Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma Talks About Representation in Hollywood and Starring in How I Met Your Father

Actor Suraj Sharma has starred in notable films like Life of Pi and Phillauri. However, working in Hollywood with his most recent project How I Met Your Father, the 29-year-old actor has gained some insights into the representation of people of colour. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Suraj said that the western entertainment industry has a long way to go when it comes to genuine representation of people of colour.“I feel what’s missing is an authentic representation of colour on screen in stories, and the general narrative of the world be it history books or wherever you look at it. That’s what is missing,” Suraj told Hindustan Times.

The actor, who turned 29 on Monday, told the national daily that Hollywood has lots of actors that are “exceptionally talented.” However, the problem or more like the solution is, in people of colour being behind the screen. Suraj added that Hollywood needs more representation of people of colour in decision-making places, and places where stories are told. “Because at the end of the day, an actor acts on what’s in the script. The script is controlled by someone who writes it or the producers.” Suraj said that if people of colour find themselves more in those circumstances and situations it will automatically reflect on the stories being told. With such impact-making changes, the perspective of a certain social strata in the world also changes and that is what Suraj feels is missing right now.

Suraj stars as an Indian-American bar owner in New York, in the recently concluded first season of How I Met Your Father. The series is a spin-off of the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother which aired from 2005 to 2014.

Talking about his experience of working in the Hilary Duff-starrer show, Suraj said, “The diversity is a huge positive for the show as they try to portray New York in a realistic manner. And that can’t happen without showing how the world is.” Suraj added that many shows or movies add a person of colour as tokenism. However, the Delhi-born actor said it is not always the best thing and in the case of How I Met Your Father, it does not feel like tokenism. Suraj said that the show which streams on Disney+ Hotstar portrays true honest characters that deserve and rightfully live in this story.

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