Richa Chadha issues statement on Madam Chief Minister poster controversy

Richa Chadha will soon be seen on silver screen in Madam Chief Minister. The first poster of the film was unveiled recently but it received criticism from netizens over casteism. The makers received backlash over a Savarna, an upper-class woman, playing the role of an untouchable. Many expressed their outrage over the fact that the broom is being used as a prop when it is known as a symbol of Dalit oppression and that the poster is stereotyping the community. After the backlash, Richa Chadha released a long statement on Friday, addressing the issue.

The statement read, “This film was a learning experience for me, for us all. The promotions were no different. The first poster that was released faced severe criticism, rightly so. What to me (and my privileged eyes) was a mere prop used by my character in a scene, came across as a stereotypical portrayal of Dalits for many of our people… They (makers) responded immediately by retracting the objectionable poster and by releasing a new poster the very next day. It was a regrettable and completely unintentional oversight, not a deliberate insinuation. We are sorry. Our heart is in the right place. Hopefully, you will see that for yourself when you watch the film.”