Indian-American Actress Faces Criticism Over Rumors of Portraying Rapunzel

The casting for a potential live-action “Tangled” film has sparked controversy and negative feedback. Many TikTok users expressed disappointment with the possible casting of an actress of South Asian origin as the princess. Some have posted videos and comments expressing their upset, with concerns raised about the actress not being of German descent and not fitting the role of Rapunzel. The actress in question, Ms. Vandanapu, has faced backlash on her Instagram posts from people who state they will never accept her as Rapunzel.

There have been comments criticizing her suitability for the role, with some expressing a fear that it could ruin their childhood memories of the character. In response to racist trolling, the actress mentioned the need for increased representation of the Black community on screen. However, she has not directly addressed the trolling but South Asian fans have come to her defense, highlighting that there has been no official confirmation of her playing Rapunzel as a live-action adaptation of “Tangled” is not currently in production. Supporters of Ms. Vandanapu have emphasized that the backlash is based on a rumor and have urged people to halt the hate towards her.

They also pointed out a longstanding history of white women taking roles originally meant for Indian women in Indian movies, stating that the outrage is misplaced.