The biopic of Indian boxer Mary Kom under the same name was released in 2014 and received good reviews. Global actor Priyanka Chopra essayed the role of Mary, and her performance was one of the highlights of the film. However, her co-star and international model, Lin Laishram, has a different opinion on the film’s casting.
Lin, who loved Priyanka like many others in the film, stated that since Mary is someone who hails from the North-Eastern part of India, the character should have been played by someone who actually belongs to that ethnicity for a more accurate representation. Lin’s take was further carried ahead by a journalist, and the same was asked to Priyanka in an interview.
A still from Mary Kom |
In response to this question, Priyanka completely agreed and commented that someone from the North East should have done the role. “I look nothing like her”, she said. This acknowledgement is appreciated by Lin.
In a freewheeling chat with Free Press Journal, Lin shares, “I have always admired Priyanka, and my respect for her has grown multiple folds now. I think it is really brave of her to not only accept this but also put it out there. Inclusivity, I feel, is very hard to understand unless you are excluded. Earlier, the focus and pressure were always around the box office, and that created a big class divide amongst actors and ethnicity. Now with the OTT gaining prominence, there seems to be a lot more emphasis being laid on merit and authenticity.”
Lin feels there is still a lot of room for improvement, but the situation is slightly better than what it was before. “We are still not there as yet, but things are certainly moving in the right direction. As an actor today, I feel very blessed for all the love that is coming my way and grateful for the interesting work that I am doing,” she concludes.
Lin hails from Manipur. Besides Mary Kom and Umrika, she was seen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s directorial Rangoon and critically acclaimed comedy-drama Axone.
