Actor Chum Darang recently spoke about the need for greater inclusivity in the film industry and the country, especially for people from the North East. She shared her experiences of facing racism after moving to Mumbai from Arunachal Pradesh and how she has developed a ‘thicker skin’ over the years.
Chum Darang moved to Mumbai in 2018 with big dreams, expecting the best from the city. However, she faced racism soon after, with her first experience occurring at a mall. The discrimination worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when people wrongly blamed ‘her country’ for the virus.
Recalling the incident, she shared, “Young boys at the mall called me names, and I didn’t know how to react. They called me ‘momo’ and ‘chow chow.’ I don’t understand why people assume that if I look a certain way, they can give me a Chinese name and think I’ll be offended. I just want people to recognise that we are from this country too. We may look different, but I’m an Indian.”
Despite roles in ‘Badhaai Do’, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, and ‘Paatal Lok’, Chum Darang feels the industry still lacks meaningful roles for actors from the North East. She pointed out the difficulty of landing lead roles, regardless of talent.
“There are very few roles written for us, making it tough to get lead opportunities. But we’re surviving, and things are changing. Mumbai is expensive, and I once took a small role in ‘Paatal Lok’ as a Chinese infomercial girl just to make ends meet. But that made me realise—I’m meant for bigger things,” she shared.
