Laurence has some thoughts about 1917 (Picture: The James Delingpole Channel/YouTube; Universal Pictures)

Laurence Fox has claimed that the Oscar-nominated war epic 1917 is ‘institutionally racist’ due to the inclusion of a Sikh soldier in the film.

This is despite many Sikhs serving in the British Indian Army during World War One, including in the horrific battles of Ypres and the Somme.

Fox – who is touting himself as a bit of a poster boy for anti-wokeness – claimed that Sam Mendes’ film, which is nominated for 10 Oscars including best picture and best director, is ‘forcing diversity’ on viewers by pointing out Sikh soldiers.

Nabhaan Rizwa plays Sepoy Jondalar in 1917, alongside George Mackay, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott.




Speaking to Breitbart London’s executive editor James Delingpole on his podcast The Delingpod, the 41-year-old said: ‘It’s very heightened awareness of the colour of someone’s skin because of the oddness in the casting. Even in 1917 they’ve done it with a Sikh soldier.

Sam Mendes’ film has been nominated for 10 Oscars (Picture: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

Nabhaan Rizwan plays a Sikh soldier in the war epic (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

‘Which is great, it’s brilliant, but you’re suddenly aware there were Sikhs fighting in this war. And you’re like “ok”. You’re now diverting me away from what the story is.’

Delingpole then discussed ‘shoehorning’ different ethnicities into other films, with Laurence saying: ‘It is kind of racist – if you talk about institutional racism, which is what everyone loves to go on about, which I’m not a believer in, there is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way. You don’t want to think about [that].’

Later, Laurence praised the war film, saying it was ‘so good’ – with Delingpole quipping: ‘Apart from the gratuitous Sikh.’

The Lewis actor said: ‘He’s great in it as well, it didn’t bother me, but it did sort of flick me out of what is essentially a one-shot film… it’s just incongruous with the story.’

However, over on The Brendan O’Neill Show on Spiked, he praised Sam Mendes’ movie, saying: ‘There’s a reason why a film like 1917 is getting watched by everybody, and that’s because it’s a great story.

Laurence loved the movie (Picture: Universal)

Laurence is getting vocal about his opposition to ‘wokeness’ (Picture: Ricky Vigil M/GC Images)

‘1917 definitely felt for me… I saw a woman with a baby saying “I don’t know what to do”. It’s a great scene and it’s amazing. And at no point did I think “why isn’t there a man holding the baby and saying I’m raising this child alone”.’

Although he did slam films like the Charlie’s Angels reboot and Little Women while doing it.

Fox, who was previously married to Billie Piper, has been championing anti-wokeness since his appearance last week on Question Time, where he claimed that being called a white privileged male was racist.

Since then, the actor has claimed he dumped a girlfriend because she liked a feminist Gillette ad, that the UK is the ‘least racist society in the history of mankind’, and that Brits are ‘tired of being called racist by people we pay money for’.

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