Actor Pratik Gandhi in an interview reveals how casteism has affected him, revealing his real life incidents.
Actor Pratik Gandhi opened up about his real life incidents where he faced casteism and explained how it is deep rooted in our society. The ‘Scam 1992’ actor also spoke about his co-star Richa Chaddha and how he balances professional and personal life amid busy schedules.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, talking about the caste system in India, Gandhi said, "The caste system is so deep-rooted in our society for all processes. Beyond a point, it is difficult to realise how wrong it is. Even our regular discussions, the way work has been distributed, the way our surnames are given, everything (involves caste system)."
Further sharing an incident from his real life, the actor said, "I used to work for a company and they used to set up power plants across India. For that, we had to acquire land and the landowners would seek jobs in our company in return, apart from the price of the land. And, you do not get educated people as landowners all the time. When they are not educated, you can offer them jobs of a helper or those kinds of jobs. But, if the landowner was from a higher caste, he would not be ready to take up those jobs. For them, it is difficult to differentiate between their jobs and their personal identities. It is about their ego. Things do not work like that in today's corporate world, but for them, it is a question of life. I have seen and experienced this. When I heard this the first time, I could not believe it. I was like 'what is this guy thinking' and more importantly, I'd think 'how do you change it?."
On the work front, Gandhi will be seen in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s web show, ‘The Great Indian Murder’ alongside actress Richa Chaddha. Speaking about the confrontation scenes between Him and Chaddha in the show, he said, "Richa and I have a few confrontation scenes, but it all worked out very well. She is a fantastic actor. When you get that kind of an actor, there is a lot to explore. We were able to create the magic on set. Also, Tigmanshu is also an actor - he is the director but also an actor so he understands."
The actor spoke about his married life with actor Bhamini Oza and added, “A lot of complaints keep coming my way. My wife is also an actor, but she is a wife. Of course, we understand each other's profession. But my daughter often asks me not to go to shootings. I tell her that there are many people involved, and I cannot skip going to shoots. She asks me to take her to shoot.”