After host Raghav Juyal was called out for making an ignorant comment while introducing a contestant from Assam on a TV show, the spotlight has once again shifted to the prejudice about the Northeast (NE). Artistes from the region feel that while things have changed, there’s still a long way to go.

Subir Malik, founding member of rock band Parikrama, shares, “At times we even got in fights when someone misbehaved with our beloved friend and bandmate late Sonam Sherpa, and our many friends from the Northeast,” he shares. He blames the “general upbringing of a few idiots” for such behaviour.

Actor Dipannita Sharma, who hails from Assam, has also struggled with and questioned the set idea of ‘Indian look’ in showbiz. She says, “People from the NE have been subjected to racism for so long that even the slightest hint of a joke has become a sensitive topic… When it comes to narratives in the media, people need to be extremely careful. If something like that is on a popular show, even as a joke, then those who believe in that will get encouraged to pick on their Northeastern colleague or neighbour.”

While Juyal has released a clarification and apologised for hurting sentiments, the judges of the show, including actor Madhuri Dixit Nene and choreographer-director Remo D’Souza, have refrained from commenting on the issue.

Noting the lack of representation on the small screen, Assam-born actor Parineeta Borthakur wonders why people from the NE are not shown in stories, unless based in the region. Actor Bijou Thaangjam from Manipur, seen in Mary Kom (2014) and Shivaay (2016), notes that “TV is stuck in the past”, but representation on OTT is getting real.

Actor Adil Hussain, who hails from Assam, calls it more of a “territorial instinct prejudice”, and adds that things would be better if the youth are educated in an inclusive system. Here, the Village Rockstars director Rima Das, who also belongs to Assam, accepts that while stereotypes exist, it is their responsibility to change the narrative. “I feel that we need more mainstream opportunities... If we get more visibility, our characters will get more visibility. Misconceptions will change then,” she concludes.

Looking down upon another language or culture is pretty much there. I don’t think it’s going away very soon. There’s more acceptance in the film industry now, but I am not saying that we have suddenly become evolved citizens.

I can see some television shows where they are not presenting the Northeast correctly. That’s because it is by someone who is not from the region, and doesn’t know the culture well.

The bias continues to exist... It (the racist behaviour) is basically to blame on the general upbringing of a few idiots. I personally think there’s more awareness around this now.

You never see people from the Northeast when they tell stories based out of Delhi and Mumbai. I have hardly seen any Northeastern looking actor playing a main lead unless the story is set in the region.