Chum Darang Opens Up About Facing Racism, Says, 'People Used To Call Us Momo, And Now...'

Bigg Boss fame, Chum Darang recently opened up in an interview about how she faced racism all throughout her life. Hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, Chum had to go through a lot post-pandemic. In an interview with Zoom, she spoke her heart out and shared instances where she had to take on many racist comments because of her origin. Chum marked her presence as an actor in Bollywood with films like Badhaai Do and Gangubai Kathiawadi. The actress also shared how television and cinema play a big role and how inclusivity in such mainstream media can normalise the acceptance of North Eastern people.

Chum Darang shared her own set of experiences with facing racism and how it shaped her life

In a candid interview with Zoom, Chum shared that as she belonged to Northeast India, she had to face a lot of racism and how the situation became worse after the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, she had to sing the National anthem to prove her identity. The actress shared that although sometimes the racist remarks took a toll on her, now she knows how to handle it. Addressing the same, Chum said:

“I have faced a lot of racism but I don’t want to go deep into those stories and sound like a victim. The thing with racism and discrimination is some people are genuinely not aware, while there are some who do it intentionally. “When I say I am from Arunachal, it means I am from this country only. If you don’t understand this or keep asking even after I’ve said it, then you should be ashamed of yourself. You have sung the National Anthem every day, and I have sung it too. I am a proud Indian and no one can take that away from me. Earlier, people would do racist things like calling us ‘momo’, and later, they started calling us ‘coronavirus’. Such comments and mentality do annoy me, but I am someone who knows how to give it back then and there, and I have done it a lot of times."

Chum Darang once slammed Elvish Yadav for making racist comments about her

In February 2025, Chum took to her Instagram Stories and penned a note slamming Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner, Elvish for passing racist comments on his podcast. Chum shared how Elvish disrespected her identity and her work as well. Condemning Elvish for his harsh comments, Chum wrote:

“Disrespecting someone's identity and name is not 'fun.' Mocking someone's achievements is not 'banter.' It's time we draw the line between humour and hate. What's even more disappointing is that this wasn't just about my ethnicity. My hard work and a film backed by a visionary like Sanjay Leela Bhansali were also disrespected.”

Chum concluded the note, supporting her fellow North-East people. The actress also advised her fellows to raise their voices against racism. The ending of her note can be read as:

“To my fellow Northeasterners and everyone who has faced racism, I see you, hear you, and I stand with you. We all deserve respect, dignity, and equality. Let's raise our voices against racism and promote a culture of empathy, kindness, and understanding.”

What did Elvish Yadav say against Chum Darang in his podcast?

For the unversed, Elvish once made fun of Chum’s name and also claimed that her casting in Gangubai Kathiawadi was not appropriate. These remarks made Chum’s fans angry, and they demanded an official apology. However, Elvish didn’t make any apology and stated that his words were tweaked unnecessarily. Elvish’s remarks on Chum can be read as:

“Karanveer ko pakka COVID tha kyunki Chum kisko pasand aati hai bhai, itna taste kiska kharab hota hai! Aur Chum ke toh naam mein hi ashleelta hai… Naam Chum aur kaam Gangubai Kathiawadi mein kiya hai.”

What are your thoughts on Chum Darang's revelation of how she faced racism? Let us know.

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