Acclaimed Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur Shares His Views On Hollywood's Quest For Ethnic Inclusion

Shekhar Kapur: Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has cemented his name in the annals of global cinema with his exceptional works in Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, and its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age. He added yet another gem to his robust repertoire with his latest hit, What's Love Got to Do with It?

In a recent interview with BBC, Kapur expressed his views on Hollywood's pursuit of ethnic inclusion. According to him, this push stems from a sense of 'guilt' over the multitude of actors who are left without work.

During the interview, Shekhar Kapur delved deeper into the issue, agreeing to the fact that the inclusion of ethnic minority actors in popular shows like Netflix's Bridgerton presents new opportunities.

However, according to him, it merely masks a more profound and critical problem concerning the stories being showcased on the big screen which are still from Hollywood's lens whereas the stories need to be expressed from the point of view of the ethnicities and their cultures.

Elaborating on the same, he shared, "Hollywood should be telling stories of that culture, of the culture of the brown people, of the African-American people, of the black people, of Asians. But what's happening is they're still addicted to their, you know, the narrative is still their point of view."

Calling Hollywood's endeavours to diversify its casting choices 'guilt driven', Kapur further added, "It's Hollywood feeling guilty about all the actors that are not getting work. And because there's a huge rise of protests."

Meanwhile, Shekhar Kapur's latest film, What's Love Got to Do with It?, a captivating British romantic comedy, has made waves globally and even won 4 awards at the British National Film Awards including Best Director.

Following the success of the hit film, the national award-winning filmmaker has another exciting project on the horizon which will be a sequel to his 1983 hit directorial debut film Masoom.