January 25, 2026 • 42 mins
Shahjahan Khan is a Pakistani-American professional squash player. He is coached by his father and Pakistani former squash player Zarak Jahan Khan. As of October 2024, he was ranked number 58 in the world and the #2 ranked American.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
So hello everyone, and welcome to my show Bollywood to Hollywood,
part of RUCKUS Avenue Radio, and I'm your host, Kamal Cohn,
and I'm really excited because I've got a special guest
on at the moment, shah Ja Hon Kong. He is
an actor, a singer, musician. Yeah, welcome to the show, Saga.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks so much for having me, dude. Yeah, good to
be connected with you, I know, great to be.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Connected with you again.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Man.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And where are you at the moment.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm in the glorious basement of my house in Boston, Massachusetts.
Your listeners probably can't see it, but it looks a
lot fancier than it is.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, yeah, I'm in Boston in the basement, and I
just turned off the boiler to make sure that it
wouldn't interrupt our usion, so it doesn't turn back on.
Speaker 5 (01:17):
You're listening to rock Us Avenue Radio, available now on
the free iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Same here, Man, I have a boiler boy cut in
case it by the way, to make it doesn't make
too much noise.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
But I'm really excited that you're on. You know, we've
been wanting to.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Have a conversation, especially for the show and for our
listeners to hear more about your story, your background, so
you know, as you in the creative industry and what
else you do, you know, delving into kind of how
you even got into it. I think that's really exciting,
especially because we all know and for those listeners who
(02:00):
don't know, well, shah Jahan has spent some time and
was in the first season of Deli Boys, and that
was really exciting, and we'll talk a lot about that
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
But other things you've done, so you know, I would.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Like to know, I mean most importantly, like, hey, you
know kind of you were in the East Coast right now,
but we'll get you into acting in the first place.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Ah, basically making fun of my aunties and uncles and
like doing impressions of people in the greater Pakistani community
of Boston, the Pakistani community of Greater Boston. I guess
I think that's probably the first thing, Like, you know,
I think I think it's a common ish story maybe
just like performing for your family or your community. And
(02:45):
then you know, from there, it went into school plays
and stuff, and I didn't really like to start to
you know, pursue it quote unquote professionally. Whatever the hell,
that means until probably I would say, twelve years ago. Go,
But you know, I technically I was a three time
college dropout. One of those times, I was a theater
(03:07):
major or minor. I never went to any of the classes.
But I did it. I like made it. I would
I would do all the plays and yeah, and kind
of then simultaneously.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Side by side.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I've had a pretty long career in music and you know,
different kind of performance, but it's all performance and stuff.
So yeah, and just having a childhood love of movies
and music and thanks to my parents, and yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That's that's that's amazing. So if you weren't an actor,
what do you think you'd be doing?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, I have a master's in community social psychology, so
I would probably be working in behavioral health research, as
I was until I quit the like nine to five life,
I guess maybe four ish years ago. It's something I've
actually thought about going back to at some point too.
You know, I've I'm pretty open about being sober. I
(04:01):
just celebrated fifteen years this past January, and it's a
really important part.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And so yeah, I probably at some point I thought
I wanted to be a therapist or like a counselor.
So I worked in different settings, but I kind of
realized maybe the one on one stuff wasn't for me.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I'm very active in like twelve step circles still.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You know, I just but I kind of like so
the degree was a little bit more in the public
health field. So yeah, that that's actually that's a really
kind of important part of my story too.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
That's amazing and I think you know, and congrats on
that journey as well. I think it's important.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
We'll realize that and I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Sure it delves into you know, I talked to a
lot of people in the creative industry and actors as well.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
You know, it's kind of makes that.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You bring your your your life experience into the creative parts.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I mean you always yeah, absolutely, you know you could.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Be very very talented, maybe you know, very young, but
the more experience you have in life, the more you
learn and you bring that to the table.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
That's a significant bit of it.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Yeah, especially the mistakes you make.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's right, right, It's about learning.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
It's the best part.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, that is true.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And I think that so about your family background, I
mean they did did a bunch of you, you know,
family go into acting.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Or was it just yourself?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I means no, man, I don't have any uh, I
guess none, nobody that does it professionally. I definitely have
some singers and like creative folks in the family. Both
my sisters were you know, in chorus and like a
band and stuff. But no one else in my family,
uh does it like professionally. I actually I technically I
(05:49):
think I have a second or third cousin somewhere in
the UK who I have not seen since I was fourteen.
I heard he was like in the music business, but
I haven't seen him since I was fourteen. So Soccer,
if you're out there, I remember when you used to
make fun of me when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
But I hope you do well.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Yeah wow, Yeah it's a shout out. But you know
it's funny that happens too.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I mean, you don't have to have a lineage of
any sort, and you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I definitely definitely have like you know, art lovers for sure,
and my family music lovers. My dad, you know, huge
huge inspiration for he took me to I'm not sure
if my first concert ever was no sort of thought
Eli Khan. It was definitely one of the first ones
when he came to Boston. And then you know, my
uncle's a couple of like family friends, the ones that
(06:35):
got me into like other Pakistani bands and definitely like
movies and stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
But yeah, yeah, so I.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Mean really journey, I mean, just like myself in a way,
was also music related.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
But you were in a band, the Kaminas, and.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I'm still in a lot of bands.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, finished the tour as well.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So yeah, I got to play guitar last year for
my favorite rock band.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
They're called Pile.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
They're actually from Boston, and I spent almost four months
on the road with them. We did sixty four concerts
all over the US, UK, Europe, So that was definitely
the longest tour in a row I've ever been on.
But yeah, my first kind of I guess public music
project was a day sy Muslim punk rock band called
The Kaminas, which we actually celebrated our twentieth anniversary a
(07:23):
couple of years ago. We don't we're not super active anymore,
but you know, it's still very dear to my heart
and I'm still close with and actually the creator of
Deli Boys was in the caminas for a little while
he's on He plays drums on one album. So it's
it's you know, all of these worlds have intersected, and
you know we've because I've been sort of like a
(07:44):
weirdo my whole life in a misfit, and I kind
of like was lucky to find the other misfits in
different communities. And so most of the people you know
that I are still doing stuff, and a lot of
people are doing stuff at a high level. But you know,
most of the people that like I think I started
like being creative with in my twenties or like still
still all doing doing some some interesting stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And I think anybody who wants to do something creative
for their career is a bit of a misfit anyway,
because as tough, especially being an actor. I was talking
to some of the other day, like, yeah, I think
it was becoming an act to myself. I said why,
and like, I didn't expect.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
You to say, I think it's it's it's like I
feel like maybe it's different now. I don't know, it's
not as an unusual I think just because of the
nature of like work and like what work means and
like you know, you can be. I guess it depends
on different things. It depends on like who you're, what
your like idea of normal is for sure, like how
(08:40):
you're socialized with your parents and things. But yeah, I
think there's also just like there's different ways to like
be creative in like anything you do. And you know,
for me especially, like I definitely believe that you know,
you know, just because you're not like making money doing
your art doesn't mean you're not an artist, you know.
So I think that something that I wish I had
(09:02):
somebody had told me a little bit earlier on in
my twenties when I felt like I wasn't real or
I don't know, I went through a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's part of the journy.
And I think at the same time, you know, being
do you still think about yourself as the Pakistani Muslim,
you know, American artist you know out in the East Coast.
Do you feel like what you've done or what you've
created so far is kind of a representation of hopefully
even paving the path for others to do more and
(09:31):
without Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Absolutely, yeah, man, absolutely, I've been really fortunate because you know,
I've been, I guess, doing stuff that's public facing since
two thousand and four, since you know, my band first
hit the scene and stuff, and we got a lot
of media attention right away because of the whole post
nine to eleven thing and being in that first kind
of wave of this representation and conversation, especially with brown people,
(09:54):
but not just brown people. I wish things were better
politically now, and I kind of thought that stuff would
get better, but the news hasn't really gotten better. But
I think what has gotten better is like people like
you making shows or like you know us, all of
us like actually being the ones that are in charge
of making stuff. So I think that has definitely gotten better.
