Sahni to make a film on struggle of minorities in Hollywood

Actor Rakshak Sahni, popularly known for his roles in "Kkavyanjali" and "Kasauti Zindagi Ki" is planning to make a film "Change" that talks about the struggles that minorities face in Hollywood.

Rakshak was also seen in American films like "My Indian Boyfriend's Mother", "You Can't Curry Love", "Excuses Girls Make". He has also started his own production house in California named 'Salt Vinegar Films'.
The film throws light on the struggles that different ethnic minority actors and women face on a day to day basis in Hollywood. The movie stars him and Prashant Raj, who was seen in Ram Gopal Varma Ki "Aag" and "Toss".

"The idea of 'Change' came up when my partner Raeyn Song and I were doing some research and noticed a pattern on how people of colour were depicted and stereotyped in Hollywood. We found that 85 per cent of roles on film and television went to white actors," Rakshak told PTI.

"Also roles which were meant for people of colour are continuously played by white actors, adding to the practice of whitewashing which is as old as the film industry," he said.

The film "Change" is set in Los Angeles and it is partially based on true events that Rakshak and his peers have experienced as minorities in the industry.

"We wanted to stay true to the struggles of other minorities as much as possible, so we reached to many people to hear their personal experiences," he said.

"It is a multi-linear plot where the various sub-stories come together in the end. Despite the seriousness of our topic, it is a comedy," he added.

Rakshak feels every industry has its problems and the problem in India is lack of good acting schools.

"India is home to the biggest film industry in the world, we do not have many film and acting schools like they do in the US. I see so many fellow Indians coming here, spending thousands of dollars as fees just to go back after graduation," he added.

"India has the best schools for engineering and management in the world. Why can't we also have film, acting schools that matches up to these (US) standards," Rakshak said.