Stop stereotyping Biharis: Neetu Chandra slams Alia Bhatt's character

She wrote in an open letter: "It's disturbing to see the way Biharis have been portrayed in Hindi cinema."

Actress Neetu Chandra has taken offence to the portrayal of Biharis in Hindi cinema, particularly Alia Bhatt's character in the upcoming Udta Punjab.Chandra, who is from Bihar, feels that Bihar is often misrepresented. In the past she has taken on Chetan Bhagat, whose protagonist in Half Girlfriendhailed from Bihar and had trouble speaking in English.

She wrote in an open letter: "It's disturbing to see the way Biharis have been portrayed in Hindi cinema over the last few years, the recent example being Alia Bhatt's character from Udta Punjab and from whatever one understands from the promo of the film, director Abhishek Chaubey is guilty of strengthening the stereotype of Biharis by creating Bhatt's character the way it is, in Udta Punjab."

She added: "The first educational university was set up in Rajgir, near Nalanda (Bihar) and several respected religions including Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism roots have developed in Bihar. Visionaries and scholars like Rajendra Prasad (first President of Republic of India), Ustad Bismillah Khan (Shehnai maestro), Bhikhari Thakur, Vatsyayana, Gonu Jha, Kunwar Singh, Maulana Mazhrul Haq, Seewosagar Ramgoolam, Aryabhatt who invented zero among several hundreds of stalwarts of the world belong to Bihar."

"So why none of the makers from Bihar and outside Bihar have ever made stories and films on these stories? Because they think that they will keep making fun of Biharis in their films and TV programs and no one will say anything against them." Neetu adds. "Stop stereotyping Bihar because you have seen Bihar through your ears not through your eyes," Neetu concludes.