Is Bollywood stereotyping Sikhs? Prabhjyot Singh calls out industry; reveals being asked to 'cut beard'

Actor Prabhjyot Singh, who is best known for his role in 'Udta Punjab', reveals being stereotyped in Bollywood after he played a drug addict due to which he faced several challenges.

He shared that after 'Udta Punjab' he was getting roles of the same character or a comic role. Prabhjyot added that as a Sikh actor he has learnt to say no to a script in which he feels his character is being made fun of.

Besides being stereotyped, the actor shared that 'contacts and connections' play a major role in finding work.He also made another revelation.

'I have faced a situation where I was being cast for a role, everything was locked and the budget was also done. But some star kid who had industry connections got cast instead of me, and mujhe bola gaya that project is on hold right now. When the project released, I thought this shouldn’t have happened. That was unfair but you can’t do anything about it. You just have to accept it,' he recalled.

Prabhjyot shared that it is difficult for him to accept an offer in which he has to cut his beard, because it's unacceptable in his religion.

'For me, accepting an offer in which I am asked to cut my beard is very difficult, because in my religion I cannot accept that. I am open to everything, but mere religion ke khilaaf jaake ya meri audience aur mere sentiments ko break karke agar koi cheez ho rahi hai, so I can’t do that. Filmmakers aur audience ko accept karna chahiye ki sikh actors kya aur kaise hote hain. First, getting work was difficult, sometimes you don’t even get paid and then release also gets delayed. There should be some regulations regarding these things. It is not easy to survive in this industry,' he said.

Prabhjyot also said that OTT is breaking stereotypes as the audience has evolved and become smarter. They need raw and real content.

Also Watch | BTS’ V and Lady Gaga to collaborate on a project? Here’s why fans believe so