'Bridgerton' Star's Friends Said She Was a Diversity Hire

Ahead of the period drama's second season premiere, Charithra Chandran sat down with the Telegraph for an interview about her role as debutante Edwina Sharma, as well as "harmful" comments made by those closest to her about the casting.

While anyone would be over the moon if they landed a role on such a popular show, Chandran said her excitement turned to hurt after some so-called "friends" accused her of getting it because she's of Indian descent.

“I’ve had friends say to me, ‘Oh you got that because you’re brown,’ and that really hurts,” she said. “[And] what’s really scary is that you can start believing it.”

Unfortunately, similarly gross sentiments aren't anything new when it comes to the Shonda Rhimes-produced show, which was created as a reimagined and more inclusive adaptation of Julia Quinn's book series set in Regency-era England. However, Bridgerton's first season also drew racist criticism thanks to its multiracial cast and has continued to be a source of controversy from those who believe the series is "historically inaccurate."

Even so, Chandran went on to say that Bridgerton has "done for TV what Hamilton did for theater" by encouraging a "totally different audience to watch period drama and romances."

"It made us feel seen on screen," Chandran said, though she was also quick to add that the show's cast shouldn't be just a "sort of window dressing," as she thinks it's equally as important to have "crew who are black and brown."

However, fans of the show's inclusivity have already expressed their excitement over Chandran's character taking center stage this upcoming season, especially since her role positions a brown woman as a "desirable love interest in mainstream media with no caveats," per commenters. After all, we already know that this new season will take the focus away from season one leads Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) in favor of Daphne's older brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), who becomes entangled in a love triangle between Edwina and her older sister, Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley.

Bridgerton season two is slated for release on March 25 via Netflix. Watch the trailer below.

Bridgerton Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix

Photo via Getty / John Phillips / WireImage