(10:15):
And I get told, you know, there's I am very
proud to like be part of that kind of a
legacy of artists and stuff. And you know, I do
still pretty regularly meet people that were, like, you know,
a man the Kaminas. I can't believe that you started
that bin and it was like such an important thing
for that time, and you know whatever it like influenced
(10:35):
me to do what I'm doing now.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And also, you know, up until.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
And then, whether it's like you know, people that I
grew up with in my community, whether it's people from
high school or you know, the extended daycy or Muslim
community that knew me as somebody that was actually like
trying to make this crazy dream thing happen. So yeah,
for sure, Like I think that I'm really lucky to
to be able to say yes to your question.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, no, and I do agree with that, you how
because and then as you know, I think a lot
of the representation out there, we need more people like
yourself effectively, you know, we need more people to shout
out about what you've achieved and how you know, journeys
are not always smooth, but at the same time they
(11:24):
theyre actually is a huge representation. And if you just
take the Muslim representation, yeah, it's two billions out there,
which yeah spoked about.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, and it's important. And also it's.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And I'm not saying I feel like this every day. Man,
this is this is really hard. It's like not it's
really hard to do anything in life, but it's it's
worth it's worth it if if it like means something
to you, you know, and if if you're like it's
this whole thing about like what kind of legacy or
you know, you can leave behind or whatever, like I
think it is.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I think it's been worth it.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You know, I'm not saying I feel like that every
day because it's it's really hard.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So yeah, oh yeah, it is hard, but hey, you
hard work and then you I know for a fact
that when you the elation you feel when you've got
a part that you worked hard on, or you see
yourself on screen, you see some of the representation of
some of the actual fun you can have while you're
on set because a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, or for sure even you know, even like there's
I'm still you know, I'll be forty three this year.
I've been so fortunate to be part of lots of
different things. But anytime I want, I can basically take
a step back and be like, hey man, I got
to do every single thing I wanted to do and
more as a kid. So if it all stops today,
(12:41):
I'm good. You know, I don't want to stop, but yeah,
technically I've done it all.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So now everybody can say that, So that's great, you
know what I mean. And so well, just take a
little quick break right now.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
You're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
But I was just tuning in, we have shah Ja
Hong Kong.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
He is an actor, vocalist, voiceover artist, and he's with
us today on Ruckus Avenue Radio, my show Bollywood to
Hollywood and talking about his career and his journey in
the creator.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I feel guilty.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I actually have not been in Bollywood at all, although
technically my band Kaminas did cover Jolie Kippiche back in
the day, so I guess that is one Bollywood connection.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I was going to say, we'd have to start.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
I do belong here. Yeah, we would have to just
cut it.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
We just have to stop at that point. I was
going to delve into Bollywood.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Then, you know, but your last name is Khan, so
you qualify it's true.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It's true.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah, yeah, you only interview other Hans on this show.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, well now that you my secret. But no, I
mean this is amazing. I mean we you and I
met actually at Sundown's.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Yeah, man, and that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
So we're talking about fun and on the in the
acting world, in the creative world.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I mean, hey, you know, yeah, I helped you. I
helped you tape an audition for the same thing that
I went up for. Man, that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah, it was. It was amazing.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Neither of us got it and the show got canceled anyway.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
So isn't that a classic story, right?
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I actually didn't even think about it until we just
started talking about it.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Yeah, you're right, And I just remembered that as well,
because I was like, it was a bedroom up that
you were.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Oh yeah, yeah. We were staying at like a ski lodge.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
So we met at the sun Dance Film Festival, a
bunch of bunch of Browns were crashing and then we
all like met on a WhatsApp group around of us
and there we were.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Just we'll just clicked, which is great, which fantastic, and
just kind of have I.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Think literally we had met that day and you were like, Bro, can.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You help me with this tape?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Did I really?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Yeah no, but I had to do dude, I had
to do on myself.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
So I was like, bro, I don't know you, but
you're brown, but hey man, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
But your last age's can so you know, I think
you you understand.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Actually, I think there was another I'm not going to
say the person's name, but there was another person in
the crew that was doing the same same audition.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Oh okay, yeah, hey, any of us. But like you said,
you got castled. Wouldn't it be funny if one if
you know, I was there, it's like you you auditioned me.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I got the part, and I was like, thanks.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
To But well it's speaking of which is interesting. I
heard the story and I don't know if you can
can co on this. But you have two people in
the same house or you know, apartment, they could both do.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
The same audition.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
As long as they're not watching each other do the audition,
it will be completely different, most likely.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
For that particular audition. I've heard that many times. They're
like some people who are really good friends, they might
know or guess how they would do the audition. But
you bring your own unique personality.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
So if you don't talk to each other, you just
do these auditions, even though you might be living together and.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Whatnot about your friends. Yeah, completely different.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, And in fact that's a good thing because you
don't need to worry about what anyone else is doing
because're bringing you to it. So I always say to
people when they say, oh, I've got to talk to
my friend who is also doing the same bussy.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Do your own thing. You can talk about it, but
do it, you know, and just have fun with it.
But yeah, I digress.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I was just going to say, you know, I'd be
curious for the audience listening and as well, like, you know,
how did you fat parents your family feel about you know,
you continue to do this and you're achieving some of
the goals. I know that what some of the other
actors who are South Asian, especially you know, you started
back in early two thousands, how.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Did that journey feel that they feel proud of you
or they like, what's going on here? I'm not really
doing dude.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
My parents are like my biggest fans now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
They I don't even think they've finished Deli Boys, but
they email people about it all the time. But honestly,
I think it's a little different for me because of
my like mental health struggles through high school. I think
that they were so much more worried about if I
(17:27):
can be you know, honest and frank, whether I was
going to be like alive, then for me to actually
pursue something and have some degree of success, like they
were just like they were just psyched that, you know,
I was finally showing an interest in something. Now that's
not to say that like they weren't concerned when you
know my punk band. The first song that people start
(17:49):
hearing by us is a sex Pistols rip off song
called shari Ala in the USA immediately after nine to eleven,
and my parents are not super crazy about the kind
of they think we're going to get or maybe like
death threats and things. But then you know, like a
couple of years later, there's like a documentary film out
about us, and we're on like the front page of
CNN and stuff, and they definitely like they definitely were very,
(18:15):
very supportive. Now they come to all my concerts. My
mom is like front row in mash pits and stuff.
My parents and my sisters too, you know, like I
and also my honestly my extended family in Pakistan, they're
super proud, you know, because I've been fortunate to have
some press out there.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Yeah, So it's I feel.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Also just like I have a bit of a family
kind of legacy in Pakistan too, and it's it's always
been a little bit of a struggle to be like
how and this is definitely not just unique to me,
but like how could I possibly compete with like my
grandfather who was the mayor of lahore A lot of
people don't know this in nineteen fifty five or like,
(19:00):
you know, my grandfather or my mother on my dad's side,
who was like this really important civil servant and blow
Chistan and stuff. So I did, you know, for better
or worse, like grow up with these like ideas of
having to like prove your worth and stuff and like
wanting to just like.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Be be important, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And I think that at this point in life, I
see both the the pros and cons of that, and
maybe this is something that people can relate to. Like,
on the one hand, yeah, it's great, it does like
motivate you and stuff. But on the other hand, like
I can see how and speaking from totally personal experience,
I can see how some of that can really mess
(19:40):
with your mental health, you know, and like not and
make you constantly feel like you just have to like
be something other than what you are, you know. So
in some ways, like maybe that's something that makes me hopefully.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
A good actor.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
You know, I think I'm okay, but I'm just I'm
also very conscious of like trying to put things in
place that help me feel grounded, you know, Like my partner,
my wife has nothing to do with this career. You know,
she could give two whatever about But it's not that
she's very supportive of what I do. And she's a
huge fan, but like you know, she's and I also
(20:20):
don't live in a place you know that is just
entertainment focused, you know, Like I am a very like
have a very chill, normal life, you know, and I
kind of it was another thing I used to be
insecure about. But the older I've gotten, I realized that
I'm actually pretty fortunate, you know. And thanks for COVID,
we just tape all of our auditions anyway.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So yeah, yeah, that's right. It really has made a difference, right, Yeah, Well,
actually it brings me to Oscar. You like, when you
got the script for Deli Boys, I mean, what was
your first reaction?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
So I have to confess that the writer of the
show is my oldest friend in the world. That does
not mean that the part was given to me. Just
in case anybody wants to talk shit, I to audition
like anybody else. Actually, originally I auditioned for RAJ way
back in the day. I'm a bunch of you know,
it was like it was the hottest thing on whatever
(21:15):
breakdowns and stuff. So I'm sure all of us Browns
auditioned for everything.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
And so I actually have the first or.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
The second draft of Deli Boys when of the Love
first wrote it on my computer, and even then, like
I knew that he had And he's also like of
the you know I was talking about like having a
creative community and stuff. He is and you've had him
on your show too.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
He is probably.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
One of the most important people in my life even
before any of this, because he was the he was
the person who was always like he's so driven, he's
so smart, he's so like he's such a genius in
everything he does, whether it's writing or music or just
like generally his like attitude to like life and the
way he thinks about stuff. So when I remember just
(22:02):
like reading it and being like, regardless of like whatever,
like I just hope that this thing, excuse me, I
hope that this thing gets like made, and then yeah,
like I didn't originally the part that I ended up
getting Ali I the only reason I even got the
audition is because my team pitched me as a Chicago local,
(22:24):
so I don't live in Chicago. The parts weren't really
I don't know that they were being put to folks
that weren't locals and stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
So we lied.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
You know, all actors nowadays know this. We lied said
I was Chicago local. Luckily, because of my music history,
I know people all over the place. I can always
crash on couches and stuff. So I only found out
that I got the part like a day before I
had to leave for basically two months. So it was
like one of those one of those kinds of stories,
you know. I flew myself out, I stayed with three
(22:55):
different families. Yeah, and had the time of my life
because it it'll probably still be one.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Of the most like important experiences of my whole life.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
That's amazing. That's amazing. I love those stories, you know.
