Actress Richa Chadha who is playing the titular role in the upcoming film 'Madam Chief Minister' on Friday reacted to the criticism that came her and the makers' way after the posters for the movie was released earlier this month.
For the unversed, the film's poster, which was released on January 5, was slammed by netizens for apparently showing the Dalit community in a stereotypical way. Richa's character is shown holding a broom in her hand in the now-controversial posters.
Issuing a statement after the matter blew up into a full-fledged controversy, Richa termed it "a regrettable and completely unintentional oversight, not a deliberate insinuation."
"We are sorry. Our heart is in the right place. Hopefully, you will see that for yourself when you watch the film." she added.
Here's Richa Chadha's full statement:
This film was a learning experience for me, for us all. The promotions were no different. The first poster that was released faced severe criticism, rightly so. What to me (and my privileged eyes) was a mere prop used by my character in a scene, came across as a stereotypical portrayal of Dalits for many of our people.
As an actor, I receive the communication for posting, complete with the copy, handles, and hashtags. Needless to say, I have no role in the designing of promotional materials. By saying this, I am not throwing the makers under the bus. They realised this inadvertent error and took this criticism in their stride. They responded immediately by retracting the objectionable poster and by releasing a new poster the very next day.
It was a regrettable and completely unintentional oversight, not a deliberate insinuation. We are sorry. Our heart is in the right place. Hopefully you will see that for yourself when you watch the film.
We have made this film for love, as though we were on a mission to tell this story. Tara, one feisty oddball of a woman, fights patriarchy, caste oppression, brutal violence along with the usual betrayals of politics, to rise to the top and affect change. And she does so with incredible dignity and courage. I could relate to her righteous rage. She spoke to me. As the film nears release, I am becoming aware that I have to say goodbye to Tara. I am also aware that she will never entirely leave my side."
Besides Richa, 'Madam Chief Minister' also stars Saurabh Shukla, Manav Kaul, and Akshaye Oberoi in important roles. Directed by Subhash Kapoor, the film will be out on January 22.
