NEW DELHI: American actor of Indian origin, Ravi Patel, says a lot is changing for talent from our country in Hollywood. He notes that Indian actors are gaining visibility as well as power in the West.
Patel is best known for his the autobiographical comic documentary “Meet The Patels”, and will soon be seen in the Gal Gadot-starrer “Wonder Woman 1984”. The actor has also featured in the series like “Scrubs”, “Master Of None” and “Grandfathered”, and his career trajectory closely parallels the rise of Asian Americans in Hollywood. He says he feels lucky to have witnessed the rise of the Indian community in the West.
“I agree, It really has. I think I’ve been quite lucky in that sense. As my career has ascended, so have Indians in the fabric of America. As I’ve moved up in Hollywood, better roles for Indians have shown up. I’m just so grateful for it. And now my parents are doing It, which is a hilarious plot twist,” Ravi told IANS.
For Ravi, it was easy to evade being stereotyped. “I do roles that I love. It’s that easy. And if I see something that I think is inappropriate, I speak up,” he said.
Asked how the representation of Asians has changed in the West, the actor replied: “Asians are at the top of most companies in this country. We are killing it in America. We are gaining both visibility and power in the country. The recent election was a great example — Asian Americans were the most pursued demographic. It was our coming out party. And this is just the beginning.”
When it comes to men adding to the dialogue of gender equality in the West, the actor, who is currently seen in the Hindi web series “Bhaag Beanie Bhaag”, feels “listening is the key to understanding this gap”.
Asked about his role in the much-anticipated sequel of global hit “Wonder Woman”, he said: “I’m also not allowed to discuss my role, other than to say I love my wig in it.”