And you know how you just said the it's it
flips and the dimond. Yeah, I mean I've heard some
stories where you end up being, you know, a local
and have a great time.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
What about behind the scenes, I mean who I mean,
who were the fun for people to work with? I'd
love to people would love to listen to the scenes.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
It's just not a dull moment.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Man. It was like, I'm fortunate to have you know,
in my I call it a short relatively new career.
Even though I've been at it for a while, I
feel like maybe it's only been four or five years
that I've been booking quote unquote you know, major things.
But mostly I've had I really don't have that many
bad experiences, so I've been lucky in that regard.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
But Dude, Deli Boys something else.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Man. It was just like.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Just a different energy than anything I've you know, because
of all so the personal investment of my friend, you know,
like his seeing the dream realized, knowing how many how
many knows he got, you know, and how hard it
was to like get the thing made.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
And yeah, just like immediate you know.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I think like when you, uh, you're on a production,
you know, you tend like whatever the vibe is, like
a vibe can quickly develop, you know. And this one
was just just fun from the beginning, man, like just
goofing off and they gave us a lot of leeway
to like, you know, go off script, and you know,
(24:34):
like they actually I was also, I mean I can
say this now season one's over. I was supposed to
so I'm in this like Gang of four basically family Coppos, Mulocks.
We were all supposed to die episode three, And I
guess what happened is as soon as the four of
us sat down, they were like, wait, we need to
like keep these guys for a little while. So it
just turned into the best you know, ri ip oays,
(24:56):
unfortunately he was the only one that they killed off.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
But yeah he's a sweetheart too.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, but but yeah, man, it was just like and
it was the kind of thing where I would go
people would go on their.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Days off, Like not just for the food, because the
food was bomb as.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Hell too, but like the food was food.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I mean, the catering was dacy food, you know, like
it was there were two different kinds of lusty, you know,
like all sorts of crazy things, but also like yeah,
but that was the main thing that like people went
on their days off. I remember the last day of
shooting of season one, everybody came back that was still
in town and just sat there together and watched the
(25:36):
last Saga's last shot where he's like kind of like
doing like a madman thing with a map. And like
then a couple of nights before, there was this stunt
scene that was happening with Guerremo Diaz from Half Baked,
who's one of them the Loz heroes, So it was
a trip for him to for him, you know, all
these all these like people are just walking around, you
(25:58):
know and look for me.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
I've done a few things here and there, but I still.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Get pretty starstruck by people that I've looked up to
my whole life. So I don't know that that'll ever
go away from me. But like, so he's doing this
like stunt scene where he like flips gear Modiaz and
this is a scene I'll never forget. Also where we're
all watching it like backstage, but nobody's sitting in there
like producer chairs, nobody, you know, some of the background
(26:24):
folks are in there too, and everybody's just sitting on
the floor and watching and just like eating, and everybody's
just like and it's like late, you know, like people
don't have to every.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Reason have to be there.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So that's the kind of vibe that I'm talking about,
And that's not really something that I've I've seen all
the time.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Volly, you're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio Avenue available now
on the free iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Yeah, everybody.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Heat in the shave it.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
You know, It's it's funny.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
There's some things you do in life, like you said,
you know and you think, you know, what, if something
happened tomorrow, I've done it.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
I'm happy. Yeah, And it kind of felt like that,
like you know, I mean I can, I can as.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
You're talking through this, and especially for people listening, I
would imagine it's like you only do those things where
you go on set, you know, like even if you
and come in, you don't have to be on set,
and you what because you really feel feel part of
vested and part of the family and having.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Yet and it feels it's magical because it's like you're
watching it and you're like this is this is like
as a kid, like I could never have imagined that this,
Like I feel like deep down in there like I
wanted to see something like this, but.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
I could never have imagined it would be this.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
And yeah, so many things are happening at the same
time because you do and be for me, I guess,
like and a lot of us that have been doing
this for twenty years, whether it was Gomina's first or
you know, and having many of those first and having
people tell you like, you know, I think we started
this conversation with it, like how important those those firsts
are for people and knowing that like yo, man, like
(28:15):
I'm not just a part of a show, but I'm
literally part of this like historic moment on television or
in the culture.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I shouldn't even say yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's that's
just really cool.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Can I swear on this show?
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Okay, whatever, I mean, you know, it's yeah, yeah, yeah,
you can play Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
I think.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I think it's that's exactly how I sort of thought
of it, and I feel like it's and also speaks
to what Abdullah having interviewed them in the show, it's like,
you know, there's there's a quirkiness, there's in but it's
mostly a comedy and a crime and South Asians and
all is put together. It's like it's it's unbelievable I
can put put this together and then it gets through
needed as well, so it's it's fantastic that doesn't always happened.
(28:58):
So for you, what would it be me if I
were to really put you down and say, you know,
music doing tours, acting, which one is it?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
God, I can't pick one, man, that's impossible because they
both they both scratched different itches, you know, Like I
can't I will always play music.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I cannot not. You know, there's nothing to me comes
close to like playing a show.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
But you know this, all this stuff is kind of
cool too, so yeah, yeah, yeah, it's kind to be
all of it and so as you and a lot
of people don't know this as well, but.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But your als in Succession, you.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Know, that's right.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
That was actually my first ever TV job after ten
years of rejection, right, ten years of rejection, yeah, dude,
eight I say eight years or so. You know, in Boston,
we didn't get that many auditions for things, but we
got we started to get stuff after the taxi credits
and things.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I never booked anything, dude.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Ah, And Succession came the same year that I booked
earlier that year this this action movie called Aftermath, crazy
insane thing and like a lifetime murder mystery kind of movie.
So that that year, this is twenty twenty one, those
(30:16):
three things happened.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, you know, sometimes it will happen to one go,
doesn't it, And it's it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah, man, But yeah, it was after eight years of
just you know, student films and diversity training videos and
you know plays and stuff, and I still do you know,
I still do. I just did a student film last
week with students from Clark. I actually have to learn
some Nipali for the first time. Oh so like I
love working with this year. Also, I'm going to be
(30:46):
working on two features by students I used to work
with who are finally making or making their first big
features and stuff. So but yeah, I was on succession
when I booked that job. I basically just jumped right
into my car I packed for I thought it was
like a one it was supposed to it was literally
one line. So I was like, it'll be like a
day turned into a week. I was I had never
(31:10):
you know, I was like found it took place to
stay with my friend and my friend I'll I'll shout
them out DJ RecA. Each supporter let me crash at
their place. But then I found out that I actually
got a hotel in this room, in the same room
as the cast.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
It was crazy. I was on the same and.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Kieran Culkan helped me get into my room one night
because I'd locked myself out and I was like to
bring a bathrobe.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
So it was it was crazy that that that was.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Yeah, that was wild because it was not only I
mean my it was the biggest show on TV Man.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
So yeah, like I mean it said massive, massive was wild.
That's yeah, you know I put you in the map. No,
I think that this is really it's exciting like to
hear about you know, that story. And this goes to
show a lot of people listening in as well that
it's not just about it's about persistence. It's it's the journeys.
