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Has Hollywood right been lacking representation for a long time
Sugandha Rawal
As Abhay Deol navigates the largerthan-life terrain of Hollywood, he is glad that the industry over there is working hard to finally get to a point where they are writing and casting characters that accurately reflect the rest of the world. “I’m glad it is finally happening. There needs to be right representation in Hollywood as it has been lacking for a long time,” shares Deol, who has embarked upon a journey in the West with his latest film, Spin.
For the actor, getting the representation right is crucial since several youngsters look up to the entertainment medium to identify and understand their own culture as part of growing up.
“Kids, who look like us — whether from the IndianAmerican or the LatinAmerican or Asian communities, they need to see themselves represented the
Pop star Britney Spears announced her engagement to long-time boyfriend Sam Asghari through an Instagram post. Meanwhile closer home, actor Vidyut Jammwal also made his engagement to girlfriend, fashion designer Nandita Mahtani, official. way they are, so that kids who grow up in that country feel like they belong,” shares the 45-year-old.
He reveals that AsianAmericans are happy to see someone like them on screen, and that is important. “I’ve been getting (positive) feedback after Spin, in which I play the role of father to a teenage daughter in an IndianAmerican set-up,” the actor shares. Explaining his earlier point further, the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) actor says, “It gives them a sense of belonging. Because a lot of kids who are from an ethnic community outside of the US, and who were born and raised in the US, try and find where they belong by visiting countries where their parents come from [only to] realise that they don’t fit there. And they feel like they don’t belong in America either.” That leaves them in the lurch, and that’s why becoming inclusive should be the way forward, and is a big deal, feels Deol.
However, he doesn’t mean that ethnicity in the plotline should be forced to make a point as “making a statement without making it about ethnic identity is important”.
Jasleen Royal’s latest track, Ranjha, from the film Shershaah has become a chartbuster. Multiple cover versions and Instagram reels later, the love ballad debuted in the US Billboard charts. But the composersinger remains unfazed. “I’m not feeling any of it,” she says with a laugh, adding, “Maybe it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I get a high when I’m creating something. Once people like it and it gets circulated, it gradually starts hitting me. This success hasn’t come overnight. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
Not one for the numbers game, Royal believes that the success of a track can’t be based on the eyeballs it gets on social media. “It isn’t really an important parameter for me. I’ve had songs that became popular after some years of their release, such as Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (Baar Baar Dekho; 2016) or Din Shagna Da,” she explains.
Talking about how every song has its own journey, the musician says, “I don’t think that a song can be labelled as a bad one if it doesn’t get 10 million views soon after it’s dropped. Some songs need to stand the test of time to become popular.”
Royal has also been in the news in recent times due to her vacation pictures with her gal pals, actors Radhika Madan and Sara Ali Khan.
She shares, “If we didn’t take the trip now, it would have been pushed indefinitely, because all of us will be busy in the coming months. We decided to go to Leh and make the most of it. It’s such a beautiful place. I was with the best company and we had a lot of fun! Sara is very energetic and wanted to do everything possible. Radhika just wanted to relax and sip on coffee.”