HBO criticised for sidelining South Asian identity in 'Harry Potter' casting controversy

HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot is already under fire, this time for casting Italian actress Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, a character rooted in Indian culture. The announcement has triggered widespread backlash from fans who accuse the makers of side-lining authentic South Asian representation in favour of what many see as surface-level diversity.

Parvati, originally portrayed by Shefali Chowdhury in the films, is one of the few explicitly Indian characters in the Harry Potter universe. The decision to cast someone with no clear Indian heritage has led to heated discussions across platforms like Reddit and X, with fans calling out what they perceive as performative inclusivity.

Fans question why Indian talent was overlooked again

Many online comments have shared similar frustrations: that casting a brown-skinned actor is not the same as casting someone of Indian origin. “They just picked someone who looks brown and called it a day,” one Redditor commented. Another added, “Parvati is not just a name, it’s a direct reference to Hindu culture. It deserved more thought.”

This is not the first controversy to hit the reboot. Earlier announcements like casting Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Arabella Stanton as Hermione also drew criticism from those who felt the series was playing fast and loose with established character identities. Supporters of accurate representation argue that while the intent may be diversity, the execution often feels tokenistic.

Adding fuel to the fire is the casting history of the original films, where British-Bangladeshi actors Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad played the Patil twins after being discovered through grassroots-level auditions. That sense of grounded authenticity, fans argue, is missing in the current reboot.

HBO's broader casting choices also under scrutiny

Alongside Leoni, HBO announced several other cast members: Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as the Dursleys, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.

The series, hoped to be a faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books, is scheduled to premiere in 2026. But with these early casting calls, many longtime fans feel HBO is missing the mark on cultural nuance—and all this before a single spell has been cast on screen.