New Delhi: Actor Suraj Sharma witnessed the changing face of projects led by non-white communities in Hollywood. The 28-year-old actor, who made his debut in Ang Lees’ ‘Life Of Pi’ in 2012, feels that Hollywood was more open to including different communities through films.
‘There’s been a big change since’ Life Of Pi ‘. There are more (colored) people involved, not only as actors or in front of the camera, but even behind the camera there are many more people from different communities, ”says Suraj.
The actor, who was born in Delhi, believes that although there is “much more room for inclusivity”, he feels the nomination of actors like Riz Ahmed in the category of best actor at the upcoming Oscars, or the nomination of a film like ‘The White’ Tiger ‘, means that the West opens up and becomes’ more’ receptive to stories that have nothing to do with the White community.
‘Stereotypes will always exist. The point is how to develop and learn from them. The past few years have been incredible in terms of the different stories, from different parts of the world that have attracted attention, “adds Suraj, whose latest film,” The Illegal “, was released on an OTT platform.
OTT, is one of the biggest reasons, Suraj believes, why there is more acceptance of artists who are not white artists.
“There are definitely a lot more stories to tell, and there is just so much content. So you need people for that. Therefore, the demand is more, and people (in Hollywood or other film industries) notice it. They are now open to working with artists, who have different stories to tell, ”he says.
‘As an actor, I want to play roles that are challenging, have a story to tell and are rooted somewhere in realism. It’s simple for me. You can not imagine a color without knowing what it looks like. For me as an actor, no matter what role I play, I have to prepare for it, understand it and empathize on a certain level. If I do not do that, I can not justify the character, ”he notes.
Source: Telangana Today