Mar 14, 2025 03:46 PM IST
Actor Chum Darang spoke in a recent interview about the racism she faced in Mumbai after leaving Arunachal Pradesh for work.
Actor Chum Darang was vocal in an interview recently about how the film industry, and the country in general, needs to be more inclusive towards people from North East. Talking to BBC India, she recalled facing racism after coming to Mumbai from Arunachal Pradesh and growing a ‘thicker skin’ through the years. (Also Read: Karan Veer Mehra gives status update on Bigg Boss 18 prize money, says him and Chum Darang are busy with work now)
Chum Darang on being called racist names
Chum recalled coming to Mumbai in 2018 with big dreams and expecting everything good the city had to offer. Unfortunately, her first brush with racism came when she visited a mall soon after. She also recalled the racism intensifying during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when random people would blame ‘her country’ for it.
She said, “Young boys at the mall called me names, and I didn’t know how to react. I just gave them a look and left. They were calling me momo and chow chow. I don’t know why they assume, if I look like this, they’ll give me some Chinese name and think I’ll get offended. It’s just that I want people of this country to know that we are from this country too. We might look different, but I’m an Indian too.”
On the change that needs to come in films
Chum might have acted in Badhaai Do, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Paatal Lok season 1 through the years, but she says it’s time the film industry wrote better roles for people from the North East. She also stated how it’s difficult for them to land lead roles, irrespective of how talented they are.
“I mean, it’s very evident that roles for us are still not written like how it should be. It’s very less. So, the chance of getting (lead) work is tough in here. But we’re surviving; things are changing. Bombay is a very expensive city to live in. So, I did this role in Paatal Lok, I did the role of a Chinese infomercial girl. I had to do it because I needed money. After that I realised, nahi, I am meant for bigger things,” she said.
Chum recently also took part in the reality TV show Bigg Boss 18 and was the 4th runner-up. She recently also called out Elvish Yadav for his racist comments on her in a YouTube video.
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