Regina Cassandra Alleges Discrimination by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions Over ‘Kesari 2’ Promotions

Amid growing discussions about discrimination against women actors in the film industry, actress Regina Cassandra has shared her experience with Dharma Productions, the banner owned by filmmaker Karan Johar. Regina alleged that despite playing an important role as Akshay Kumar’s wife in Kesari 2, she was not given adequate importance during the film’s promotions. Her comments came in response to Janhvi Kapoor’s recent interview, in which the actress spoke about not being given enough opportunities to express her views in the South Indian film industry. Regina questioned who would speak up about the treatment she allegedly faced from Dharma Productions.

Regina said she featured throughout a song released from Kesari 2, from beginning to end, but the production house did not even tag her in its social media posts. She added that Dharma Productions had not offered any explanation so far. The actress also spoke about the bias faced by South Indian performers in Bollywood, saying she is often identified primarily as a South Indian actor when she works in the North, which affects the recognition she receives. Although she is more comfortable speaking Hindi than Tamil, she believes regional identity continues to influence how she is treated. Regina encouraged women in the industry to speak openly about their experiences but cautioned against turning the issue into a North-South debate, as it could deepen regional divisions. She also said she understood Janhvi Kapoor and Radhika Apte sharing their experiences.