Chances are that you have heard the name Jalaluddin al-Rumi on some social media platform or another. He’s the oft-quoted medieval poet who makes a regular appearance in inspirational photos on social media.
A production house roped in Leonardo DiCaprio to play Rumi in a movie and thousands have signed a petition against it for preventing the “whitewashing of history”, reported the Independent.
The petition set up by Valerie Janovic has been signed by over 7,400 people so far, and demands a Middle Eastern actor to be cast in the role. DiCaprio was the first choice for the role.
Screenwriters David Franzoni and Stephen Joel Brown had recently said that they wanted to change the way Muslims were portrayed in western cinema. They decided, however, to cast DiCaprio.
Their comment sparked outrage on Twitter as #RumiWasntWhite began to trend.
A lot of people pointed out how all brown actors were asked to play cabbies, terrorists and convenience store owners, while a white man was selected to play a Sufi scholar.
The petition says that when people think of Rumi, they will picture a pale-skinned, blue-eyed, blonde-haired person instead of one of Afghan-descent.
Hollywood’s lack of diversity has been exposed time and again, with white actors taking on roles which would be better suited for actors with coloured skin or different cultural origins.
#OscarSoWhite trended earlier this year, exposing Hollywood’s tendency to whitewash.
The scriptwriters claimed to have done their research, by traveling Turkey to talk to experts on Rumi and visiting his masoleum, in an attempt to construct a credible profile.
DiCaprio has not yet commented on the rumours. The release dates are yet to be announced.
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