(32:06):
It's a marathon. It's not just one thing. Because I
always think of this as a way to inspire others
and you continue the journey, you do different things, it
doesn't matter what you do. Yeah, you know, we've got
lots of stories about actors doing that. So I think
that's so we'll take a quick break again and we'll
dive into more on the journey. So welcome back, Chah
(32:28):
John and excited to have you on my show Bollywood
to Hollywood. And we were talking a little bit about
you know, the actor's journey and you know you're sort
of getting in and obviously continuing to audition and get
into the parts now who're obviously working more and more,
which is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
What's next for you? Like, what do you want to do?
Speaker 1 (32:51):
I know you said you could basically all go down tomorrow.
I've you really had a lot of fun. But I feel,
and I think a lot of the audience feel you've
got a lot. We don't want to see the end
you are.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Look, I just want to keep I just want to
keep working. I you know, I'll be very honest, I'm
still very much a struggling artist. I like don't make
or have a lot of money. So I'm very much
not like financially secure really.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
From one.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
And so you know, I just want to keep doing stuff.
I'm definitely gonna just keep trying. You know, I don't
know that like I am somebody who I'm a little
bit pretty like is this the right way to say?
I'm prey to like nostalgia and a little bit of
(33:47):
depression and like just like dissatisfaction with self. So that's
something I have to be conscious about. And you know,
if that means like taking a break and doing something else,
I have to be okay with one thing.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
My Mamu's I Mamu shout outside. Mamu said to me
once was like, you know, you.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Have to always just always redefine your success and what
is you know, and it's not that like I remember
being like kind of like we were talking about earlier
in this conversation, like you know, the things that like
I wanted to achieve I kind of have. It's not
that again, Like, yeah, I would love to be and
I'm going to hopefully be the lead in the feature
(34:28):
this year. I'm gonna do that kind of stuff. But
like those are the kind of the material things. So
I and you know, I've chosen me and my wife
have chosen not to have kids.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
So I think that, like.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I'm not sure if this is it for me, like
just artists and creative stuff. And for a while, like
I I thought that that's just that's that's it, and
I just want to make a living as an artist
and once I do that, I'll be like totally fulfilled.
Like once I do get X, Y and Z, you
know whatever, I'll just be happy all the time. Like
(35:05):
I don't know if it was a naive thing or whatever.
So I'm starting to see that, like you know, the
happiness kind of comes from within. So I think I
have some work left to do there. I didn't mean
to get all like existential on you because you asked
me a very simple question. Yeah it's good, Yeah, man,
I would like to keep working. I would like to
you know, build a stronger I would like to keep
(35:29):
nurturing relationships in life. Remember, Like, so the last time
for listeners, I saw Gamal here was out in La
me you, a couple of my other friends just like
went out to dinner for the hell of it. And
like that stuff is so important to me, more so
than any of these like agenda based times where like
(35:50):
oh I'm on tour, come see my band or whatever.
Like one thing that's cool about the stuff that we
do is like it does bring folks together, you know,
so like it it's an easy way to just see
like twenty people I want to see in a city
or something. But I think that like at the end
of the day, when this is all over, we just
have like the people we love and like our relationships
(36:11):
and stuff, and so I.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
Think I want to just like.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I want to just be part of people's lives more,
you know. That's that's really like what's most important to me.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
Yeah, and and part of what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I want to live in your house, man. I want
to just come to your house.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
You welcome anytime, just you know, come on out, come
on in. Hey, look, it's just a it's a diagonal
trip down he at a southern Califorina.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Which I think would probably make it some point, so
I think, I think, no, but it's good.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
This is exactly what the show is about too. By
the way, it's about we want to know the inn
a person.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
You know, what you do, what drives you know. I
will tell you one thing, one thing that I did.
I didn't mean to interrupt you. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I feel some There's something I want to do in
Pakistan that I have not done yet. I'm not sure
what it is, whether it's musical album.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
If it makes sense from an acting perspective, because you know,
like I don't know that they would need somebody like
me necessarily. I am working on a podcast series about
kind of the gold the golden era of Karachi in
nineteen six It's called Karachi Nights, where we're looking at
the old bands from those like nightclubs, from the scene
from the sixties and seventies, kind of like the scene
(37:25):
in Fossya Mirza's film, and also kind of the religious
minorities and stuff that went into the sort of the
backbone of the music industry. That's that get lost and
stuff in the story. But yeah, I feel there's something,
you know, something left.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
For me in Pakistan.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I don't know if that means just like taking two
months and like traveling all over the place, but yeah,
there's something something there.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Yeah, I mean, and and it sounds like you almost
want to go back to those roots and be able
to kind of go back and do something there, almost
like there's a calling to do that if I'm not. Yeah,
like you know, you mentioned Blue justin I think I
remember we're having a conversation about this. Yeah that's some
of my families. Then we're probably like that's right and stuff.
But I've got to go there as well.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
But yeah, yeah, I haven't been since my grandmother passed,
so it's more than eighteen years I think.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
Gosh, okay, so that's the time and I haven't actually been,
so they got another piece of it. But but it's
good to know where, you know, the the aspirations are
as part of this. As I was saying the podcast
that it's really interesting to delve into what motivates people,
what the goals are, and everyone experiences and that's kind
of what the audience listening wants to hear about as
(38:36):
well as you.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Know, how do you keep motivated? How do you kind
of deal with this journey?
Speaker 1 (38:40):
They know there'sn't you know, you get excited about some
of the projects that are out there and then you know.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
You've got to go back to you got to go
straight to it. And this is it's not a you know,
you do a show, you do going on the next
and you're always hustling.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, And it's also like it's not at least in
my case, I'm not saying for everybody. Like for a while,
it was like I want to do stuff, I want
people to notice it, I want people to see what
I'm doing, and I like want valivation or whatever. And
it's kind of not enough anymore, if I'm honest. So yeah,
I got to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So something fun to ask you.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
It's probably like just curious if you would have a
dinner sometime, I'd like to ask people these questions.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
And you just had two people you'd like to invite
alive a dead, and you'd want to do that.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Who would they be?
Speaker 3 (39:31):
And it's not rocket science, just thinking top of your head.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Probably my two grandfathers, because I really didn't my dad.
So paternal grandfather died in nineteen sixty four. He was
born in the late eighteen hundreds and he married twice,
so obviously I never got to meet him. I've only
heard stories. And then my maternal grandfather died when I
was eight. I just have one memory of him scolding
me because I was, I like, was bothering my cousin Beanish,
(39:58):
and Beanish was always his favorite. So ortually my only
memory of him is him just like being mad at me.
So I think I would like to have dinner with
both of them.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
Or maybe Jimmy Hendrix. I'm not sure. Mix yeah, yeah, no, no,
and Jimmy Hendrix.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Yeah yeah, we were like here with the grandet. But
that's that's really good today.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Yeah, now, this is a it's super fun. I mean,
I think it's inspiring for for for others. One last
question for you, if you were to advise somebody who
wants to go.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
We already at the end, I'm so sad.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Oh yeah, yeah, I mean I know, maybe.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
We can keep talking after we stop hitting recording.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
That's right, that's right, we could could, you know, maybe
we could a follow up podcast, right.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
We should do this every day.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Man.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
I told you I want connections so.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
And I think so well for other people, maybe in
your situation, maybe like go back fifteen twenty years and
you're speaking to the same to a person who's really
wanted to do acting. They're just not quite sure to
delve into it. They want to pursue their passion. What
advice would you have for that person to who? Who
are you know for to pursue the career if you
like at this stage post COVID and whatnot, I.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Mean, do it, find some friends and just like start
making stuff. It's easier than ever to make things if
if that's yeah, like it and that's what it is.
Like Yeah, there's different levels like maybe somebody you can
get paid for it or whatever, but just like just
go do it. It's like pretty fun and make.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
Sure if it's not fun, then you know that's okay too, Like, yeah,
you don't have to do anything. There's no rules in
your life. There are no rules at all.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
This this is awesome. Charging on, had most fun talking
to you.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
We're gonna you know, I appreciate you taking the time
as well, of course be on here and hey, look
we're looking forward to more coming and following your journey
as well, and especially the audience here as well and
being you know, a great representation.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
For the South Asians and Muslim Pakstani's.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
I just think brown people in general, really, it's it's sure,
I could see that on screen.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
A lot of people are looking forward to our representation
more and more.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
So, thank you, thank you, thank you for having me
Speaker 5 (42:29):
The world's most listened to South Asian radio and podcast
network
So hello everyone, and welcome to my show Bollywood to Hollywood,
part of RUCKUS Avenue Radio, and I'm your host, Kamal Cohn,
and I'm really excited because I've got a special guest
on at the moment, shah Ja Hon Kong. He is
an actor, a singer, musician. Yeah, welcome to the show, Saga.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks so much for having me, dude. Yeah, good to
be connected with you, I know, great to be.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Connected with you again.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Man.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And where are you at the moment.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm in the glorious basement of my house in Boston, Massachusetts.
