Archive · 17 Sep 2026
The Revolutionaries Cast Debate: Paoli Dam Defends Non-Bengali Leads
The Revolutionaries is a series about people who fought for India's freedom.
Some viewers criticized it because the main actors are not Bengali.
Paoli Dam, a Bengali actor in the show, defended the decision.
She said actors who are popular in Bengal may not attract audiences in Mumbai.
She also said someone does not have to be Bengali to play a Bengali character.
The lead actors received help with speaking Bengali.
Dam plays Nanibala Devi, also known as Pisima.
The series is based on a nonfiction book by Sanjeev Sanyal and streams on Amazon Prime from September 11.
Paoli Dam defended The Revolutionaries' non-Bengali lead cast amid criticism over the casting choices.
She said Bengali actors considered saleable in Bengal may not be commercially viable in Mumbai.
Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta and Gurfateh Pirzada play the principal revolutionary characters.
Dam said the actors received Bengali language guidance and were sincere, professional and well-liked by the team.
The series, based on Sanjeev Sanyal's book, begins streaming on Amazon Prime on September 11.
- Who
- Paoli Dam and the lead cast of The Revolutionaries, including Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta and Gurfateh Pirzada.
- What
- Paoli Dam defended the casting of non-Bengali actors in a series about Bengali revolutionaries.
- When
- The series begins streaming on September 11; the article does not specify the year.
- Where
- The Revolutionaries streams on Amazon Prime, and the casting debate concerns the Bengali and Mumbai entertainment markets.
- Why
- Dam said casting decisions involve commercial considerations and argued that actors need not share a character's regional identity to portray it effectively.
Casting Critics
Casting Defenders
Regional authenticity
Casting Critics
Critics objected that no Bengali actor was cast in the lead roles of a series centered on Bengali revolutionaries.
Casting Defenders
Paoli Dam said a Bengali actor is not automatically necessary to play a Bengali character if the performer conveys the language's emotion and spirit.
Commercial casting
Casting Critics
The casting choice was viewed as weakening the regional authenticity of the story.
Casting Defenders
Dam said an actor considered commercially successful in Bengal may not be equally saleable in Mumbai, making market economics a factor.
Lead performances
Casting Critics
The series received criticism over its casting and opened to mixed reviews.
Casting Defenders
Dam praised Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta and Gurfateh Pirzada as professional, sincere and effective on screen.
- Series
- The Revolutionaries
- Paoli Dam's role
- Pisima, based on Nanibala Devi
- Lead cast
- Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta and Gurfateh Pirzada
- Source material
- Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom by Sanjeev Sanyal
- Platform
- Amazon Prime
- Streaming date
- September 11
- Reception
- The series opened to mixed reviews and criticism over its lead casting