Kal Penn: Hot, sexy and Indian-American

Slow change in Hollywood
There’s a telling scene in the 2002 comedy “The Guru,” which begins in India. A group of young Indian men tease the lead character when he tells them he’s going to move to the United States and become a star. They press him to name one Indian star in Hollywood, and the only name he can come up with is Apu, the animated store clerk on “The Simpsons.”

Four years later, things aren’t as dire for actors of Indian descent. The TV show “Lost” features Indian Brit Naveen Andrews as former Iraqi Republican guard Sayid. Parminder Nagra, another Indian Brit and star of “Bend It Like Beckham,” is a main character on “ER.” On the hit show “Heroes,” Indian-American Sendhil Ramamurthy plays Indian geneticist Mohinder Suresh. And of course there’s Penn, poised for A-list stardom with the release of “The Namesake.”

The success of films such as “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Bride and Prejudice,” as well the popularity of Bollywood, have raised audience interest in all things Indian. Unfortunately, however, the majority of Indian actors will be stuck playing cab drivers, store clerks and terrorists for a while. Penn acknowledged his success is an exception to the Hollywood casting rule. “Just because I have been fortunate in the past few years doesn’t mean that there is a huge sweeping change taking place,” he said in the rediff.com interview.

Whether “The Namesake” succeeds critically and/or financially means a lot for Penn’s career, and could open the door just a little bit more for other Asian actors hungering for decent parts. Still, those fans of Penn’s comedic work take heart. “Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam” hits theaters in 2008.

Helen A.S. Popkin is a New York-based freelance writer.

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