Acclaimed Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has strongly criticised the presence of racism in Bollywood, highlighting discriminatory practices within the Hindi film industry.
In a recent interaction with Indian media, Siddiqui acknowledged facing bias during his career and agreed that the issue runs deeper than nepotism, describing it as racism that significantly influences the industry.
He stated that discrimination exists at multiple levels in the film world, adding that his journey has been personal and not aimed at replacing anyone else.
The actor also questioned prevailing notions of beauty, saying that people should be free to define beauty on their own terms rather than conforming to imposed standards.
Siddiqui criticised the industry’s obsession with fair skin and what he termed artificial benchmarks of attractiveness. He further remarked that the camera captures a deeper and more authentic form of beauty, beyond superficial judgments, and does not impose its own standards.
His remarks have once again drawn attention to ongoing debates about representation, diversity, and inclusion in Bollywood.