May 6, 2026 • 60 mins
May 6, 2026
"American Desi Week — The Funny Dudes"
The Bridge is available on the iHeart Radio app
Episode 526
ON TODAY'S SHOW Sammy Chand's Wednesday episode carries on the weeklong tribute to American Desi. Today the focus is on the funny dudes of the film — the ones who went on to become some of the funniest dudes in the scene. Sammy interviews Kal Penn, the remarkable actor, author, and public servant. Then Rizwan Manji, one of the most active actors of this generation, who played Salim Ali Khan in the film. Sammy closes the trifecta of interviews with Alaudin Ullah — aka Aladdin — the writer and comedian, who joins to share his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the film. The hour also brings Panjabi MC's Mirza Pt 2, Uzair Jaswal and Hassan Raheem on Baby Girl, Jasmine Sandlas and Shashwat Sachdev on Mai Aur Tu, Meesha Shafi's Paisa Bolay, Diljit's Moorni, Jai Dhir's Sunehra, Simran Chaudhary and The Kidd on Makhna, Shreya Ghoshal's Lelo, and Jordan Sandhu on One in a Million. Plus Dr. Roy on Word On The Avenue and Doyeeta Das Gupta with the Artist Spotlight.
FEATURED MUSIC
Mirza Pt 2 — Panjabi MC Baby Girl — Uzair Jaswal, Hassan Raheem Mai Aur Tu — Jasmine Sandlas, Shashwat Sachdev Paisa Bolay — Meesha Shafi Moorni — Diljit Dosanjh Sunehra — Jai Dhir Makhna — Simran Chaudhary, The Kidd Lelo — Shreya Ghoshal One in a Million — Jordan Sandhu
FEATURED GUESTS & CONTRIBUTORS Kal Penn — Actor, author, and public servant. Today: reflecting on the 25th anniversary of American Desi Rizwan Manji — One of the most active actors of his generation. Played Salim Ali Khan in American Desi Alaudin Ullah — Writer and comedian (aka Aladdin). Today: thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the film Dr. Roy — Word On The Avenue, daily Rukus Avenue Radio All-Stars segment Doyeeta Das Gupta — Artist Spotlight, daily Rukus Avenue Radio All-Stars segment
RUNDOWN
0:00 Sammy Opening
2:30 Mirza Pt 2 — Panjabi MC
6:30 Baby Girl — Uzair Jaswal, Hassan Raheem
10:00 Mai Aur Tu — Jasmine Sandlas, Shashwat Sachdev
13:25 Dr Roy delivers the Word On The Avenue
14:34 Paisa Bolay — Meesha Shafi
17:21 Sammy Chand interviews Kal Penn
26:41 Moorni — Diljit Dosanjh
29:20 Sammy Chand interviews Rizwan Manji
41:08 Sunehra — Jai Dhir
43:26 Sammy Chand interviews Alaudin Ullah
52:52 Makhna — Simran Chaudhary, The Kidd
55:20 Doyeeta Das Gupta with the Artist Spotlight
56:28 Lelo — Shreya Ghoshal
57:54 Sammy Chand delivers the closing remarks
59:42 One in a Million — Jordan Sandhu
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-bridge-by-sammy-chand--6650619/support.
Sammy Chand's daily radio show on Rukus Avenue Radio is the leading Indian music and culture show in the world. The one hour show airs daily worldwide.
"South Asian music podcast," "Punjabi music show," "Bollywood commentary," "Indian diaspora radio", "Indian Music", "Top Indian Radio Show", "Punjabi Radio Show", "Indian Radio Host", "Punjabi Radio Host".
"American Desi Week — The Funny Dudes"
The Bridge is available on the iHeart Radio app
Episode 526
ON TODAY'S SHOW Sammy Chand's Wednesday episode carries on the weeklong tribute to American Desi. Today the focus is on the funny dudes of the film — the ones who went on to become some of the funniest dudes in the scene. Sammy interviews Kal Penn, the remarkable actor, author, and public servant. Then Rizwan Manji, one of the most active actors of this generation, who played Salim Ali Khan in the film. Sammy closes the trifecta of interviews with Alaudin Ullah — aka Aladdin — the writer and comedian, who joins to share his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the film. The hour also brings Panjabi MC's Mirza Pt 2, Uzair Jaswal and Hassan Raheem on Baby Girl, Jasmine Sandlas and Shashwat Sachdev on Mai Aur Tu, Meesha Shafi's Paisa Bolay, Diljit's Moorni, Jai Dhir's Sunehra, Simran Chaudhary and The Kidd on Makhna, Shreya Ghoshal's Lelo, and Jordan Sandhu on One in a Million. Plus Dr. Roy on Word On The Avenue and Doyeeta Das Gupta with the Artist Spotlight.