Your listeners probably can't see it, but it looks a
lot fancier than it is.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, yeah, I'm in Boston in the basement, and I
just turned off the boiler to make sure that it
wouldn't interrupt our usion, so it doesn't turn back on.
Speaker 5 (01:17):
You're listening to rock Us Avenue Radio, available now on
the free iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Same here, Man, I have a boiler boy cut in
case it by the way, to make it doesn't make
too much noise.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
But I'm really excited that you're on. You know, we've
been wanting to.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Have a conversation, especially for the show and for our
listeners to hear more about your story, your background, so
you know, as you in the creative industry and what
else you do, you know, delving into kind of how
you even got into it. I think that's really exciting,
especially because we all know and for those listeners who
(02:00):
don't know, well, shah Jahan has spent some time and
was in the first season of Deli Boys, and that
was really exciting, and we'll talk a lot about that
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
But other things you've done, so you know, I would.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Like to know, I mean most importantly, like, hey, you
know kind of you were in the East Coast right now,
but we'll get you into acting in the first place.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Ah, basically making fun of my aunties and uncles and
like doing impressions of people in the greater Pakistani community
of Boston, the Pakistani community of Greater Boston. I guess
I think that's probably the first thing, Like, you know,
I think I think it's a common ish story maybe
just like performing for your family or your community. And
(02:45):
then you know, from there, it went into school plays
and stuff, and I didn't really like to start to
you know, pursue it quote unquote professionally. Whatever the hell,
that means until probably I would say, twelve years ago. Go,
But you know, I technically I was a three time
college dropout. One of those times, I was a theater
(03:07):
major or minor. I never went to any of the classes.
But I did it. I like made it. I would
I would do all the plays and yeah, and kind
of then simultaneously.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Side by side.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I've had a pretty long career in music and you know,
different kind of performance, but it's all performance and stuff.
So yeah, and just having a childhood love of movies
and music and thanks to my parents, and yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That's that's that's amazing. So if you weren't an actor,
what do you think you'd be doing?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, I have a master's in community social psychology, so
I would probably be working in behavioral health research, as
I was until I quit the like nine to five life,
I guess maybe four ish years ago. It's something I've
actually thought about going back to at some point too.
You know, I've I'm pretty open about being sober. I
(04:01):
just celebrated fifteen years this past January, and it's a
really important part.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And so yeah, I probably at some point I thought
I wanted to be a therapist or like a counselor.
So I worked in different settings, but I kind of
realized maybe the one on one stuff wasn't for me.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I'm very active in like twelve step circles still.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You know, I just but I kind of like so
the degree was a little bit more in the public
health field. So yeah, that that's actually that's a really
kind of important part of my story too.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
That's amazing and I think you know, and congrats on
that journey as well. I think it's important.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
We'll realize that and I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Sure it delves into you know, I talked to a
lot of people in the creative industry and actors as well.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
You know, it's kind of makes that.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You bring your your your life experience into the creative parts.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I mean you always yeah, absolutely, you know you could.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Be very very talented, maybe you know, very young, but
the more experience you have in life, the more you
learn and you bring that to the table.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
That's a significant bit of it.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Yeah, especially the mistakes you make.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's right, right, It's about learning.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
It's the best part.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, that is true.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And I think that so about your family background, I
mean they did did a bunch of you, you know,
family go into acting.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Or was it just yourself?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I means no, man, I don't have any uh, I
guess none, nobody that does it professionally. I definitely have
some singers and like creative folks in the family. Both
my sisters were you know, in chorus and like a
band and stuff. But no one else in my family,
uh does it like professionally. I actually I technically I
(05:49):
think I have a second or third cousin somewhere in
the UK who I have not seen since I was fourteen.
I heard he was like in the music business, but
I haven't seen him since I was fourteen. So Soccer,
if you're out there, I remember when you used to
make fun of me when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
But I hope you do well.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Yeah wow, Yeah it's a shout out. But you know
it's funny that happens too.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I mean, you don't have to have a lineage of
any sort, and you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I definitely definitely have like you know, art lovers for sure,
and my family music lovers. My dad, you know, huge
huge inspiration for he took me to I'm not sure
if my first concert ever was no sort of thought
Eli Khan. It was definitely one of the first ones
when he came to Boston. And then you know, my
uncle's a couple of like family friends, the ones that
(06:35):
got me into like other Pakistani bands and definitely like
movies and stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
But yeah, yeah, so I.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Mean really journey, I mean, just like myself in a way,
was also music related.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
But you were in a band, the Kaminas, and.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I'm still in a lot of bands.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, finished the tour as well.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So yeah, I got to play guitar last year for
my favorite rock band.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
They're called Pile.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
They're actually from Boston, and I spent almost four months
on the road with them. We did sixty four concerts
all over the US, UK, Europe, So that was definitely
the longest tour in a row I've ever been on.
But yeah, my first kind of I guess public music
project was a day sy Muslim punk rock band called
The Kaminas, which we actually celebrated our twentieth anniversary a
(07:23):
couple of years ago. We don't we're not super active anymore,
but you know, it's still very dear to my heart
and I'm still close with and actually the creator of
Deli Boys was in the caminas for a little while
he's on He plays drums on one album. So it's
it's you know, all of these worlds have intersected, and
you know we've because I've been sort of like a
(07:44):
weirdo my whole life in a misfit, and I kind
of like was lucky to find the other misfits in
different communities. And so most of the people you know
that I are still doing stuff, and a lot of
people are doing stuff at a high level. But you know,
most of the people that like I think I started
like being creative with in my twenties or like still
still all doing doing some some interesting stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And I think anybody who wants to do something creative
for their career is a bit of a misfit anyway,
because as tough, especially being an actor. I was talking
to some of the other day, like, yeah, I think
it was becoming an act to myself. I said why,
and like, I didn't expect.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
You to say, I think it's it's it's like I
feel like maybe it's different now. I don't know, it's
not as an unusual I think just because of the
nature of like work and like what work means and
like you know, you can be. I guess it depends
on different things. It depends on like who you're, what
your like idea of normal is for sure, like how
(08:40):
you're socialized with your parents and things. But yeah, I
think there's also just like there's different ways to like
be creative in like anything you do. And you know,
for me especially, like I definitely believe that you know,
you know, just because you're not like making money doing
your art doesn't mean you're not an artist, you know.
So I think that something that I wish I had
(09:02):
somebody had told me a little bit earlier on in
my twenties when I felt like I wasn't real or
I don't know, I went through a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's part of the journy.
And I think at the same time, you know, being
do you still think about yourself as the Pakistani Muslim,
you know, American artist you know out in the East Coast.
Do you feel like what you've done or what you've
created so far is kind of a representation of hopefully
even paving the path for others to do more and
(09:31):
without Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Absolutely, yeah, man, absolutely, I've been really fortunate because you know,
I've been, I guess, doing stuff that's public facing since
two thousand and four, since you know, my band first
hit the scene and stuff, and we got a lot
of media attention right away because of the whole post
nine to eleven thing and being in that first kind
of wave of this representation and conversation, especially with brown people,
(09:54):
but not just brown people. I wish things were better
politically now, and I kind of thought that stuff would
get better, but the news hasn't really gotten better. But
I think what has gotten better is like people like
you making shows or like you know us, all of
us like actually being the ones that are in charge
of making stuff. So I think that has definitely gotten better.
