Alia Bhatt’s Jigra Row: Manipur-based actor Bijou Thaangjam accuses makers of ‘unprofessional’ behaviour: “I’d lost out on other projects because I was sitting around, waiting for them to give me the go-ahead”

Alia Bhatt’s latest cinematic endeavour, Jigra, has been embroiled in controversy since its October 11 release. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it has also faced accusations from both within and outside the industry. First, actor Divya Khossla publicly accused Bhatt of manipulating box office figures for Jigra. While Bhatt remained silent, her co-producer, Karan Johar, responded with a cryptic message on social media. Khossla, however, doubled down on her allegations, suggesting that truth often offends those who oppose it. Now, a new accusation has surfaced from an unexpected source: a Manipur-based actor named Bijou Thaangjam.

Thaangjam claims that the makers of Jigra treated him and other actors from the Northeast with a lack of professionalism during the casting process. He wrote in the caption, “I’m not writing this with any agenda or accusations. I just want to share the reality of how actors like me from the Northeast are often treated by big production houses. Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we face.”

In a social media post, Thaangjam shared his experience of being initially considered for a role in the film. He described how he auditioned multiple times and was promised a role in December. However, despite repeated attempts to secure firm dates, Thaangjam was left in the dark for the entire month. He claimed that this uncertainty led him to decline other projects, only to be ultimately ignored by the Jigra team. The statement shared by Bijou read, “I am not here to jump on the bandwagon on the Jigra controversy over the alleged copying of Divya Khossla Kumar’s Savi, but I’ve been keeping my own experience with the Jigra team under wraps for a while, and maybe it’s time to speak up. Back in 2023, I was approached by their casting team to audition for a role. I sent my tapes twice over the span of four months, playing along with their timeline. By the end of November, they told me I’d be shooting in December — fantastic, right? Except they never gave me any firm shoot dates. Still, they booked me for the entire month of December, expecting that I’d be ready to shoot for them at any moment. As someone based in Imphal, Manipur, I made it very clear from the start that travel arrangements would need to be made, but that didn’t seem to matter.”

I’m not writing this with any agenda or accusations. I just want to share the reality of how actors like me from the Northeast are often treated by big production houses. Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we face. #Jigra #JigraMovie #AliaBhatt #DivyaKhosla #VasanBala pic.twitter.com/zZBZjxOz6k
— Bijou ThaangJam (@BijouThaangjam) October 13, 2024

He added, “Throughout the month, I was left in the dark, communicating with the casting team but receiving no real updates on when I’d actually be needed. The last message I received was on December 26th, stating ‘Waiting for a revert’, and after that — complete silence. Meanwhile, I’d lost out on other projects because I was sitting around, waiting for them to give me the go-ahead. But of course, that never came.”

“I understand how big production houses operate. The director is undeniably talented, but the way they handled this entire situation was deeply unprofessional. For actors like me from the Northeast, it felt particularly dismissive, almost discriminatory. My time was wasted, and I missed out on other opportunities just because they expected I’d be available at a moment’s notice. I am not writing this with any agenda or accusations. I just want to share the reality of how actors like me from the Northeast are often treated by big production houses. Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we face,” he concluded his post.

Jigra, directed by Vasan Bala, released on October 11. The film also stars Vedang Raina and Manoj Pahwa.
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