‘Bridgerton’ Star Charithra Chandran Calls Out Entertainment Industry Mentality That Pits People Of Color Against Each Other

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Charithra Chandran, who broke out playing Edwina Sharma in Netflix’s smash regal series Bridgerton, has spoken out against an entertainment industry mentality that she feels pits people of color against each other.

Chandran, who was speaking to Deadline in the days before her debut West End play wraps, said she has “never pictured myself as a role model” but “a lot of young girls follow me on social media, so I do feel a sense of responsibility.” Actors including Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Melissa Fumero and Aubrey Plaza have spoken out in the past about their being limited spaces for people of color in TV and movies.

To Chandran, this mentality is intentionally propagated by industry gatekeepers to pit people of color against each other. “It’s not a zero-sum game,” she said. “You’re so focused on fighting your own that you become distracted from the people doing the oppressing.

The oppressors have imposed the idea that there’s only one seat at the table, when what other people of color are doing is just pulling up more chairs.” Since achieving stardom, Chandran has chosen to speak out numerous times about colorism and the importance of diversity. “I think that is the burden of representation, right?,” she added. “It’s so scarce that you’re expected to represent everybody in your community as opposed to just being an individual.