FEATURED MUSIC
Mirza Pt 2 — Panjabi MC Baby Girl — Uzair Jaswal, Hassan Raheem Mai Aur Tu — Jasmine Sandlas, Shashwat Sachdev Paisa Bolay — Meesha Shafi Moorni — Diljit Dosanjh Sunehra — Jai Dhir Makhna — Simran Chaudhary, The Kidd Lelo — Shreya Ghoshal One in a Million — Jordan Sandhu
FEATURED GUESTS & CONTRIBUTORS Kal Penn — Actor, author, and public servant. Today: reflecting on the 25th anniversary of American Desi Rizwan Manji — One of the most active actors of his generation. Played Salim Ali Khan in American Desi Alaudin Ullah — Writer and comedian (aka Aladdin). Today: thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the film Dr. Roy — Word On The Avenue, daily Rukus Avenue Radio All-Stars segment Doyeeta Das Gupta — Artist Spotlight, daily Rukus Avenue Radio All-Stars segment
RUNDOWN
0:00 Sammy Opening
2:30 Mirza Pt 2 — Panjabi MC
6:30 Baby Girl — Uzair Jaswal, Hassan Raheem
10:00 Mai Aur Tu — Jasmine Sandlas, Shashwat Sachdev
13:25 Dr Roy delivers the Word On The Avenue
14:34 Paisa Bolay — Meesha Shafi
17:21 Sammy Chand interviews Kal Penn
26:41 Moorni — Diljit Dosanjh
29:20 Sammy Chand interviews Rizwan Manji
41:08 Sunehra — Jai Dhir
43:26 Sammy Chand interviews Alaudin Ullah
52:52 Makhna — Simran Chaudhary, The Kidd
55:20 Doyeeta Das Gupta with the Artist Spotlight
56:28 Lelo — Shreya Ghoshal
57:54 Sammy Chand delivers the closing remarks
59:42 One in a Million — Jordan Sandhu
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-bridge-by-sammy-chand--6650619/support.
Sammy Chand's daily radio show on Rukus Avenue Radio is the leading Indian music and culture show in the world. The one hour show airs daily worldwide.
"South Asian music podcast," "Punjabi music show," "Bollywood commentary," "Indian diaspora radio", "Indian Music", "Top Indian Radio Show", "Punjabi Radio Show", "Indian Radio Host", "Punjabi Radio Host".
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
South Asian music and cultures can.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Be found around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
We tracked down the best and presented here for you
on Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Hi everybody, I'm katonage Land. You're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Hello and call.
Speaker 5 (00:22):
This is Doctor Sinistas and you're listening to The Bridge
hosted by The Deal but Sami Chan on Ruckus Avenue Radio. Hey,
this is Vedas and you're listening to the Bridge with
Sammy Chon on Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 6 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I hope you all are well.
Speaker 7 (00:40):
Thank you very much for picking up the signal wherever
you may be across this beautiful planet of ours. My
name is Sammy Chan and welcome everybody to a May
sixth edition of The Bridge. I hope you have your
jab a cup ready for this one.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I got mine in my hand right now.
Speaker 7 (01:02):
This is gonna be a fun hour and all week
long we've been paying tribute to the American dacy film
that came out twenty five years ago. And if you
joined us on Monday, you heard from the two leading
ladies on this show, Sunita Batam fun conversation and yesterday
(01:23):
we had the three pad dudes from the film Anil
Kamar send it to Silva Sonoma joined us. I had
a really good time yesterday's show.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
That was fun.
Speaker 7 (01:35):
And today we'll be joined by I would say the
three comics. These three individuals really went out there and
made a name for themselves in the comedic space, whether
it was before or after whatever, but generally in our
South Asian space.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Today we'll be joined by Cal Penn.
