Mitaali Nag on Afsar Bitiya, Colour Bias in Casting and Her Journey Beyond Television

Saurabh Tankha 

It feels like just yesterday that a young girl from Bhagalpur in Bihar entered Indian living rooms with a simple dream—to become a Block Development Officer. Within a year, Krishna Raj became a familiar presence in households across the country, urban and rural alike. Viewers laughed with her successes and felt her sorrow in equal measure. The way Afsar Bitiya connected across generations was a testament to the effortless acting talent of Nagpur-born Mitaali Nag.

Nearly a decade later, Mitaali’s life has moved in new directions. She is now married and a mother to a three-year-old son, Rudranshh. Professionally, she runs her YouTube channel, Badmaash Banno, while continuing to wait for meaningful roles that align with her aspirations. After Afsar Bitiya, she appeared in Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawaz Ki, Draupadi, Fear Files and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon Season 3.

“I have never really chased roles aggressively,” she says candidly. “I know I don’t fit the ‘fair and tall’ stereotype, so only a limited set of characters come my way. On top of that, I have two scars on my forehead, which further narrow the options,” Mitaali adds, her tone edged with sarcasm.

“Fair and tall? Even now? Haven’t dusky actresses like Smita Patil, Bipasha Basu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das and Kajol succeeded at the box office?” I ask, taken aback.

“These are exceptions,” she replies. “When they were active, most leading actresses were still fairer and taller. Realistically, only about 10 per cent of dusky actresses make it as leads.”

TIMES HAVE NOT CHANGED

According to Mitaali, very little has changed in casting mindsets. “Even today, audition calls for television, web series, ads or films often clearly state: ‘Wanted fair and cute-looking girl’. The same applies to male leads too,” she says. She believes the industry still needs to move towards more inclusive, colour-blind casting. “It’s not necessary to always associate darker skin with negative roles. There should be a more standard, fair process across all formats,” she adds.

In 2006, Mitaali moved from Nagpur—often called the Orange City—to Mumbai with dreams of becoming a singer. Convincing her parents wasn’t easy. “I even took up a BPO job as soon as I reached Mumbai because I didn’t want to depend on them financially. I had no godfather in the industry, so I didn’t know how long it would take to get a break,” she recalls.

While working in a BPO, she began participating in reality shows. “But managing both became exhausting, so I eventually quit the job. Later, I worked with Cinema Vision India, which produced Surbhi. That gave me exposure to many things I wanted to learn,” she says. Alongside, she joined IPTA Mumbai and later Big Bang Theatre to refine her craft.

LUCK SMILES

Her breakthrough came in 2011. A friend, who had seen her in a short film, asked if she would be interested in a television role. “He showed my short film and even my BlackBerry Messenger display picture to the casting director, who liked it,” she says.

At the time, she was travelling to Nagpur and couldn’t attend auditions in person. “So I recorded my audition and sent it. When I returned to Mumbai, I did a few mock shoots and soon signed Afsar Bitiya as the lead,” she recalls. Around the same time, she also participated in X Factor India as part of an all-girl band, Three Musketranis.

She still considers Afsar Bitiya a turning point. “It was a pathbreaking role and very different from what was on television then. Even today, people remember me as Krishna Raj,” she says with pride.

During this phase, she was also offered a role in Manjhi: The Mountain Man, which eventually went to Radhika Apte. “I met producer Deepa Sahiji and director Ketan Mehtaji, and they were keen on casting me. But I was doing a lead television show at the time, and getting long leaves was impossible, so I had to let it go,” she says.

Even during motherhood, she continued working. “I performed in a play while I was pregnant, directed by my friend Seema Azmi. I also did Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon when my son was just six months old—he used to be with me on sets,” she adds.