"we’ve maybe seen things go backwards a little bit.”
Charithra Chandran believes representation in the entertainment industry has lost some momentum since she appeared as Edwina Sharma in the second season of Bridgerton.
At the Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) in Abu Dhabi, the actress was asked whether the industry had genuinely changed.
She told Khaleej Times: “Truthfully, no, I don’t.
“I think that when Bridgerton season two was happening, there was a lot of change.
“And I think that across the world, we’ve maybe seen things go backwards a little bit.”
Charithra said Bridgerton remains particularly special to her because of the optimism surrounding the show and its South Asian representation.
She continued: “It just felt like a really hopeful time in so many different ways.
“I know it’s not the answer everyone wants, but it’s the truthful answer.”
It was her first visit to the UAE and her appearance at MEFCC also marked her first experience at a comic convention.
“I didn’t know anything about the UAE, really, and everyone has been so lovely.
“It has been such a pleasant experience and a great way to meet people.”
Charithra Chandran previously reflected on being a woman of colour in the entertainment industry, describing it as “being on an island”.
On John Smith’s Great Chat Show, she was asked about the roles she has been offered and the quality of those opportunities.
John Smith asked: “Were you surprised about the lack of roles that came your way or the quality of them?”
Charithra replied: “When we talk about discrimination, it’s not just like someone calling you slurs, right? Or someone being rude about you. It is also apathy.”
She went on to describe an experience at the premiere of One Piece.
“With One Piece, I had an experience at the premiere where all of the actors went down a tunnel and, like, the fans cheered.
“And you know, when you’re an actor of colour, you are always stressed that the cheers are going to be way less loud for you.”
“No one’s being disrespectful, but a lot of it is just like, being invisible.”
Charithra has starred in Bridgerton and One Piece, two major Netflix productions. And her move between different genres was influenced by her desire to take on different challenges.
She said: “As an actor, you always want to be challenged and pushed in different directions.
“You want to keep things exciting. I don’t want to be doing the same things again and again.”