Speaker 7 (01:54):
And Cal's had a phenomenal career, very wide and has
worked in different spaces and in different and capacities in
his career, so looking forward to having him. We'll be
joined by Rizwan Manji, somebody that has really been on
television quite a bit in our time, been one of
the common brown faces that we've seen. And then we'll
(02:16):
also be joined today by Aladdin, stand up comic, one
of the first in our space back in the nineties
when this film was put together and has gone on
to do so many things in the business.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Big show ahead, can't wait to bring it to you.
I'm gonna start it.
Speaker 7 (02:35):
Off with one of the big songs from the film
Banjab BMC. The song is called Mirza and it was
used in the soundtrack of the film American They See
Let's have some fun today. Welcome to the bridge, everybody, my.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Moon, that.
Speaker 8 (03:14):
Old ja, my mode that.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Oh hold n.
Speaker 9 (03:23):
Jack and God sain Jack and God said Massinana.
Speaker 10 (03:34):
It was the last summer my book color disguise. When
I heard you read your swept and job in my
heart never had a crab for never.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Had my still heart dive before. But now I fo.
Speaker 10 (03:46):
Blast, true love and blast. But you can fit my
body and she was cast for my woman. My woman
is my mind, my destiny.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
She speaks to her.
Speaker 10 (03:55):
Heavyfore nine, her body blues. This is the way as five.
When I'm on the battlefield, Stay in live, Stay in live,
marg step two one hundred and forty nine ms A spat.
So I pulled out my stilts are five back, pull
out the house.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
This from my br sat walked across the five pripleens
one hundred degrees.
Speaker 11 (04:17):
My body burns.
Speaker 8 (04:18):
My mom sell, how I been on it and I just.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Got here?
Speaker 9 (04:25):
How they can under under cane me came may Arena,
came out of may Arena.
Speaker 12 (05:03):
My god, Jennifer Nucket Time, Jennifer n the Nucket sound,
Enny back cornicle, don it dun gonna leg.
Speaker 9 (05:20):
Back cord uncle, don it dun gonna let Mama Manica
(05:49):
Ya hold on sign Doctor John the manic ya hold
Yo sign Doctor John.
Speaker 13 (05:57):
On the.
Speaker 7 (06:00):
Inside miticize the song part two if you're keeping score.
Benjab BMC is the artist classic and one of the
many songs used in the American Bacy soundtrack, including one
(06:22):
of ours, of course, a Kharmacy passage to India. It's
a closing credit song. We'll roll that out tomorrow. Here's
Hassan Rahem who's there just followed. The song is called
baby Girl Daily every.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Night you've been on my mind, Baby Girl.
Speaker 14 (06:36):
These much good ekker Mosca, I haven't so alone feeling
my bones, Dona Joe made Usta Jordadkoyuna Jorda manager ka
(07:05):
to not the cany giant push your guy a.
Speaker 15 (07:15):
Ra poo longtery a book you.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
M l I guess it was.
Speaker 11 (08:01):
A baby through until you make up.
Speaker 15 (08:09):
Yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Girls enjoy a.
Speaker 16 (08:30):
Roshan in Cooder Saya observer man Jusamaya retarded to my
album cock Sophia, you're like an know that you went
out baby and you took me with yourselves.
Speaker 8 (08:47):
Running ver don't inside my head, laid me.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Don't you tell me by yourself pillb deal Metal.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Baby cu.
Speaker 11 (09:00):
DEI bad the Baby till you make.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It's a great track, Baby Girl, who's there?
Speaker 11 (09:50):
Just fall?
Speaker 7 (09:50):
Hassan Mahim played it a couple of times this week already.
We'll be joined today by doctor Roy, who'll be joining
us after this song right here, who brings us the
daily word.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
On the avenue, we'll be joined.
Speaker 7 (10:04):
By Data, brings us a daily artist spotlight.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
This is Jasmine Sandless, what such Dave.
Speaker 17 (10:12):
Shan Man, johnny Man, johnny Manjock to do her, No,
you're married, delumea Jana Man johnny Man, johnny Man.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
John to.
Speaker 9 (10:34):
Do her nona're married?
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Delu me after.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Ingo Hoky Gusta bols A, Honky Rubert Roy.
Speaker 18 (11:25):
Thank you, caut skis alla baby not so much more
your touch l a give the Greek problems wor class
send me come close yourself chest we can get baby.
Speaker 11 (11:40):
Thank you some.
Speaker 16 (11:42):
I love baby so much?
Speaker 15 (11:47):
Screen program what tes me?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Come come well from the problem the job.
