Production company mm2 Entertainment has issued a statement in response to a Facebook post by a Singaporean Indian actor who expressed disappointment and outrage after attending the Ah Boys To Men 4 audition.

This was after the actor was asked to ham it up during the audition to play up his Indian accent, and possibly, his mannerisms, for the role of an Indian soldier.

Opinions on this matter of casual racism have been divided.

So far, only one actor from the ABTM franchise has spoken up about the issue.

Maxi Lim, a 30-year-old actor who starred in the previous three ABTM movies, came out to defend the way the audition was conducted, as well as the track record of the ABTM franchise so far, where Indian actors were not required to speak with an Indian accent on screen previously.

The latest statement, issued on behalf of mm2, director Jack Neo's J Team and other producers involved in the audition, clarified that the latest Jack Neo-directed ABTM movie is written to be "enjoyable and popular".

This is the statement in full:

We refer to the media queries about a recent incident during the audition of 'Ah Boys To Men 4 (ABTM4)' and would like to make the following clarification.

Mr Shrey Bhargava attended the audition on 27 May for the role of an Indian soldier in the upcoming ABTM4 movie that is being jointly produced by us, J Team and mm2 Entertainment. During the audition, Mr Shrey was asked to try out different ways of presenting the role including that of someone who speaks with an Indian accent.

It is not uncommon during auditions that casting directors decide to test the versatility of actors by asking them to perform in a wide range of roles and characters, not necessarily always according to the script requirements. This process sometimes unravels performances that inspire directors with new ideas to further enhance character developments in their movies. At other times, knowledge of the actors' versatility helps the casting directors in the casting of future productions. Actors attending such auditions therefore may not be able to draw accurate conclusions with respect to the portrayals of the roles without the context and final decision on the roles concerned.

The scripts of ABTM4 are still being worked on by the creative team. With his vast experience in making movies that are enjoyed by many Singaporeans of all races, director Jack Neo is acutely aware of race sensitivity and will be sensitive and careful when dealing with such a matter. It is our aim to make ABTM4 as enjoyable and popular as the previous movies among Singaporeans.

Thank you.

ABTM4 producers, J Team and mm2 Entertainment

Related articles:

Ah Boys To Men actor Maxi Lim speaks up about racist audition accusation

Ah Boys To Men 4 audition accused of being racist, debate ensues, nation clearly divided

Xiaxue wades into ‘racist’ Ah Boys To Men audition saga, calls actor a hypocrite

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.