Lak
THE REAL CHANGE WE NEED
Looks like “Slumdog Millionaire” got the top prize last night at the SAG Awards. Even though it was the heavy favorite to win, Anil Kapoor still appeared very surprised. I only wish I could understand what he said in his acceptance speech. I think he was speaking Afrikaans.
For us East Indian actors, Slumdog’s win is monumental to say the least. I’ve felt that East Indians have made some very important gains in Hollywood in the last half decade or so. Though we haven’t shaken completely free from Western stereotypes (cabbie, terrorists, goofy doctor, liquor store owner) there are quality shows out there like Heroes and ER that have non-caricaturized East Indians as central characters.
I hope that given Slumdog’s win and the recent fascination with all things Bollywood, American writers are now able to see East Indian actors more as a precious resource than as an exploitable commodity. It’s still going to take good writers to write good parts for us if we want to continue to shed the mask that we’ve donned for so long. Obviously that’s one of the underlying reasons behind the creation of “Desi OC.” It gives us a positive, creative voice. So keep watching–you’re helping to change the world for East Indians.
Now if you’ll excuse me now, I have to prepare for an audition. It’s for ER…and I’ll be playing a medical intern. Change is already upon us! Hooray!
- Lak Rana