(10:15):
And I get told, you know, there's I am very
proud to like be part of that kind of a
legacy of artists and stuff. And you know, I do
still pretty regularly meet people that were, like, you know,
a man the Kaminas. I can't believe that you started
that bin and it was like such an important thing
for that time, and you know whatever it like influenced
(10:35):
me to do what I'm doing now.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And also, you know, up until.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
And then, whether it's like you know, people that I
grew up with in my community, whether it's people from
high school or you know, the extended daycy or Muslim
community that knew me as somebody that was actually like
trying to make this crazy dream thing happen. So yeah,
for sure, Like I think that I'm really lucky to
to be able to say yes to your question.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, no, and I do agree with that, you how
because and then as you know, I think a lot
of the representation out there, we need more people like
yourself effectively, you know, we need more people to shout
out about what you've achieved and how you know, journeys
are not always smooth, but at the same time they
(11:24):
theyre actually is a huge representation. And if you just
take the Muslim representation, yeah, it's two billions out there,
which yeah spoked about.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, and it's important. And also it's.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And I'm not saying I feel like this every day. Man,
this is this is really hard. It's like not it's
really hard to do anything in life, but it's it's
worth it's worth it if if it like means something
to you, you know, and if if you're like it's
this whole thing about like what kind of legacy or
you know, you can leave behind or whatever, like I
think it is.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I think it's been worth it.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You know, I'm not saying I feel like that every
day because it's it's really hard.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So yeah, oh yeah, it is hard, but hey, you
hard work and then you I know for a fact
that when you the elation you feel when you've got
a part that you worked hard on, or you see
yourself on screen, you see some of the representation of
some of the actual fun you can have while you're
on set because a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, or for sure even you know, even like there's
I'm still you know, I'll be forty three this year.
I've been so fortunate to be part of lots of
different things. But anytime I want, I can basically take
a step back and be like, hey man, I got
to do every single thing I wanted to do and
more as a kid. So if it all stops today,
(12:41):
I'm good. You know, I don't want to stop, but yeah,
technically I've done it all.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So now everybody can say that, So that's great, you
know what I mean. And so well, just take a
little quick break right now.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
You're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
But I was just tuning in, we have shah Ja
Hong Kong.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
He is an actor, vocalist, voiceover artist, and he's with
us today on Ruckus Avenue Radio, my show Bollywood to
Hollywood and talking about his career and his journey in
the creator.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I feel guilty.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I actually have not been in Bollywood at all, although
technically my band Kaminas did cover Jolie Kippiche back in
the day, so I guess that is one Bollywood connection.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I was going to say, we'd have to start.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
I do belong here. Yeah, we would have to just
cut it.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
We just have to stop at that point. I was
going to delve into Bollywood.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Then, you know, but your last name is Khan, so
you qualify it's true.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It's true.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah, yeah, you only interview other Hans on this show.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, well now that you my secret. But no, I
mean this is amazing. I mean we you and I
met actually at Sundown's.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Yeah, man, and that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
So we're talking about fun and on the in the
acting world, in the creative world.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I mean, hey, you know, yeah, I helped you. I
helped you tape an audition for the same thing that
I went up for. Man, that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah, it was. It was amazing.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Neither of us got it and the show got canceled anyway.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
So isn't that a classic story, right?
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I actually didn't even think about it until we just
started talking about it.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Yeah, you're right, And I just remembered that as well,
because I was like, it was a bedroom up that
you were.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Oh yeah, yeah. We were staying at like a ski lodge.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
So we met at the sun Dance Film Festival, a
bunch of bunch of Browns were crashing and then we
all like met on a WhatsApp group around of us
and there we were.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Just we'll just clicked, which is great, which fantastic, and
just kind of have I.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Think literally we had met that day and you were like, Bro, can.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You help me with this tape?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Did I really?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Yeah no, but I had to do dude, I had
to do on myself.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
So I was like, bro, I don't know you, but
you're brown, but hey man, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
But your last age's can so you know, I think
you you understand.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Actually, I think there was another I'm not going to
say the person's name, but there was another person in
the crew that was doing the same same audition.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Oh okay, yeah, hey, any of us. But like you said,
you got castled. Wouldn't it be funny if one if
you know, I was there, it's like you you auditioned me.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I got the part, and I was like, thanks.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
To But well it's speaking of which is interesting. I
heard the story and I don't know if you can
can co on this. But you have two people in
the same house or you know, apartment, they could both do.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
The same audition.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
As long as they're not watching each other do the audition,
it will be completely different, most likely.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
For that particular audition. I've heard that many times. They're
like some people who are really good friends, they might
know or guess how they would do the audition. But
you bring your own unique personality.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
So if you don't talk to each other, you just
do these auditions, even though you might be living together and.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Whatnot about your friends. Yeah, completely different.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, And in fact that's a good thing because you
don't need to worry about what anyone else is doing
because're bringing you to it. So I always say to
people when they say, oh, I've got to talk to
my friend who is also doing the same bussy.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Do your own thing. You can talk about it, but
do it, you know, and just have fun with it.
But yeah, I digress.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I was just going to say, you know, I'd be
curious for the audience listening and as well, like, you know,
how did you fat parents your family feel about you know,
you continue to do this and you're achieving some of
the goals. I know that what some of the other
actors who are South Asian, especially you know, you started
back in early two thousands, how.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Did that journey feel that they feel proud of you
or they like, what's going on here? I'm not really
doing dude.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
My parents are like my biggest fans now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
They I don't even think they've finished Deli Boys, but
they email people about it all the time. But honestly,
I think it's a little different for me because of
my like mental health struggles through high school. I think
that they were so much more worried about if I
(17:27):
can be you know, honest and frank, whether I was
going to be like alive, then for me to actually
pursue something and have some degree of success, like they
were just like they were just psyched that, you know,
I was finally showing an interest in something. Now that's
not to say that like they weren't concerned when you
know my punk band. The first song that people start
(17:49):
hearing by us is a sex Pistols rip off song
called shari Ala in the USA immediately after nine to eleven,
and my parents are not super crazy about the kind
of they think we're going to get or maybe like
death threats and things. But then you know, like a
couple of years later, there's like a documentary film out
about us, and we're on like the front page of
CNN and stuff, and they definitely like they definitely were very,
(18:15):
very supportive. Now they come to all my concerts. My
mom is like front row in mash pits and stuff.
My parents and my sisters too, you know, like I
and also my honestly my extended family in Pakistan, they're
super proud, you know, because I've been fortunate to have
some press out there.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Yeah, So it's I feel.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Also just like I have a bit of a family
kind of legacy in Pakistan too, and it's it's always
been a little bit of a struggle to be like
how and this is definitely not just unique to me,
but like how could I possibly compete with like my
grandfather who was the mayor of lahore A lot of
people don't know this in nineteen fifty five or like,
(19:00):
you know, my grandfather or my mother on my dad's side,
who was like this really important civil servant and blow
Chistan and stuff. So I did, you know, for better
or worse, like grow up with these like ideas of
having to like prove your worth and stuff and like
wanting to just like.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Be be important, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And I think that at this point in life, I
see both the the pros and cons of that, and
maybe this is something that people can relate to. Like,
on the one hand, yeah, it's great, it does like
motivate you and stuff. But on the other hand, like
I can see how and speaking from totally personal experience,
I can see how some of that can really mess
(19:40):
with your mental health, you know, and like not and
make you constantly feel like you just have to like
be something other than what you are, you know. So
in some ways, like maybe that's something that makes me hopefully.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
A good actor.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
You know, I think I'm okay, but I'm just I'm
also very conscious of like trying to put things in
place that help me feel grounded, you know, Like my partner,
my wife has nothing to do with this career. You know,
she could give two whatever about But it's not that
she's very supportive of what I do. And she's a
huge fan, but like you know, she's and I also
(20:20):
don't live in a place you know that is just
entertainment focused, you know, Like I am a very like
have a very chill, normal life, you know, and I
kind of it was another thing I used to be
insecure about. But the older I've gotten, I realized that
I'm actually pretty fortunate, you know. And thanks for COVID,
we just tape all of our auditions anyway.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So yeah, yeah, that's right. It really has made a difference, right, Yeah, Well,
actually it brings me to Oscar. You like, when you
got the script for Deli Boys, I mean, what was
your first reaction?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
So I have to confess that the writer of the
show is my oldest friend in the world. That does
not mean that the part was given to me. Just
in case anybody wants to talk shit, I to audition
like anybody else. Actually, originally I auditioned for RAJ way
back in the day. I'm a bunch of you know,
it was like it was the hottest thing on whatever
(21:15):
breakdowns and stuff. So I'm sure all of us Browns
auditioned for everything.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
And so I actually have the first or.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
The second draft of Deli Boys when of the Love
first wrote it on my computer, and even then, like
I knew that he had And he's also like of
the you know I was talking about like having a
creative community and stuff. He is and you've had him
on your show too.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
He is probably.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
One of the most important people in my life even
before any of this, because he was the he was
the person who was always like he's so driven, he's
so smart, he's so like he's such a genius in
everything he does, whether it's writing or music or just
like generally his like attitude to like life and the
way he thinks about stuff. So when I remember just
(22:02):
like reading it and being like, regardless of like whatever,
like I just hope that this thing, excuse me, I
hope that this thing gets like made, and then yeah,
like I didn't originally the part that I ended up
getting Ali I the only reason I even got the
audition is because my team pitched me as a Chicago local,
(22:24):
so I don't live in Chicago. The parts weren't really
I don't know that they were being put to folks
that weren't locals and stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
So we lied.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
You know, all actors nowadays know this. We lied said
I was Chicago local. Luckily, because of my music history,
I know people all over the place. I can always
crash on couches and stuff. So I only found out
that I got the part like a day before I
had to leave for basically two months. So it was
like one of those one of those kinds of stories,
you know. I flew myself out, I stayed with three
(22:55):
different families. Yeah, and had the time of my life
because it it'll probably still be one.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Of the most like important experiences of my whole life.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
That's amazing. That's amazing. I love those stories, you know.
