Regina Cassandra had a remarkable year till date. Following her appearance in the film Vidaamuyarchi alongside Ajith, she made consecutive appearances in Jaat and Kesari Chapter 2. In a recent interview, the talented actress addressed this point and reflected on an earlier discussion from February, during which she mentioned, “I am unable to portray a Punjabi girl, and that’s perfectly fine. However, a Punjabi girl can easily take on a South Indian role. This has been my experience.”
When probed about whether her standing has improved and if Bollywood has become more receptive to her following the successes of Jaat and Kesari Chapter 2, Regina Cassandra expressed, “Not really, as I believe it’s rather convenient for them to pursue their own agenda. I am not prominent enough to create a notable impression that would lead people to say, ‘Oh, Regina is making this statement.’ My aspiration is to reach a point where I can wield that much influence, which is why I voice my opinions.”
She elaborated, “My comments are driven by genuine feelings of love and concern, not animosity. Today it’s about me, but tomorrow it will be someone else in the spotlight. I am confident there are numerous other women who share such sentiments. Having been in the industry for 20 years and involved in Hindi cinema since 2018, I truly desire to see a transformation. I want to witness South Indian actresses taking on North Indian roles; how long can we maintain that language presents an insurmountable obstacle?”
Regina Cassandra emphasized, “I am proficient in Hindi. I can read and write it with more skill than some native speakers! While they may speak it better, I can likely write it more effectively! My scripts are all in Devanagari because that’s my preferred format for reading, rather than anglicised forms of Hindi. Additionally, I have a Hindi tutor to enhance my pronunciation. I undertake these efforts to ensure no one can attribute my casting challenges to the language barrier. I have encountered that argument before. I aim to dismantle the notion that I should only play South Indian characters. I want to demonstrate to myself and possibly others that it isn’t overly complicated to cast a South Indian actress as a North Indian. When a North Indian actor embodies a South Indian character, they manage, right? So, it’s not an impossible feat, and I believe it can and will happen.”
