Then A [Desi] Hero Comes Along

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Who said desi accents weren’t sexy? One in particular will keep me glued to the TV every Monday night, starting next Monday on the NBC sci-fi drama Heroes.

Desi-licious

The most heated debate [by critics] centers on “Heroes,” NBC’s bold new drama about everyday people who discover they have extraordinary powers (one can teleport, another can fly, a third is impervious to bodily injury) and ultimately band together to fight evil. (Think “X-Men” meets “Lost.”) Our panelists are deeply divided on this show — they either love it or seem to be disillusioned with the genre. [link]

Looks like with this show, NBC will be finally be able to tap into the ‘sci-fi drama for Gen X’ market that had been previously cornered by the soon to be defunct WB. As for my new television crush with the delicious desi accent — it is Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays the Indian geneticist turned New York cabbie Mohinder Suresh.

A tenured genetics professor at the the University of Madras. His father Chandra was also a professor until he disappeared from India and the accredited academic world years ago after raving about a “global event’ that would change mankind. He thought his answers would be in New York… Chandra was murdered. Mohinder moves to New York to find out why his father was killed. [link]

Boys, you can have your Lakshmi-the-cooking-show-host because us girls will have Ramamurthy-the-geneticist- professor-who-will-solve-the-mystery. The Heroes site has delicious videos online to be sure to get you addicted well in advances of the Sept. 25th premiere. If you are a fan of the intrigue that was behind Lost (first season), or a comic book geek for superhuman abilities, then this show is sure to be your cup of chai. Join me in my new Monday night obsession, as I’m sure other female mutineers across the nation will be sure to do, in a swoon worthy weekly television event.

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About Taz

Taz is an activist, organizer and writer based in California. She is the founder of South Asian American Voting Youth (SAAVY), curates MutinousMindState.tumblr.com and blogs at TazzyStar.blogspot.com. Follow her at twitter.com/tazzystar

234 thoughts on “Then A [Desi] Hero Comes Along”

  2. holy hell! he’s adorable! my antenna doesn’t pick up NBC very clearly….might have to get another friend hooked on the show.

  4. SM should post more photos of hot desi guys. Then the desi guys posting on here wouldn’t be dissing their sex appeal all the time. I mean, next to emaciated teenage girls, desi guys seem to have the lowest self-esteem when it comes to body image. They need our help.

    And I’d just like to see more photos of hot desi guys.

  16. I think you should be able to tell. You’re being a bit antagonizing, and your last comment was just simply name calling. i actually would like to know where you’re coming from

  17. Then the desi guys posting on here wouldn’t be dissing their sex appeal all the time. I mean, next to emaciated teenage girls, desi guys seem to have the lowest self-esteem when it comes to body image. They need our help.

    DQ – even a monkey can see that your statement was both dismissive and patronizing. And given your stated aim of “helping” desi men with their “self-esteem” issues, it was hardly constructive.

  18. i hope i don’t come off as angry DQ because i’m not, but i do think after such a comment you should expect people to take a little offense. as its out of left field. everyone has their certain amount of pride. i don’t know, i would like to avoid beef. maybe i should have kept it to myself. cheers though!

  19. So… I’ve been obsessing over this show and went as far as to stalk this guy online who had posted on a forum that he had a code to download the pilot for free off of iTunes.

    I’ve watched the damned thing 5 or 6 times in the past two weeks. Amazing. Loved it. (And Sendhil has the most adorable Brit-Indian accent EVER.)

    Can’t wait to see the next episode.

    P.S. If you visit any AMC Theatre you can get a card with the code so you can download and watch before the premiere. (If, um you’re obsessing…)

  20. With all this talk about desi accents: 🙂 for the record, I think (any) South Indian accent is the sexiest, most adorable in ALL the world. Kannadiga, Mallu, Tamilian…you name it, in my book the accent is the YUMMYEST!

  22. Nirali Magazine thinks he’s pretty great, too–look for our exclusive interview with Sendhil on September 25, the premiere date of Heroes. Lots of scrumptious photos to accompany…

  23. Look – have any of you been reading the comments by desi men on here lately? About how everyone thinks they’re nerds and non-sexy and effeminate and sexist and have small penises etc. etc.? NONE OF WHICH IS TRUE. My comment was a reflection of the attitudes posted on this site. I didn’t mean to dismiss or antagonize – I think many desi men DO have self-esteem issues when it comes to their sexuality.

    So bring on the hotties (and there are plenty) if it can help them any.

  24. Look, there are idiots of every gender and color. You should be a little more clear about who you are talking about, because your comment was desi men. I’m a desi man and proud to be one. So when you say, desi men, that does include me. I do not talk crap about desi women and I don’t think I should expect a desi website to talk crap in general about desi men. It makes no difference who you’ve been battling with, if you don’t single them out and instead generalize about all desi men, that includes, all desi men. I could have easily said, oh thats not about me, but why should a desi website have to put up with that stuff, of all places? If you think desi men have an insecurity problem, you can always ask.