Speaker 15 (12:03):
Carry problem of the corn John him and John him
and Jet.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Whn't married?
Speaker 19 (12:18):
Did you mad?
Speaker 8 (12:19):
Did you pat it? John m John and John him
and died.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
When that's aren't married?
Speaker 8 (12:33):
Did you mad? Did you bath.
Speaker 11 (12:38):
They can ring him.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
The hockey got the boot, the log robber room, they
d him.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Yeah, you can find that top shelf of Indian composers
and put shush what shuts there right there at the top,
he belongs there.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
That's Jasmine sandlist Man or two. Here's doctor Roy for you.
Speaker 20 (13:26):
Hey, guys, this is doctor Vreuman, Today's word on the Avenue.
In Film and TV News, Top Gun starring Tom Cruise
is set for a special re release in India to
mark its fortieth anniversary. Alongside its sequel Top Gun Maverick.
Backed by Paramount Pictures, The Iconic Films will return to
theaters for a limited one week run starting May fifteenth.
Speaker 19 (13:47):
In Media News, Global Icon Blgito.
Speaker 20 (13:49):
Sounge returns to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, marking
another major milestone for Punjabi music on the world stage.
With every appearance, he continues to break barriers, bringing the
sound and job to global audiences and redefine the reach
of Indian culture worldwide. In Avenge News, what if ancient
art could shape future tech? Researchers at University of Maryland,
(14:10):
Baltimore County are studying Pirate not Damn to teach robots
more expressive and precise hand movements. By analyzing the geometric
maudras the dance's intricate gesture system, they've uncovered a sophisticated
language of motion that could enhance robotics. And it feels
like surgery and physical therapy, proving Indian tradition can power
innovation on a global scale. That's it for today's word
(14:34):
on the Avenue.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
Until next time, Thank you so much for that, Doc
de Roy. We've got Kalpen coming up right after this song.
This one is called by Misha Shaffi stand by for Cowardi.
Speaker 11 (15:00):
Alberny.
Speaker 12 (15:00):
Is I mean not?
Speaker 6 (15:02):
There's a hon somebody say it never okay, namenware Okay.
There's not a sad that's like color name okay him anywhere? Okay,
(15:26):
look to people looking donkey okay, sky, how you gonna okay? Okay,
chap only been punish the killer night or there's a
all us said that's like coll it never okay enyhere hokay.
(15:49):
There's not a US sad that's like color.
Speaker 8 (15:53):
Name Okay, nware Okay?
Speaker 21 (15:57):
Then sure your party look on you the rang Basi
bill Kla Krasi look CALLI the party look Cally Rang Basi,
Bill kraz Loo Cally the Party, No Cobby Basil Krasi,
(16:18):
No Cobby Party, No Cobby Rasi, Blas.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Rag bash Hamshia persona.
Speaker 22 (16:36):
Are you very very party either dark day but very guardian?
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Mafia? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Heads three gang cha big rim bangers. What can angers
come here? The angry give me many banger. I try
a cheapen life in the gamb going champion the.
Speaker 11 (16:58):
Heads.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
That's Misha Chuffey. The song is called Bessa Bole and Folks.
My next guest was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He
broke through his ja in American dacy to find a
generation as Kumar and Harold and Kumar broke hearts and
Mira and ires the namesake Constole scenes on House MD.
Then he walked away from it all from Hollywood but
(17:45):
the Peak to serve in the Obama White House. He
came back to give us designated Survivor Sunnyside and a
New York Times best selling memoir. Actor, producer of public
servant and author. Please welcome to the bridge, the one
and only Cal Penn.
Speaker 23 (18:01):
How are you man?
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Nice to talk to.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
You, likewise, my man, good to be on the air
with you. Here today, Cal thanks so much for joining us.
Of course, we're celebrating the big twenty five year anniversary
of the film American They See. I wanted to take
you back to the moment you find out about the film.
Was it was it Bush that reached out to you
how to go?
Speaker 23 (18:23):
So he didn't approach me. There's a wonderful director, Nisha Ganapdra.
Speaker 22 (18:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 23 (18:28):
I reached out to for one of her first movies
because I read that she was casting. I was too
young for the part. And a few months later she
emails me and says, hey, there's a movie called American
They See that is casting out New York. You should
audition for it. So I sent my headshot and resume
in they called me in for an audition. I flew
to New York. It must have been I'm guessing I
(18:50):
had to have been home anyway for like spring Break
or some sort of break winter break movie. And I
go in and I audition, and then you know, Peusche
called later and it's like, we'd love to have you
play this part.
