'I can't play Punjabi girl, but a Punjabi girl can play South Indian': Regena Cassandra on unfair reason she lost roles

Regena Cassandra opens up on the differences in expectations from heroines from the South as compared to counterparts from the North.

While she started with Tamil cinema, Regena Cassandra has done a substantial amount of work in Hindi, too, ranging from Rocket Boys to Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. However, the actor says that being a South Indian girl in this industry isn't easy. In a candid conversation with Hindustan Times, Regena opens up on stereotypes and some unfair casting practices. (

Regena Cassandra has worked in Tamil and Telugu films along with Hindi web series.

Regena on ‘unfair’ casting practices in Indian cinema

Regena began working in ad films when she was barely 9 years old and made her film debut at 14 with Kanda Naal Mudhal. "I have been working since I was 9 years old. I've done ads, short films, and movies over the last Like 25 odd years. So I had come with a certain sense of understanding of what goes on, just being a girl in this industry and being a South Indian in this industry, it is not easy," she says.

Explaining how the rules can be different for actors from the South as compared to those from the North, she tells us, "When I audition for anything in Hindi, they look at my language skills. Can this girl talk Hindi? How does she sound when she talks? Is she working on her Hindi? It is imperative. If I'm playing a South Indian, they let that accent stay a little. But I worked on trying to reduce my South Indian accent when I speak Hindi. But when it comes to the South, there's so many North Indian girls who have become heroines in the South, and started with Tamil or Telugu and gone on to be big names. We didn't care whether the girls could talk Tamil or not."

The actor then adds, tongue firmly in cheek, how she lost out on roles to the same stars both in the North and the South. Regena explains, "I've missed out on so many roles because my Hindi was not up to the mark that people thought it should be. Like, I can't play a Punjabi girl. And that's ok. But a Punjabi girl can play a South Indian girl. And it has happened to me. Imagine in the South someone else being chosen over me, and in the North, the same person has been chosen over me. Where do I go?"

Regena's latest work

Regena was most recently seen in Vidaamuyarchi, which stars Ajith, Trisha Krishnan, and Arjun Sarja. Directed by Magizh Thirumeni, the film opened to positive reviews but has done lukewarm business at the box office. Since its release on February 6, Vidaamuyarchi has earned just over ₹100 crore at the box office. The actor will be next seen in Jaat alongside Sunny Deol.