‘Kaala actor nahi chahiye’: Akshay Kumar’s co-actor makes shocking claims of racism in Bollywood. He says he was replaced just three days before the shoot

Dibyendu Bhattacharya is known for his strong performances in films, web series and Bengali cinema. An alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), the actor has spent more than two decades in the entertainment industry and has built a reputation for playing memorable roles. He started his acting journey with a small part in Monsoon Wedding and later became widely popular for playing Chunni Babu in Dev.D. Over the years, he has worked on several acclaimed projects. Recently, however, the actor grabbed attention after opening up about facing alleged racism in Bollywood.

During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Dibyendu spoke about an incident where he claimed he was removed from an advertisement just days before filming began because of his skin colour.

Dibyendu Bhattacharya was replaced from an ad three days before the shoot

Recalling the experience, the actor said discussions for the advertisement had gone on for several days, and everything seemed confirmed. However, when he contacted the team a few days before the shoot, he was allegedly informed that he had been replaced. According to Dibyendu, the makers directly told him, “Aapko replace kiya kyunki aap kaale ho aur kaala actor nahi chahiye.”


The actor clarified that the comment did not personally affect his confidence or self-worth. He explained that he is comfortable with his identity and appearance. He added, "It's very unfortunate par aap kuch nahi kar sakte ho. Jab aapki buniyaad hi, primary education mein aap social ethics, norms introduce nahi karoge toh aap yeh nahi kar sakte (But you can't really do much. If you don't introduce social ethics and norms at the very foundation, during primary education, then this can't be achieved)."

Apart from discussing racism, Dibyendu also questioned the film industry’s habit of labelling performers like him as “character actors.” He pointed out that actors who play lead roles are rarely categorised in the same way, despite everyone essentially performing characters on screen. His comments have sparked discussions online about the way actors are perceived and classified in Bollywood.

On Dibyendu Bhattacharya's work front

Over the years, Dibyendu Bhattacharya has become one of the most respected supporting actors in the industry. After beginning with Monsoon Wedding, he gained major recognition with Dev.D directed by Anurag Kashyap. His portrayal of Chunni Babu remains one of his most talked-about performances even today.

The actor has also impressed audiences with his work in projects like Black Friday, Criminal Justice, Maharani, Jamtara and Rocket Boys. His performances are often praised for their realism and emotional depth.

Dibyendu has also shared screen space with several Bollywood actors, including Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and others in past projects. On the work front, the actor was recently seen in Maamla Legal Hai in Netflix and Undekhi Season 4, which premiered on SonyLIV on May 1. In the series, he plays DSP Barun Ghosh alongside Harsh Chhaya, Surya Sharma and Gautam Rode.