And you know how you just said the it's it
flips and the dimond. Yeah, I mean I've heard some
stories where you end up being, you know, a local
and have a great time.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
What about behind the scenes, I mean who I mean,
who were the fun for people to work with? I'd
love to people would love to listen to the scenes.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
It's just not a dull moment.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Man. It was like, I'm fortunate to have you know,
in my I call it a short relatively new career.
Even though I've been at it for a while, I
feel like maybe it's only been four or five years
that I've been booking quote unquote you know, major things.
But mostly I've had I really don't have that many
bad experiences, so I've been lucky in that regard.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
But Dude, Deli Boys something else.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Man. It was just like.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Just a different energy than anything I've you know, because
of all so the personal investment of my friend, you know,
like his seeing the dream realized, knowing how many how
many knows he got, you know, and how hard it
was to like get the thing made.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
And yeah, just like immediate you know.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I think like when you, uh, you're on a production,
you know, you tend like whatever the vibe is, like
a vibe can quickly develop, you know. And this one
was just just fun from the beginning, man, like just
goofing off and they gave us a lot of leeway
to like, you know, go off script, and you know,
(24:34):
like they actually I was also, I mean I can
say this now season one's over. I was supposed to
so I'm in this like Gang of four basically family Coppos, Mulocks.
We were all supposed to die episode three, And I
guess what happened is as soon as the four of
us sat down, they were like, wait, we need to
like keep these guys for a little while. So it
just turned into the best you know, ri ip oays,
(24:56):
unfortunately he was the only one that they killed off.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
But yeah he's a sweetheart too.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, but but yeah, man, it was just like and
it was the kind of thing where I would go
people would go on their.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Days off, Like not just for the food, because the
food was bomb as.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Hell too, but like the food was food.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I mean, the catering was dacy food, you know, like
it was there were two different kinds of lusty, you know,
like all sorts of crazy things, but also like yeah,
but that was the main thing that like people went
on their days off. I remember the last day of
shooting of season one, everybody came back that was still
in town and just sat there together and watched the
(25:36):
last Saga's last shot where he's like kind of like
doing like a madman thing with a map. And like
then a couple of nights before, there was this stunt
scene that was happening with Guerremo Diaz from Half Baked,
who's one of them the Loz heroes, So it was
a trip for him to for him, you know, all
these all these like people are just walking around, you
(25:58):
know and look for me.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
I've done a few things here and there, but I still.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Get pretty starstruck by people that I've looked up to
my whole life. So I don't know that that'll ever
go away from me. But like, so he's doing this
like stunt scene where he like flips gear Modiaz and
this is a scene I'll never forget. Also where we're
all watching it like backstage, but nobody's sitting in there
like producer chairs, nobody, you know, some of the background
(26:24):
folks are in there too, and everybody's just sitting on
the floor and watching and just like eating, and everybody's
just like and it's like late, you know, like people
don't have to every.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Reason have to be there.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So that's the kind of vibe that I'm talking about,
And that's not really something that I've I've seen all
the time.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Volly, you're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio Avenue available now
on the free iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Yeah, everybody.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Heat in the shave it.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
You know, It's it's funny.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
There's some things you do in life, like you said,
you know and you think, you know, what, if something
happened tomorrow, I've done it.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
I'm happy. Yeah, And it kind of felt like that,
like you know, I mean I can, I can as.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
You're talking through this, and especially for people listening, I
would imagine it's like you only do those things where
you go on set, you know, like even if you
and come in, you don't have to be on set,
and you what because you really feel feel part of
vested and part of the family and having.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Yet and it feels it's magical because it's like you're
watching it and you're like this is this is like
as a kid, like I could never have imagined that this,
Like I feel like deep down in there like I
wanted to see something like this, but.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
I could never have imagined it would be this.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
And yeah, so many things are happening at the same
time because you do and be for me, I guess,
like and a lot of us that have been doing
this for twenty years, whether it was Gomina's first or
you know, and having many of those first and having
people tell you like, you know, I think we started
this conversation with it, like how important those those firsts
are for people and knowing that like yo, man, like
(28:15):
I'm not just a part of a show, but I'm
literally part of this like historic moment on television or
in the culture.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I shouldn't even say yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's that's
just really cool.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Can I swear on this show?
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Okay, whatever, I mean, you know, it's yeah, yeah, yeah,
you can play Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
I think.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I think it's that's exactly how I sort of thought
of it, and I feel like it's and also speaks
to what Abdullah having interviewed them in the show, it's like,
you know, there's there's a quirkiness, there's in but it's
mostly a comedy and a crime and South Asians and
all is put together. It's like it's it's unbelievable I
can put put this together and then it gets through
needed as well, so it's it's fantastic that doesn't always happened.
(28:58):
So for you, what would it be me if I
were to really put you down and say, you know,
music doing tours, acting, which one is it?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
God, I can't pick one, man, that's impossible because they
both they both scratched different itches, you know, Like I
can't I will always play music.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I cannot not. You know, there's nothing to me comes
close to like playing a show.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
But you know this, all this stuff is kind of
cool too, so yeah, yeah, yeah, it's kind to be
all of it and so as you and a lot
of people don't know this as well, but.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But your als in Succession, you.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Know, that's right.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
That was actually my first ever TV job after ten
years of rejection, right, ten years of rejection, yeah, dude,
eight I say eight years or so. You know, in Boston,
we didn't get that many auditions for things, but we
got we started to get stuff after the taxi credits
and things.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I never booked anything, dude.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Ah, And Succession came the same year that I booked
earlier that year this this action movie called Aftermath, crazy
insane thing and like a lifetime murder mystery kind of movie.
So that that year, this is twenty twenty one, those
(30:16):
three things happened.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, you know, sometimes it will happen to one go,
doesn't it, And it's it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah, man, But yeah, it was after eight years of
just you know, student films and diversity training videos and
you know plays and stuff, and I still do you know,
I still do. I just did a student film last
week with students from Clark. I actually have to learn
some Nipali for the first time. Oh so like I
love working with this year. Also, I'm going to be
(30:46):
working on two features by students I used to work
with who are finally making or making their first big
features and stuff. So but yeah, I was on succession
when I booked that job. I basically just jumped right
into my car I packed for I thought it was
like a one it was supposed to it was literally
one line. So I was like, it'll be like a
day turned into a week. I was I had never
(31:10):
you know, I was like found it took place to
stay with my friend and my friend I'll I'll shout
them out DJ RecA. Each supporter let me crash at
their place. But then I found out that I actually
got a hotel in this room, in the same room
as the cast.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
It was crazy. I was on the same and.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Kieran Culkan helped me get into my room one night
because I'd locked myself out and I was like to
bring a bathrobe.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
So it was it was crazy that that that was.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Yeah, that was wild because it was not only I
mean my it was the biggest show on TV Man.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
So yeah, like I mean it said massive, massive was wild.
That's yeah, you know I put you in the map. No,
I think that this is really it's exciting like to
hear about you know, that story. And this goes to
show a lot of people listening in as well that
it's not just about it's about persistence. It's it's the journeys.
