave.'” He added, “I was rejected on numerous occasions solely because of my physical appearance. When I auditioned for television roles, casting directors were almost always looking for someone who had an ‘affluent look.’ They wanted someone who *looked* rich—even for the role of a beggar.” “I was told that I wasn’t worthy.”
Neeraj Ghaywan Opens Up About the Pain of Concealing His Identity
Director Neeraj Ghaywan—known for acclaimed works such as *Masaan* and *Homebound*—has frequently spoken out against the “Savarna dominance” prevalent within the film industry. Neeraj has admitted that, during the early stages of his career, he was afraid to disclose his caste identity.
He often observes that in Bollywood, Dalit characters are typically portrayed either as “pitiable victims” or as “criminals.” Through films like *Homebound* and his own storytelling, he has consistently advocated for presenting Dalits as “heroes.” In an interview, the National Award-winning filmmaker stated, “Traditionally, Hindi cinema has told stories that revolve around only 10–15% of the population—primarily the upper-caste demographic. Over the 100-year history of cinema, we have largely overlooked a vast segment of the population.”
He added, “Hardly anyone from Dalit or Adivasi communities—whether in front of the camera or behind it—has been represented. I am, perhaps, one of the very few individuals from this community to have gained recognition. This is a monumental issue. We must make amends for it.”
Pa. Ranjith Transformed Cinema into a Weapon of Resistance
Pa. Ranjith, a stalwart director of South Indian cinema, not only endured discrimination but also made it the central theme of his films (*Kabali*, *Kaala*, *Sarpatta Parambarai*). The Rajinikanth-starrer blockbuster *Kaala* portrays the lives of the urban poor. “Land is a right”—this is the core idea that *Kaala* champions. Our urban policies forcibly evict slum dwellers overnight, displacing them and shattering their lives. Furthermore, these policies implicitly convey the message that there is no place for slum dwellers within the urban landscape.
Pa. Ranjith believes that even on a film set, people’s attitudes shift based on one’s caste and background. He established “The Casteless Collective”—an initiative utilizing music and art—to provide a platform for marginalized artists. Set against the backdrop of the Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka, his upcoming film *Thangalaan* is significant not merely for its attempt to rewrite and reclaim Dalit history; it is particularly remarkable because it is rooted in a largely unheard and unexplored history—the story of how Dalits from Tamil Nadu, armed with nothing but their bare hands and unwavering resolve, built and excavated the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF).
In 2020, Jyoti Nisha—a journalist turned filmmaker—introduced the concept of “Bahujan Spectatorship.” This framework offers an alternative perspective that stands in contrast to mainstream modes of representation and the conventional gaze through which the Dalit community is viewed. While countless films have been made about the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, how many Hindi films have actually been produced about the Father of the Constitution, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar? Jyoti Nisha, who has produced a documentary on Ambedkar, states, “Upper-caste people are not grateful to Dr. Ambedkar; consequently, his story has been marginalized. Our struggle is a shared one—whether it is a Dalit man or a Dalit woman, both face the same ‘Brahmanical patriarchy’.” In an interview with Prateekshit Singh of *The Mooknayak*, Jyoti Nisha remarks, “I hail from the Bijnor region of western Uttar Pradesh, where my grandfather was a farmer. My father, Netram Singh, sold fodder to fund his diploma studies, and once he secured a job, he moved to the city. He was a staunch follower of Ambedkar, and I have witnessed him organizing cadre camps right in our home. Most people struggle to combat the caste system because they fail to fully grasp its underlying structure. I learned about the structure of the caste system—and my own place within it—from my family. My father served as the National President of BAMCEF in 2002; he passed away that very same year. However, due to the narratives portrayed in television and newspapers, my own perspective remained influenced by conventional wisdom—narratives that, in reality, did not align with my own lived experiences.”
Discrimination, in various forms, has been an integral part of my life. I still vividly recall an incident from when I was six years old: during a *Kanya Pujan* ceremony, I was turned away solely because of my caste—an experience that I found deeply humiliating. In my twenties, people would frequently ask me how I managed to speak such fluent English, or they would remark that I did not “look” like a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste. In such instances, I would retort by turning the question back on them, asking them exactly what, in their eyes, a person from a Scheduled Caste was supposed to look like.
Jyoti observes, “In 2014, I realized that the apprehensions harbored by the Bahujan community were indeed coming true, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore these stark realities.” Studying at TISS provided me with the means to articulate my experiences in words. No matter how skilled you may be in your craft, without proper representation, your work lacks that essential depth and nuance. I also raised the question: if privileged communities are unfamiliar with our worldview, do even our own people truly understand our perspective?
The controversy surrounding the biopic *Phule*—based on the life of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule—last year has further intensified this debate. The Censor Board ordered the removal of terms such as ‘Mahar,’ ‘Mang,’ and ‘Manu ki Vyavastha’ (Manu’s System) from the film, thereby raising the question of whether addressing caste-related issues in cinema constitutes a crime.
Nagraj Manjule—the director behind films like *Sairat* and *Jhund*—has explicitly stated that casteism is a “disease” that both Indian society and the film industry remain reluctant to acknowledge. Manjule revealed that his father worked as a stone-breaker and a pig-catcher. In his film *Fandry*, he portrayed on screen the very indignities that a Dalit family endures in rural India. He asserts that unless we engage in a dialogue about caste, it will never cease to exist.
It is not merely caste; artists have also voiced complaints regarding discrimination based on gender and skin color. Seasoned actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui have frequently shared that, owing to their “complexion and looks,” they were relegated to playing minor and marginalized roles for a prolonged period. However, he clarified that he never faced discrimination on account of being a Muslim.
Actress Niharika Singh, a former ‘Miss India’ titleholder, has raised questions regarding the ‘upper-caste patriarchy’ prevalent in the film industry and the double discrimination faced by women within it. In a 2019 interview, Niharika stated, “I grew up in a largely sheltered environment; consequently, during my childhood, I lacked an understanding of caste and its complexities. I was aware that we belonged to the ‘SC’ category, but what that signified within the broader political context remained completely unknown to me. It was only after moving to the country’s most cosmopolitan city and gaining fame as ‘Miss India’ that I encountered caste-based discrimination for the first time—and it was then that I realized I still had a great deal to learn.”
Actress Chum Darang, who rose to prominence following her appearance on *Bigg Boss Season 18*, has also spoken out about the discrimination she has endured due to her facial features. Expressing her anguish, she remarked, “I am stating this quite frankly: it is true that we [people from the Northeast] look somewhat different. People are simply unfamiliar with the region—the Northeast—to which I belong.”
In an interview with *The Lallantop* in May 2024, actress Janhvi Kapoor expressed her desire to witness a debate between Babasaheb Ambedkar and Gandhiji. Janhvi further shared that she had spent a significant amount of time with filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan; Ghaywan—who hails from a Dalit community—shared his personal life experiences and insights regarding his community with her. Hearing these accounts sparked a sense of curiosity within Janhvi. She reflected on the realization that, despite being a Hindu and an integral part of society, she possessed remarkably little knowledge about the very society she inhabited. “I live on Ambedkar Road, yet I possess such scant knowledge about his history… I should be ashamed of myself.” This realization served as a catalyst for Janhvi; subsequently—acting on a suggestion from Neeraj—the actress read Babasaheb’s book, *Annihilation of Caste*, and watched numerous videos on the subject. She shared that, following this experience, her understanding and her perspective on things underwent a significant transformation. In an interview, Janhvi appealed to the youth, stating, “It is crucial for the young people of this country to be well-informed about the past in order to make informed decisions for society.”
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News