Vinod Suryavanshi, who made a brief appearance at the Panchayat, has spoken about facing caste discrimination in his hometown in Karnataka, revealing that his family is still unable to enter temples or people’s homes.In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Vinod said, “Casteism is still prevalent in my village in Karnataka, even today. There are two areas in that village: one for the upper castes and one for the lower castes. The area where the Dalits live is separate from the village.”Recalling an incident from his childhood, he added: “Once, when I went to town with my father, when I was 12 years old, I ate in a hotel, we had to wash our own dishes and pay for the food as well. There is still a temple where we cannot go in my town.’
‘The holidays made us cry more’
In addition to his latest work, Vinod also spoke about his difficult childhood marked by poverty and emotional struggles.“I have seen my parents cry many times. When festivals came, I would ask them why they were coming, why Diwali was coming. Festivals made us cry more because we could never celebrate them like others,” she shared.“Our situation was very bad. If someone gives us something, only then could we celebrate, that was our reality,” he added.
Disturbed atmosphere at home
The actor also reflected on his family’s challenges. “My mother worked as a domestic worker, and my father was a bricklayer. Every day he didn’t get a job, and when he didn’t, he came home drunk.”He continued: “He would abuse my mother and even beat me. I grew up watching all this, and I thought it was horrible. I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t like his behavior.”
From odd jobs to acting
Before entering the entertainment industry, Vinod worked various jobs to make ends meet.“I first worked as a lifter, earning Rs 1,600 a month. Then I worked as an office boy in a construction office, and then as a security guard,” he said.Describing the hardships, he added, “It was a 12-hour duty. In the rains, water got into my shoes, I got blisters and sometimes people abused me. I had to endure a lot.”He concluded with a stark observation: “People say it’s no small job, but I’ve learned that a person is judged by the level of work they do: the bigger the job, the more respect.”
In the field of work
Vinod Suryavanshi has appeared in projects like Janaawar, Thamma, Satyameva Jayate and Jolly LLB 3 among others, gradually carving a space in the industry.