(32:06):
It's a marathon. It's not just one thing. Because I
always think of this as a way to inspire others
and you continue the journey, you do different things, it
doesn't matter what you do. Yeah, you know, we've got
lots of stories about actors doing that. So I think
that's so we'll take a quick break again and we'll
dive into more on the journey. So welcome back, Chah
(32:28):
John and excited to have you on my show Bollywood
to Hollywood. And we were talking a little bit about
you know, the actor's journey and you know you're sort
of getting in and obviously continuing to audition and get
into the parts now who're obviously working more and more,
which is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
What's next for you? Like, what do you want to do?
Speaker 1 (32:51):
I know you said you could basically all go down tomorrow.
I've you really had a lot of fun. But I feel,
and I think a lot of the audience feel you've
got a lot. We don't want to see the end
you are.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Look, I just want to keep I just want to
keep working. I you know, I'll be very honest, I'm
still very much a struggling artist. I like don't make
or have a lot of money. So I'm very much
not like financially secure really.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
From one.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
And so you know, I just want to keep doing stuff.
I'm definitely gonna just keep trying. You know, I don't
know that like I am somebody who I'm a little
bit pretty like is this the right way to say?
I'm prey to like nostalgia and a little bit of
(33:47):
depression and like just like dissatisfaction with self. So that's
something I have to be conscious about. And you know,
if that means like taking a break and doing something else,
I have to be okay with one thing.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
My Mamu's I Mamu shout outside. Mamu said to me
once was like, you know, you.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Have to always just always redefine your success and what
is you know, and it's not that like I remember
being like kind of like we were talking about earlier
in this conversation, like you know, the things that like
I wanted to achieve I kind of have. It's not
that again, Like, yeah, I would love to be and
I'm going to hopefully be the lead in the feature
(34:28):
this year. I'm gonna do that kind of stuff. But
like those are the kind of the material things. So
I and you know, I've chosen me and my wife
have chosen not to have kids.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
So I think that, like.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I'm not sure if this is it for me, like
just artists and creative stuff. And for a while, like
I I thought that that's just that's that's it, and
I just want to make a living as an artist
and once I do that, I'll be like totally fulfilled.
Like once I do get X, Y and Z, you
know whatever, I'll just be happy all the time. Like
(35:05):
I don't know if it was a naive thing or whatever.
So I'm starting to see that, like you know, the
happiness kind of comes from within. So I think I
have some work left to do there. I didn't mean
to get all like existential on you because you asked
me a very simple question. Yeah it's good, Yeah, man,
I would like to keep working. I would like to
you know, build a stronger I would like to keep
(35:29):
nurturing relationships in life. Remember, Like, so the last time
for listeners, I saw Gamal here was out in La
me you, a couple of my other friends just like
went out to dinner for the hell of it. And
like that stuff is so important to me, more so
than any of these like agenda based times where like
(35:50):
oh I'm on tour, come see my band or whatever.
Like one thing that's cool about the stuff that we
do is like it does bring folks together, you know,
so like it it's an easy way to just see
like twenty people I want to see in a city
or something. But I think that like at the end
of the day, when this is all over, we just
have like the people we love and like our relationships
(36:11):
and stuff, and so I.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
Think I want to just like.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I want to just be part of people's lives more,
you know. That's that's really like what's most important to me.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
Yeah, and and part of what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I want to live in your house, man. I want
to just come to your house.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
You welcome anytime, just you know, come on out, come
on in. Hey, look, it's just a it's a diagonal
trip down he at a southern Califorina.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Which I think would probably make it some point, so
I think, I think, no, but it's good.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
This is exactly what the show is about too. By
the way, it's about we want to know the inn
a person.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
You know, what you do, what drives you know. I
will tell you one thing, one thing that I did.
I didn't mean to interrupt you. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I feel some There's something I want to do in
Pakistan that I have not done yet. I'm not sure
what it is, whether it's musical album.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
If it makes sense from an acting perspective, because you know,
like I don't know that they would need somebody like
me necessarily. I am working on a podcast series about
kind of the gold the golden era of Karachi in
nineteen six It's called Karachi Nights, where we're looking at
the old bands from those like nightclubs, from the scene
from the sixties and seventies, kind of like the scene
(37:25):
in Fossya Mirza's film, and also kind of the religious
minorities and stuff that went into the sort of the
backbone of the music industry. That's that get lost and
stuff in the story. But yeah, I feel there's something,
you know, something left.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
For me in Pakistan.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I don't know if that means just like taking two
months and like traveling all over the place, but yeah,
there's something something there.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Yeah, I mean, and and it sounds like you almost
want to go back to those roots and be able
to kind of go back and do something there, almost
like there's a calling to do that if I'm not. Yeah,
like you know, you mentioned Blue justin I think I
remember we're having a conversation about this. Yeah that's some
of my families. Then we're probably like that's right and stuff.
But I've got to go there as well.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
But yeah, yeah, I haven't been since my grandmother passed,
so it's more than eighteen years I think.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
Gosh, okay, so that's the time and I haven't actually been,
so they got another piece of it. But but it's
good to know where, you know, the the aspirations are
as part of this. As I was saying the podcast
that it's really interesting to delve into what motivates people,
what the goals are, and everyone experiences and that's kind
of what the audience listening wants to hear about as
(38:36):
well as you.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Know, how do you keep motivated? How do you kind
of deal with this journey?
Speaker 1 (38:40):
They know there'sn't you know, you get excited about some
of the projects that are out there and then you know.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
You've got to go back to you got to go
straight to it. And this is it's not a you know,
you do a show, you do going on the next
and you're always hustling.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, And it's also like it's not at least in
my case, I'm not saying for everybody. Like for a while,
it was like I want to do stuff, I want
people to notice it, I want people to see what
I'm doing, and I like want valivation or whatever. And
it's kind of not enough anymore, if I'm honest. So yeah,
I got to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So something fun to ask you.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
It's probably like just curious if you would have a
dinner sometime, I'd like to ask people these questions.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
And you just had two people you'd like to invite
alive a dead, and you'd want to do that.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Who would they be?
Speaker 3 (39:31):
And it's not rocket science, just thinking top of your head.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Probably my two grandfathers, because I really didn't my dad.
So paternal grandfather died in nineteen sixty four. He was
born in the late eighteen hundreds and he married twice,
so obviously I never got to meet him. I've only
heard stories. And then my maternal grandfather died when I
was eight. I just have one memory of him scolding
me because I was, I like, was bothering my cousin Beanish,
(39:58):
and Beanish was always his favorite. So ortually my only
memory of him is him just like being mad at me.
So I think I would like to have dinner with
both of them.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
Or maybe Jimmy Hendrix. I'm not sure. Mix yeah, yeah, no, no,
and Jimmy Hendrix.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Yeah yeah, we were like here with the grandet. But
that's that's really good today.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Yeah, now, this is a it's super fun. I mean,
I think it's inspiring for for for others. One last
question for you, if you were to advise somebody who
wants to go.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
We already at the end, I'm so sad.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Oh yeah, yeah, I mean I know, maybe.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
We can keep talking after we stop hitting recording.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
That's right, that's right, we could could, you know, maybe
we could a follow up podcast, right.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
We should do this every day.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Man.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
I told you I want connections so.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
And I think so well for other people, maybe in
your situation, maybe like go back fifteen twenty years and
you're speaking to the same to a person who's really
wanted to do acting. They're just not quite sure to
delve into it. They want to pursue their passion. What
advice would you have for that person to who? Who
are you know for to pursue the career if you
like at this stage post COVID and whatnot, I.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Mean, do it, find some friends and just like start
making stuff. It's easier than ever to make things if
if that's yeah, like it and that's what it is.
Like Yeah, there's different levels like maybe somebody you can
get paid for it or whatever, but just like just
go do it. It's like pretty fun and make.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
Sure if it's not fun, then you know that's okay too, Like, yeah,
you don't have to do anything. There's no rules in
your life. There are no rules at all.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
This this is awesome. Charging on, had most fun talking
to you.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
We're gonna you know, I appreciate you taking the time
as well, of course be on here and hey, look
we're looking forward to more coming and following your journey
as well, and especially the audience here as well and
being you know, a great representation.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
For the South Asians and Muslim Pakstani's.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
I just think brown people in general, really, it's it's sure,
I could see that on screen.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
A lot of people are looking forward to our representation
more and more.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
So, thank you, thank you, thank you for having me
Speaker 5 (42:29):
The world's most listened to South Asian radio and podcast
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