‘We still can’t enter temples’: Panchayat actor Vinod Suryavanshi on caste discrimination in Karnataka, recalls growing up in poverty

Vinod Suryavanshi, who made a brief appearance in Panchayat, has opened up about facing caste discrimination in his native village in Karnataka, revealing that his family is still not allowed to enter temples or people’s homes.In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Vinod said, “In my village in Karnataka, casteism is still prevalent, 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 a childhood incident, he added, “Once, when I went to the village with my father, I was 12 years old and ate at a hotel, we had to wash our own plates and also pay for the food.

There is still a temple where we are not allowed to go in my village.”

‘Festivals made us cry more’

Apart from his recent work, Vinod also spoke about his difficult childhood marked by poverty and emotional struggles.“I have often seen my parents cry. When festivals came, I would wonder why they were coming at all—why Diwali was coming. Festivals made us cry more because we could never celebrate them like others,” he shared.“Our condition was very bad. If someone gave us something, only then could we celebrate—that was our reality,” he added.

A troubled home environment

The actor also reflected on the challenges within his family. “My mother worked as a domestic help, and my father was a mason. He didn’t get work every day, and when he didn’t, he would come home drunk.”He continued, “He would abuse and even hit my mother. I grew up watching all this, and it felt terrible. I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t like his behaviour.”

From odd jobs to acting

Before entering the entertainment industry, Vinod took up several jobs to make ends meet.“I first worked as a liftman, earning Rs 1,600 a month. Then I worked as an office boy at a construction office, and later as a security guard,” he said.Describing the hardships, he added, “It was a 12-hour standing duty. During rains, water would get into my shoes, I’d get blisters, and sometimes people would abuse me. I had to endure a lot.”He concluded with a hard-hitting observation, “People say no work is small, but I’ve learned that a person is judged by the level of work they do—the bigger the work, the more respect they get.”

On the work front

Vinod Suryavanshi has appeared in projects such as Janaawar, Thamma, Satyameva Jayate, and Jolly LLB 3, among others, gradually carving a space for himself in the industry.