  26. I think many desi men DO have self-esteem issues when it comes to their sexuality.

    And my question would be, do you shed crocodile tears for them? focusing on penis size is a regressive and patriarchal standard of what constitutes a man and masculinity. I agree with you that an insecurity complex is to be found among some people, but as a marginalized enthic group you should be aware that desi male masculinity is in some way problematized. Hopefully we will remain friends. I do not want to be arguementative, and even know what to turn this discussion into a positive discussion.

    Also, this thread is about this dude and all so…….happy trails to y’all

  28. Okay, I was not clear. Some (and to my eyes, sadly numerous) desi male commenters occasionally (to my eyes, frequently) make statements on SM along the lines of ‘desi men are not perceived as sexy’. I find such statements sad and not reflective of the truth. If my lack of clarity, flippancy, and the generalizations I no doubt made, have angered you – mea culpa. Sorry. I just wanted to say I find desi men hot, and they should feel they are hot, OKAY?

    I’ll shut up now.

  29. but as a marginalized enthic group you should be aware that desi male masculinity is in some way problematized

    This is emblematic of the insecurity (which I dare say is noticable) of which she references

  32. but as a marginalized enthic group you should be aware that desi male masculinity is in some way problematized This is emblematic of the insecurity (which I dare say is noticable) of which she references

    Haha. Ok, well, I guess I deserve that.

    Dharma, I don’t need to hear that desi men are hot personally. I’d prefer not to have the negative stereotypes about desi men, which, as a marginalized group, do occur.

    Anyway, Hari, I will sincerely take your comment. I was already in the process of self-examination after posting on this thread.

  33. But……I do know that my culture did intill in me a sense of pride about myself, and I do want to help that continue. If Sepia Mutiny is part of that, that’s a good thing. Left to the whims of the wider American culture, desi pride would not be as strong as it is within the desi community itself. Hence places like SM.

    This is seperate from the discussion we just had and I don’t want to conflate the two.

    Each one teach one and all that.

    I apologize for bringing strife to the thread, such as it is.

    Whirled Peas y’all

  34. Also, I’m not sure posting lots of pics of ‘hot’ desi men would have been the solution to the (highly debatable) ‘problem.’ I imagine that, if indeed we assume that there are some who feel somewhat challenged in the hotness arena :), in some cases it would just further convince them of Sendhil/XYZs red hot heat versus their own woeful lack of any such!

  35. After all, ‘babe’ magazines (even desi ones) aren’t exactually successful in convincing the average woman shes a hottie :).

  36. Boys, you can have your Lakshmi-the-cooking-show-host because us girls will have Ramamurthy-the-geneticist- professor-who-will-solve-the-mystery.

    don’t be so heteronormative.

  37. I would like to add my voice to the chorus of outrage directed at DQ. We desi male have made it explicitly clear in our matrimonial biodata that we are extremely handsome and and even very fair. Caste is no bar either, though I am a brahman. If you don’t believe us, just ask our mothers. In fact, a quick glimpse of these ads will show we have an average height of 6′ 1″ which naturally means we are well endowed. Studies show we are way bigger than the Koreans, as our leader demonstrates.

  41. DQ wasn’t offensive at all; she was just making an observation.

    But this, by Sahej, is truly a wonderful line :

    I agree with you that an insecurity complex is to be found among some people, but as a marginalized enthic group you should be aware that desi male masculinity is in some way problematized

  42. Let’s move on please. DQ has clarified herself and there are more important things to talk about now such as why one of the “heroes” isn’t a fossil hunter-blogger-who-will-solve-the-mystery. Or a Literary-professor-blogger-who-will-solve-the-mystery.

  46. I’m going to ask the question no one’s asked yet. What is Prof. Suresh’s super power? He’s got to be more than Penis-bigger-than-Korean man.

  47. He’s got to be more than Penis-bigger-than-Korean man.

    A: India is located geographically closer to Africa than China and other Far East Asian countries. That is why Indians have larger penises than Far East Asians. Trust me, I’ve done research on this on the Internet. And being Indian, I know the Internet. cite

  48. Suresh doesn’t have a superpower- he’s the professor that sees all the intersections and tries to bring them all together. Like the dude in the wheelchair in x-men. Hence, who-will-solve-the-mystery.

    His character has a video profile on the NBC site- go watch it. you’ll be hooked, no matter what your sexual preference is. This show looks promising.

  49. Suresh doesn’t have a superpower- he’s the professor that sees all the intersections and tries to bring them all together.

    Great. Stereotype confirmed! The marginalization of desi men on television continues. Of all the “heroes” only the Indian guy doesn’t have any powers…except his brain. He is the nerd that has to advise all the “real” heroes. Model minority. I suppose we should be greatful that he is an attractive nerd at least. I bet if there was an Indian woman cast on the show she’d have a superpower.

    Now, what do you say to that DQ? 🙂