Australian drama living in “a time capsule” says axed actor
Former Neighbours actor Sachin Joab has hit out at the axing of an Indian family as a backwards step for multiculturalism.
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Former Neighbours actor Sachin Joab has labelled the axing of an Indian family as a backwards step for multiculturalism and says Australian dramas are living in a time capsule.
The actor, who played Ajay as part of a Kapoor family introduced to increase cultural diversity and all of whom departed the ELEVEN soap earlier this year.
He told UK website Digital Spy the family was introduced by former producer Susan Bower but written out under her successor Richard Jasek.
“Internationally there was a lot of positive feedback, in particular from the UK and other places in Europe. Given that the show is made in Australia, it’s kind of ironic that there was some negativity which was thrown at us over here. We did have some positive feedback too, but generally speaking, there were a lot of negative comments which came our way,” said Joab.
“That frustrated all of us and we would all speak about it, but I was probably the one who spoke publicly about it more often. I really hoped that by speaking out, some of the people who were being negative might feel differently.”
He admits he was shocked to be written out of the show.
“It was more of a shock to us knowing that it wasn’t just one multicultural actor who was being written out, it was every single multicultural full-time actor on the show – myself, Menik Gooneratne who played Priya, Coco-Jacinta Cherian who played Rani, and Alin Sumarwata who played Vanessa. All four of us were written out in the first year of our full-time contracts, which felt like a massive step backwards in terms of cultural diversity on the show.
“All four of us were hired by the previous producer Susan Bower, and it was the new producers who came in and decided to let us go in one shot, after just a year. We were all really hurt as we’d all been part of extremely heavy storylines and after working so hard on those, we really felt that we’d earned a second year on the show. Instead, they’ve now brought in another all-Caucasian family and returned Ramsay Street to all-white characters.
“For some reason, Australia is stuck in some sort of time capsule and usually when you do see non-white characters on screen, it’s only in non-fiction when it’s needed for factual reasons. For some reason when it’s fiction over here, the industry chooses to exclude non-whites and include whites only.
“It’s very unrealistic given that Australia is a very multicultural country. The two main places where the shows are made, Melbourne and Sydney, are two of the most multicultural but that really isn’t reflected on screen.”
Neighbours storylines currently see Asian-Australian Remy Hii playing a gay character, but in a guest arc and not as part of the resident cast.
Joab recently appeared alongside Hii in SBS’s Better Man also produced by FremantleMedia Australia and will next appear in a small role in Nine’s Fat Tony and Co..
“Afterwards, I’ll more than likely go to the States to see the opportunities over there, as it’s so hard to find work over here in Australia. The industry here is very small anyway, and as I’ve mentioned, it’s still stuck in a lot of old ways from an ethnic point of view. I have meetings set up in LA in September.”
Neighbours Executive producer Richard Jasek issued a statement to Digital Spy:
“It is the nature of a long running daily series that characters will come and go from time to time through the evolution of storylines. Characters’ departures from Neighbours are quite regular as part of the storytelling process and these changes are always for editorial reasons.
“We all miss Sachin – he was an exceptional actor and a great friend to all the cast and crew. The Kapoors were at the forefront of some memorable storylines which is testament to Sachin’s talent.”
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39 Responses
I almost laughed when I read riga’s response that Sachin “should be very thankful that he had a one year contract because he is luckier than many of us out in the real world”. Most of us in the real world don’t try and become actors! Plus, that’s such a convenient thing to say when white actors on the show stay there for 5-10-15 years! To say “if Sachin’s character was popular then it is more than likely that they would have renewed his contract” shows that riga’s has clearly got some reading problems (so she’s not even a competent “messenger” let alone a commentator). If you read what he said, Sachin isn’t upset because he himself was written out; he’s speaking up on behalf of all the multicultural actors who were all written out after just 1 year. Besides, everyone in the UK knows how popular Sachin, Coco and Alin are. So why were they all written out after just 1 year…
Here here Riga. I totally agree.
