Amar Singh Chamkila actor Jashn Kohli says he was ‘hurt’ over stereotypical portrayal of Sardars in Bollywood: ‘We were either soldiers or hero’s friend’

Amar Singh Chamkila actor Jashn Kohli recently addressed the stereotypical depiction of ‘Sardars’ in Bollywood films, particularly how they were often typecast into roles like soldiers.

Actor Jashn Kohli with Diljit Dosanjh on the sets of Amar Singh Chamkila. (Photo: Jashn/Instagram)

Actor Jashn Kohli, who was recently seen in Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila, has opened up about the depiction of ‘Sardars’ in Bollywood films. He expressed his commitment to breaking the stereotype of Sardars solely being portrayed as soldiers.

In an interview with India Today, the actor said, “I was hurt and wanted to change the way we are perceived and portrayed in Bollywood. We were either cast as a soldier or the hero’s friend. I would speak to writers, who agreed with the shortcoming but had no means to change it.”

Kohli continued, “Recently, Diljit paaji (brother) spoke about how people thought Sardars were only portrayed a certain way, and he changed it. When he spoke those words, it echoed the voice of so many from the community. Even I am on the path to help people see Sardars in a different light from what’s been shown all these years.”

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The actor also shared his excitement at working with director Imtiaz Ali. He said that once you’re part of Imtiaz Ali’s filming process, nothing else matters. Kohli remembered how Imtiaz understood the challenges actors face, acknowledging his potential despite his character having limited screen time.

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Diljit had also flagged the issue of Sikhs being portrayed in a certain way. In an interview with comedian and actor Anubhav Bassi for Netflix, he said, “To be honest, I am not fond of clothes or swag. When we were in Punjab, the Bollywood films made at the time… they didn’t show Sikhs properly. So I decided that when I do Bollywood films, I’ll dress better than all Bollywood stylists. I know fashion.”

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