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'Hollywood still tries to box Indians', says Project Hail Mary's Priya Kansara: 'But there is more diversity, inclusion'
Priya Kansara, the Indian-origin Hollywood star, reflected on the evolving representation of Indians in English-language films in a recent interview.
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Project Hail Mary has been one of the biggest success stories from Hollywood this year. The Ryan Gosling-starrer has grossed over $500 million at the box office and earned critical acclaim for its story, performances, and visuals. The film's small star cast also includes Indian-origin actor Priya Kansara, who voices the AI in Ryan's spaceship. In a recent interview, Priya opened up about the evolving representation of Indians in English films.
Priya Kansara on inclusivity in Hollywood
In Project Hail Mary, Priya Kansara voiced Mary, a computer in the sponymous spaceship. The actor started her career with a brief role in the British period drama Bridgerton in 2022.
In an interview with ANI, Priya highlighted how Indian and South Asian representation has significantly improved since her childhood. “In Hollywood, in terms of opportunities, representation and content, there's been so much change. Since I was a kid, I used to watch films and TV, British, Hollywood stuff. I very rarely used to see somebody who looked like me, and if they did, they were a very stereotypical character, or I would see that actor once and never see them again. There wasn't this sense of like diversity or inclusion, but as I've grown older, I've seen more and more of it. More nuanced characters, more interesting storylines, things that don't box us,” said Priya.
However, the actor added that she still saw efforts to try and ‘box’ Indians and South Asians in the same stereotypes, even though things are changing. “I have also seen things that still continue to box us, and it's difficult because I think there are so many things that have improved. I mean, my career is an example of that. Like I've done loads of roles that I never would have anticipated I could have done. I did period drama! That's the first big role that I got, and I never thought I would have done that in my life. I'd never seen anyone who looked like me do that, and I didn't just get to do that by myself, but I was in a show where two lead actresses were also South Asian. So that was a real eye opener, and it was amazing to see,” the actor added.
Bridgerton starred Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, two actors of South Asian origin, in the lead roles.
Priya Kansara, who has been winning love for her portrayal of Mary, also shared her wish to collaborate with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, calling his filmography “mesmerising and beautiful.”
About Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary stars Gosling as a middle school science teacher named Ryland Grace, tasked with travelling 11.9 light-years into space to determine why dozens of stars and the sun are dying, risking the extinction of all life on Earth. The movie was directed by filmmaker duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It was released on March 26.
