'Neighbours' executive responds to racist comments

Neighbours executive producer Susan Bower has lamented the racist abuse directed at the soap's new Indian family.

A vocal minority of fans expressed outrage at the announcement last week that the Kapoor family will become regular fixtures in Erinsborough in the New Year, claiming that their casting is "un-Australian".



Bower responded by taking out a column in the country's Herald Sun newspaper saying that although she "expected" the backlash, she was disappointed with the extent of negative feeling towards the Kapoors and believed that actors Sachin Joab, Menik Gooneratne and Coco-Jacinta Cherian had received "a rather sad introduction" to the show.

"I should say that for every negative comment about the Kapoor family there were 10 or 15 positive ones," she said. "These racists are certainly a vocal minority but Twitter and Facebook have made it easier for them to have their say and be heard.

"I believe Australia is mostly a very welcoming place. We are a multicultural society. When we cast characters it is because we believe they are the best person for the job, not because of the colour of their skin."

Bower went on to speculate that the controversy had been caused by fears that the Kapoor family would change the very fabric of Neighbours and noted that there was a similar reaction to the introduction of the soap's first gay character Chris Pappas (James Mason).

"Ramsay St has been a very white place for a long time, mostly because the new characters were usually a relative of someone already on the show. But that is not a true representation of Australian culture anymore," she said.

"When I started on Neighbours I made it a priority to see more of that cultural diversity on the show so that it better reflected modern Australian society. So I'm proud to say we have had an Asian character."

Bower added that she also wants to introduce a Muslim family from Lebanon to the show, though plans have been put on hold following the Kapoor row.

"I still think that will happen. But it may be a few years away yet," she said.

"Times are changing. Neighbours is changing too. It is part of the fabric of Australia and I have no doubt the show will be around on our screens for at least another 26 years.

"I hate racism. I don't understand it. I am proud to live in a country that those people can freely say what they believe - even though I strongly disagree with those opinions."

Sachin Joab has also responded to the row, saying that he is "never going to get away from" racially-motivated criticism of his career.