“We get it for free.”
British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed is currently back on our screens with a brand new series titled Bait.
The 43-year-old Academy Award winner is promoting his work in a viral press tour.
During a recent session with Juggernaut, he claimed that being a South Asian is like being in a spy thriller.
While discussing the unique experiences of Brown people living in the West today, he said: “We get it for free.”
Ahmed stars as the lead character, Shah Latif, in this six-episode series where a rapper turns into an actor.
His character finds himself in contention to replace Daniel Craig as the new 007 while facing a major crisis.
The actor compared his specific thesis to the famous director Jordan Peele and his acclaimed horror movie titled Get Out.
Peele once suggested that being Black in America is very similar to being trapped inside a scary horror movie.
Ahmed stated: “Being Brown in the West is actually like being stuck in a spy thriller.”
He claimed that Brown people are the subject of constant suspicion and surveillance, along with being chased by others.
Many people are left chasing the approval of the natives while also being chased by their own inner critic.
Ahmed also mentioned the voices that people have internalised as part of the immigrant experience in various Western countries.
“So that’s kind of one of the things I wanted to play with in the show.”
The title Bait refers to both a lure and the specific London slang for being obvious or very naff.
These comments resonate in a current global environment where hate towards immigrants and South Asians is on the rise.
Recent data shows that Indians in particular have been facing a significant increase in discrimination and general public hostility.
In America, a report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace described the United States as the “epicentre of anti Indian digital racism.”
One in five respondents reported they are shying away from wearing traditional items like bindis to avoid public discrimination.
People are also avoiding tilaks because they fear facing in-person discrimination while going about their daily lives abroad.
Data indicates that 48 percent of respondents frequently encounter anti Indian racism on various social media platforms.
A report from London showed that South Asians were the second-most targeted group in 2025.
This data highlights a worrying trend regarding the safety and well-being of South Asian communities in various regions.
Many viewers found Riz Ahmed’s comparison of being Brown in the West to a spy thriller accurate.
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