I find more personal joy in seeing desi characters in science fiction movies than in any other genre of film. I get a completely irrational “see, we made it into the future” type of feeling. I also like the fact that in the future one’s race is usually treated as an incidental rather than defining feature. Terminator Salvation opens next week and features at least one desi character named Rahul (played by actor Anjul Nigam). No pictures or background on his character are available yet (he explains on his Twitter account that he was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement), but I suppose it is too much to wish that he is one of the cyborg terminators. If anyone has the scoop on his character “Rahul” let’s hear it.
If Nigam looks familiar it might be because you have seen him recently on TV’s “Lie to Me” or (*barf*) “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Re: “I also like the fact that in the future one’s race is usually treated as an incidental rather than defining feature.”
I guess they figured out how to get rid of the b.s. & self-imposed (largely, these days) mental filter that causes people to believe in race theory (still can’t believe billions of otherwise — well, let’s make that millions 🙂 – of otherwise intelligent people believe that race is a real/physical/actual thing). Anyway, good thing – humans will definitely need to be united in order to take on SKynet/killer robots, etc.
The new Star Trek’s captain of SS Kelvin could be read as South Asian…in addition to quite a few other incidentals on screen. :p
…but i betcha he’ll play a doctor or an engineer…unless, of course, he drives a futuristic taxi…
As long as he is not playing the Cyberdyne tech support guy for broken Terminator units.
Looking forward to this film