So Sachin has let the cat out of the bag that Vanessa is leaving as well as Lucas, hopefully that means that Lucas won’t be killed off. It is a shame that they are being written out as they are great charachters that work well with the rest of the cast. I think Rani should have ended up staying with Carl & Susan, like many youngsters had before her. It’s kind of left a hole in Bailey and Callum’s story. Perhaps the producers should invite her back.
First, Neighbours it not real. Secondly, there are many shows (and even TV stations) that cater exclusively to specific ethnic groups so why shouldn’t white people have a show that caters to them? Thirdly, the producers must listen to what their audience wants and if Sachin’s character was popular then it is more than likely that they would have renewed his contract. He should be very thankful that he had a one year contract because he is luckier than many of us out in the real world. Finally it is not compulsory for “cultural diversity” (a.k.a. political correctness) to be applied universally across the TV landscape, nor should it be. In fact it is quite possible that some audiences long for a time before multiculturalism was imposed upon them.
Hey, don’t shoot the messenger!
@brekkie really? that’s disappointing that producers refused to make this indian family more australian. but then again this is the same show that cast an asian-australian actress yet made her character a korean exchange student (with an aussie accent). why they couldn’t just make her australian is beyond me.
OK, it’s not unusual for a soap family to be written out after their first year, and it’s not unusual for a new producer to come in and swing the axe.
The more concerning thing which I don’t think David has picked up on here but is in the original article is the storyline used to write them out – a sick grandma in India. The actors wanted that changed so the grandma lived in Australia as there was no hint at all of the characters having family in India – but producers refused.
Im disappointed they got rid of Vanessa and also lucas as well.
But technically we havent been told the kappors have left. We only saw Ajay and Rani go to india to visit a dying relative and they will be back. Poor Bailey is still hanging out for his girlfriend to come back.
I agree Lyn, I just read that article in TV Week today about Lucas leaving and was really shocked at how badly he had been treated. He and Vanessa are engaged with a baby and another one on the way, can’t get more ‘nuclear family’ than that.
They seem to have a track record for treating their cast members badly. Kym Valentine has recently complained about their treatment of her and is suing them, and I remember years ago the guy who played Joe Scully was treated similarly, now it’s happened again. I remember the excitement when they joined the cast about having an Indian family on the show. I liked the family, although Rani had behaved like a bit of a brat for a while there, but she had started to settle down again. I wondered when I read about Lucas leaving what would happen with Vanessa, but if she’s going too, hopefully they will leave together. Lucas has started…
I assumed he wanted out and Menik Gooneratne chose to go as she was pregnant. So sad to hear this though! I loved Rani (as played by Coco-Jacinta Cherian). I thought she was a popular character?
And they’re writing Vanessa out too? Why? I think she’s good as well, and only just recently has she been answering questions on the official neighbours youtube.
I think you are mainly right, Victor, but what ABC does is a start. Subsequently, the focus should move to more development of culturally mixed programmes and gradual introduction of shows which contain more and more diversity, so the viewers get used to seeing mixed cultures on TV. Indigenous actors who have talent and experience in acting are good to place. In addition, it should be considered that the audience has to learn that every culture has a different way of talking and different body language.
Sachin is absolutely right about use of ethnic actors on Australian screens but it isn’t just the commercial networks. The ABC also has a lot to answer for. It commissions predominantly white middle class dramas and comedies and has a separate category of indigenous drama. There is absolutely nothing in between except for the occasional bit of ethnic casting with non lead characters. It is interesting the ABC Board has done nothing about it. Presumably they never watch ABC dramas.
And Ten removing an Indian family is a very poor commercial call for a show where it pays a very low licence fee. Most of the show is financed from British and foreign broadcasters. If the Brits discontinued it Ten would be in huge trouble.
Why does Australia have to become multicultural ?
What a pity, it is impossible to educate the audience in terms of prejudice through television because script writers are not creative enough to think outside their box. How come?
Only the ABC has really taken on the diversity topic.
I don’t disagree that soaps are ridiculously non-representative. But from a story point of view, Ajay and Vanessa in particular are among the most boring characters in recent times. I do hope Vanessa takes Lucas – who, for sheer longevity must be the show’s most boring character ever – with her.