Dalit group members seem to be angry at director Prakash Jha for casting Saif Ali Khan as a member of a backward cast.

Sources say that a certain dalit group in Kanpur is upset with Prakash Jha casting Saif as a dalit in their forthcoming project, ‘Aarakshan.’ The movie deals with reservation issues.

A dalit also sent a letter of protest to Prakash Jha to his Pune office, claiming that a blue blood like Saif Ali Khan donning the role of a dalit is an insult to their community. The letter also threatens Jha of ‘serious repercussions’ if he doesn’t explain why he chose to cast Saif for the role.

In response to this, Jha says, “Yes, we have received a letter. My people are looking into it. We have not filed any complaint yet. It does not seem to be a registered organization.” Jha, who has always tried to bring to fore the plight of political and developmental initiatives in Bihar through his films, says that he cannot fathom the organization’s problem.

“Dalit groups should be happy that we are making a film about reservation. I can’t understand why anybody should be offended if Saif, hailing from a royal family, is cast as a Dalit. As directors, we cast actors who we think are suitable for the role. I thought Saif would be right for the part, so I cast him” he says.

Well, we just hope the problem is solved mutually, and the project goes on floor soon.