The announcement that Shahid Kapoor will portray former boxing champion and Asian Games gold medallist Dingko Singh on screen left many disappointed. In fact, several social media users questioned as to why an actor from the Northeast was not cast in the lead.
Now, in an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his casting as the Manipuri boxing hero.
"I was surprised, we are one country! I was born in Delhi, I live in Mumbai. I’ve played Tommy Singh, a Punjabi (in Udta Punjab), a Kashmiri boy (in Haider), now I’m playing Sushil Kumar Pant (Batti Gul Meter Chalu) No one from these states seemed to have any problem. I think we should rise above all this," the actor said in the interview.
Shahid further asked people to stop finding reasons "to separate ourselves from each other".
"To me, representing someone as who he is as a person rather than what he looks like is more relevant. I’m doing the film because his journey is inspiring. I think it’s a privilege that the director thought I could do it and I hope that people will see it in the context. One of the most important things for an actor is to get over his colour, race, background to discover new and different people and represent them," he added.
The biopic will be directed by Raja Krishna Menon.
Meanwhile, Shahid's film Batti Gul Meter Chalu hit theatres last Friday. The film, also starring Shradda Kapoor and Yami Gautam, has earned Rs 29.33 crore so far.
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