Speaker 22 (19:03):
So I was.
Speaker 23 (19:03):
I was thrilled, but I remember that coming together.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yeah, that's awesome, that's really cool, you know, looking back
on it. I feel like each of the characters, with
great intent, represented different parts of our diaspora. There was
one of everyone in the film.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
Your character specifically a Jay Bondia is like a confluence
of like hip hop culture and an American Indian kid,
you know, And I felt like this was the first
time we got a chance to see ourselves on screen
like this.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What are your thoughts on that level?
Speaker 23 (19:37):
Yeah, it was so interesting. It was you know, it's
an identity film. It's not the it's since then, there
have been so many films that have built on this idea.
But like the infancy of so many communities starts with
an identity film. A lot of early black films are
like this, a lot of early LGBT films, So it's
not unique in that sense before our community, like it's
(19:58):
super unique. And we didn't even know when we made
it if people would watch it and like it. And
you know, our community loves piracy, right, so I remember,
like people would just watch that ship bootleg. Yeah, and
so it didn't really make money. It was not a
money making film, right, But to your point, it was
a cultural impact was huge and everybody saw it and
(20:20):
and that meant a lot to us. I think, you know,
the fact that they resonated with people.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
Yeah, that's that's really cool. You know, all week long,
I've been speaking to the different members of the cast,
and each of them are so accomplished. They went on
to do so many things.
Speaker 24 (20:38):
You know.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
The film I think was really instrumental in that in
terms of spreading everyone out there and putting brown faces
out there. And it certainly made an impact out there
in a time when you didn't quite see it very often.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
And you know, what are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 23 (20:54):
So I don't in my view, I was just in
awe of the cast stright. I think I was only
a couple of years younger than the other guys, but
at that age, you know, I took a semester of
college basically to do this movie, and I was working
with really you know, the rest of the cast had
(21:14):
graduated college. They were all working actors with incredible backgrounds
and theater and music, and it was the first time
that I really thought like, Wow, I'm actually in a
cast with my peers who are like this, and I
looked up to them so much. I still do obviously,
so that I think was the biggest impact. I don't
think the film itself opened any doors in traditional entertainment,
(21:39):
but what it meant by working with people of that caliber,
with that training and for you know, in that sense,
was a first for me, I think for all of
us kind of made us feel like we belonged a
little more than we probably did at the time.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Right right, and in a very important time light. I add,
this is right around this movie comes out right before
nine to eleven. Yeah, and so it became a very important.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Part of our story. Yeah, for sure, definitely.
Speaker 7 (22:05):
You know, Cal of course, we've been talking at a
great extent about your career in front of the camera
or in entertainment. Let's just say, but one of the
cool things about your career, one of my favorite things
about your story has been the time you spent at
the White House working for working alongside President Obama.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And you know, take us to that moment.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
You're a South Asian kid, you've been you know, at
it in entertainment for such a long time, and now
comes this chance to go work at the White House.
When did you pinch yourself there and say, wow, I'm
I can't believe I'm here.
Speaker 23 (22:44):
Yeah, Yeah, there's a there's a story that's much longer
than I know the time we have today on how
it all came together. But I will say this, you know,
the thing that really opened my eyes was I obviously
people knew my story because I happened to be in
a career that was public facing that I took a
little bit of you know, it took like a year
and a half of a break from to serve as government.
(23:07):
But to me, the real story was, there are so
many people. Almost everybody I've worked with was taking a
leave of absence, temporary leave of absence from whatever their
private sector current was. There were teachers and doctors and
lawyers and professors, and those were the people I was
working with, and so it was really reassuring that, you know,
there were so many people who just sort of thought, look,
I have the means and the privilege to serve like
(23:27):
a country right now, I'm going to go and do that.
And generally that is how things work. I know we're
in a really polarized, really tricky time right now, but
I try to look back and remember that usually it's
good people who rally, and it doesn't have to be
you know, in the federal government level. It's in your community,
your school board, your neighborhood association, churches and mosques and
(23:48):
temples and the groups that you can get involved in.
