Lin Laishram feels a North East actor could have played Mary Kom instead of Priyanka Chopra, talks about being typecast

International model and actress Lin Laishram who hails from Manipur recently opened up about how North-Eastern actors lack recognition in the Bollywood-dominated country. Lin who is prominently known for her role in Priyanka Chopra starrer Mary Kom opened up about how North-East lacks representation in Bollywood and the actresses from the region are usually cast in roles such as ‘a spa girl, prostitute or a waiter’.

Lin also gave the example of The Family Man 2 and said that if South Indians can be well represented and appreciated then why not the actors from the North East. Lin also highlighted the racism that the North Easterners have to face in their own country right from being mocked to assault.

Talking about the casting choices in Bollywood Lin also pointed out that instead of having a North East actor to play the renowned boxer Mary Kom who also hails from the region, Priyanka Chopra was picked to play the athlete in her biopic.  She told Free Press Journal, “I admire Priyanka for her hard work, she really put in a lot of hours in order to look like Mary Kom but I always felt that casting is an important step in film. I believe in authenticity and inclusivity, so a girl from Manipur or the North East could have been surely cast to represent us.” Lin played Mary Kom’s friend Bembem in the 2014 Omung Kumar film.

Talking about the roles offered to North East actors in Bollywood she said, “One is approached to play stereotypical roles like a spa girl, prostitute or a waiter. Not that playing these characters demeans an actor but it's how we are seen and cast. Its little knowledge about our culture that bothers us. When it comes to playing an achiever from the Northeast a non-North Eastern person is chosen as seen in Mary Kom. On the other hand, why not cast people from Northeast also as normal Indians in all walks of life which we are.”

Lin added that people from the North East are hardly able to relate to the rare representation the region gets in Bollywood where characters are dressed in bizarre tribal costumes and made to speak gibberish.