MUMBAI : After being well-known in major television shows, Barkha Bisht went on to portray important roles in several films, including Rajneeti, Goliyon Ki Raasleela, Ram-Leela, and many more. For her, there has been no turning back since. The actress plays a transgender character in Sandeep Singh's film Safed.
The actress reveals how people have made assumptions about her based on her skin tone, future projects, and other factors in an exclusive interview.
(Also read: Exclusive! “I would define my journey in one word - steady" - Barkha Bisht
Taking on a transgender role Barkha explains how she came under criticism for saying, "I am beautiful, how can I play a Hijra? I am playing the role of a transgender or eunuch we call it. We call them Hijra in our society. My character Radha is into prostitution, who is living and sleeping on the streets. It was difficult to look that face, I was like, I am so pretty how can I play a Hijra? I am feminine and with the petite body structure. References in the film also showed how scared we feel when we meet them. We are showing that strata are prevalent in our society. This statement of mine has recently garnered a lot of flak and negative response. My comment was just a generalized statement.”
“People are very judgmental, sexist and racist. I have faced all of this. I have met beautiful Hijras. The most difficult thing was to look the part, dress up like the transgender with the kind of cheap make up they wear and so on. We did street shopping and bought cheap make-up to look the part. But I did it successfully and thus felt proud and happy,” she added.
Barkha feels that her family's support was the only reason she was able to survive in this ruthless industry, “I have been privileged to come from an extremely strong educated family. My family has made me realize my own self-worth. People from this industry definitely help you break down into a million pieces; it becomes so difficult for you to bring yourself to normal.”
“I don’t fall into that typical fair a beautiful being. I have a dusky complexion. I have been told Indians are dark. People from North of India are considered to be fair skinned and beautiful. My dusky complexion has worked in my favour. I am able to get different characters. Filmmakers feel I am a South Indian or a Bengali. However I am a north Indian,” the actress discloses.
Barkha shares on the spur of the moment that she has a modest role in a major production project, “I am doing a film, I have a small part in a project backed by a very big production house . This film is titled, Kesari Veer starring Suniel Shetty and Sooraj Pancholi. We are in the process of shooting it. Then, I have a web series with a popular OTT platform. It’s a supernatural thriller which should come out next year.”
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Credit- Free Press Journal
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