Freida Pinto in tears as Idris Elba Guerrilla drama hit by ‘erasing blackness’ row The actress Freida Pinto was reduced to tears at the premiere of Guerrilla, the new Idris Elba drama about Britain’s […]

The actress Freida Pinto was reduced to tears at the premiere of Guerrilla, the new Idris Elba drama about Britain’s black power movement in the 1970s, after the event descended into a furious row over the decision to make the protagonist an Asian woman.

The Mumbai-born Slumdog Millionaire star plays a British woman who leads a radical underground cell in response to police brutality in the Sky Atlantic series, inspired by the British wing of the Black Panthers militant black movement.

Pinto attended a London screening alongside Elba, who produces and plays a conflicted associate of the militant group and John Ridley, the American writer and director, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for 12 Years A Slave.

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Pinto’s Jas is in love with Marcus (Babou Ceesay) and together they clash with the “black power desk,” a real counterintelligence unit set up at Scotland Yard to monitor and infiltrate civil rights activism in the early 70s.

“If we are having trouble with a TV show, think about real life.” Guerrilla’s Oscar-winning writer John Ridley

Ridley faced a series of complaints at the screening from black journalists and members of the Black Lives Matter UK movement who questioned why the protagonist was Asian instead of a black woman? The drama “erased” blackness, argued one.

Asians part of black struggle

Ridley said the series was based on historical research and reflected the diversity of the British black power movement.

There were a number of Asian activists in the 70s, including Mala Sen, who fought for the rights of Indian factory workers and helped inspire the character of Jas.

“Black was not just the colour of your skin, it was a political blackness at that point in time.” Freida Pinto

Immigrants from former Commonwealth colonies in the Caribbean, India and Africa faced new laws restricting their preferential status.

Pinto in tears

As the debate over her role became more heated, Pinto was visibly distressed.

The actress, who fought back tears, said: “Black was not just the colour of your skin, it was a political blackness at that point in time.”

“We were all considered outsiders. For me it’s important that the conversation about diversity is inclusive and not just the colour of your skin.”

Elba said the series presented a “detailed analysis of UK culture at the time.”

‘I just laughed’ – Guerrilla star Babou Ceesay on his own experiences of racism

Ridley spent 30 minutes after the screening attempting to appease his critics. “Those elements are real. The lead character in this show should be a strong woman of colour,” he told them.

“The fact that it is so difficult to accept that someone else of colour could be part of this movement is exactly the reason why we did this show.”

The Oscar-winner asked the critical journalists and members of Black Lives Matter UK invited by Sky to attend, to engage in a less hostile conversation. But he was unable to pacify his critics, who said he had ignored the prominent role black British women played in the movement’s forefront. At one point Ceesay tried to intercede, saying the series did feature strong black female roles.

An emotional Ridley said the project was personal – he chose an Asian protagonist because “I’m in a mixed race relationship and my wife is a fighter and activist. This is what we still have to put up with.”

“If everyone already understood racism, oppression and its consequences, we should all be doing Dancing With The Stars. This story is going to cause consternation and hurt by design.”

Zawe Ashton, the Fresh Meat star, who also appears in Guerrilla, said she was “very, very proud” to help tell the story. “The only way to combat fear is to keep answering questions,” she said.

Neil Kenlock, a member of the British Black Panthers during the 70s, attended the screening. He said: “I’m the only person here who was part of the movement and John has got it spot on. Mala Sen, an Asian woman, was extremely active.”

Darcus Howe, the black rights activist and broadcaster, who died this month, acted as a consultant on Guerrilla and makes a cameo appearance.

:: Guerrilla, Sky Atlantic, premieres 9pm on April 13 with all six episodes available to view

@adamsherwin10