New Delhi, India

The Netflix documentary series African Queens: Queen Cleopatra has become a hot topic ever since the trailer for its four-part drama was released. The show sparked major controversy for depicting Queen Cleopatra as a black African.

The Netflix show didn't go down well with netizens, who were quick to slam the makers of the show. The show features actor Adele James as the historical figure Cleopatra. 

However, now the director of the show, Tina Gharavi, is finally speaking out. Hitting back at the criticism, Gharavi wrote in a new article written for Variety, about the backlash she has received over the casting. 

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Recalling seeing Elizabeth Taylor playing the role of an Egyptian ruler as a kid doesn't feel right to her, she wrote, ''I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was

not right. Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatra’s heritage and release her from the stranglehold that Hollywood had placed on her image?''

Further, she wrote, ''Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a Black actress.''

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''For me, the idea that people had gotten it so incredibly wrong before — historically, from Theda Bara to Monica Bellucci, and recently, with Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot in the running to play her — meant we had to get it even more right. The hunt was on to find the right performer to bring Cleopatra into the 21st century.''

Writting further, she questioned the people's obsession to see Cleopatra white: ''Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians, it seems to really matter.''

Not only Cleopatra’s beauty but through her casting, Gharavi said she also wanted to show her ''strength''.

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Hitting back at the backlash, the director said, ''While shooting, I became the target of a huge online hate campaign. Egyptians accused me of “blackwashing” and “stealing” their history. Some threatened to ruin my career — which I wanted to tell them was laughable. I was ruining it very well for myself, thank you very much! No amount of reasoning or reminders that Arab invasions had not yet happened in Cleopatra’s age seemed to stem the tide of ridiculous comments.''

''Perhaps, it’s not just that I’ve directed a series that portrays Cleopatra as Black, but that I have asked Egyptians to see themselves as Africans, and they are furious at me for that. I am okay with this.''

Concluding her long letter, she noted how misogynoir still has an effect on people. ''We need to liberate our imaginations, and boldly create a world in which we can explore our historical figures without fearing the complexity that comes with their depiction. I am proud to stand with “Queen Cleopatra” — a re-imagined Cleopatra — and with the team that made this.''

Before the director, the actress of the show Adele James reacted to all the backlash and said, "If you don't like the casting, don't watch the show." The producer of the Netflix production also said that "her heritage is highly debated".

Queen Cleopatra will release on Netflix on May 10