So many people do that kind of work and at
every level it just means a lot. And I felt
grateful to be part of that.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
For the president, that's incredible. Yeah, what an opportunit unity
and and thank you for doing that. What an amazing
role you played there. Certainly, Uh, you can't be serious.
A brand new book that you have just put out there,
and it's titled that way because the Aunties told you
that it was a phrase that they kind of do.
And now it's become the thesis of your book, and
(24:18):
and and and maybe an entire thesis of what you've accomplished. Really,
and tell us about this, this is an interesting take
on on your story.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Really, thanks man.
Speaker 23 (24:29):
Yeah, look, I mostly just wanted to write a funny
book that was similar to like the books that I
like that our memoirs are like you know, Mindy Kayaleing,
Pina Fezsa, stuff like where you can read it at
the pool, read it on vacation, laugh or I narrate
the audiobook myself. So I wanted it to be something
like all right, you're stuck in traffic every day to
and from work, Like, what's something that you can just
(24:50):
listen to and feel good about? So so that's why
I wrote the book and the subtimes you know, So, A,
it's just hopefully fun and funny. But B it's kind
of the subtext is how Hollywood and entertainment and politics
kind of change over time. That these are institutions that
are malleable, that when people like you said, of our
generation in our community come into them, how do they adapt?
(25:12):
How can we push the envelope for things like art
and public service? So it was all that combined, and
there are some like ridiculous stories in there too that
are just kind of fun and silly. So I hope
people like it. It was really fun. I'm a very
slow writer and a very slow reader, and so I've
had a couple of people who have read it and
listened to it just be like, man, I breeze through
that book like, oh good.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It took me four.
Speaker 23 (25:34):
Years to write. So I'm just happy with it.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
I hope you like it.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Man, Thank you.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
That's awesome. Cal All right, well last question for you
before I let you get off the phone. Here we
you know, what's next is it another book?
Speaker 24 (25:47):
You know?
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Where are you looking at these days?
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 23 (25:50):
So I just finished season four of the HBO show
Industry that just dropped on streaming, So I have that
out right now. I have a couple of movies comeing
out later this year. The next one I think is
called Trust Me I'm a Doctor, about Anna Nicole Smith
and her doctor and his sort of uh attempted I
(26:13):
think it was like an attempted murder case basically, but
so kind of interesting stuff within a couple of TV
shows and development. So a lot coming up. And I
got to say, since since I know our listener base,
I just got to thank thank you and thanks for
the folks who listened, for all the love and support.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Of here, Cal.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
Thank you so much, and continued success and all the
great work that you're doing out there and representing our people.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Well, thank you very much, Cal, Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 23 (26:38):
Thanks good to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 22 (26:39):
Cal.
Speaker 7 (26:40):
Likewise, this one is morning Deljit Dosange has heard on
Jimmy Fallon last week stand by for Rizwan.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Do you.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
He can't Canna gets ain't there?
Speaker 12 (27:02):
I can't eat un the.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Lock Puney off, you can't eat on the knock the puney.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I'm telling you to take your hat.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Everyone in there in your heads, get the gut there
ta hard everybody kids got the gut there the tlaharty mondy,
(27:35):
what's the piece like God gotta get the rags, guitar up,
telling and colling jumper the hair part.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Shove me eye up, and so.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I shove my eye up and soil be happy.
Speaker 11 (27:51):
There got the head.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
He had to put their tithing. You taking the candy
to me? Didn't you need on them? The phone helm
in the air, the gut, the gut there the telephan
he CA's it the gut there they money.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Check me out your.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
What you have?
Speaker 4 (28:35):
The thrown up and put you and then put the
You came up the sundown, honey, I.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Got in bad that that look back.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
You bad?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Got that look bad to boot Then he certainly put
me up repay and cowberle had can you get then
they buddy?
Speaker 1 (28:54):
What about about a delged dosans?
Speaker 7 (29:31):
The song is called Mordany great track right there. My
next guest was born in Toronto to Indian parents who
emigrated from Tanzania, and he was raised in Calgary. He
gave a Salem in American Day Sy then went on
to build one of the most consistently working careers of
his generation. Rajiev on NBC's Outsourced, The Unforgettable, Ray Butani
(29:55):
on Ship's Creek, Tick, Pickwick on The Magicians, and Jamil
and James Gunn This Peacemaker. Add to that The Wolf
of Wall Street, Charlie Wilson's War, The Dictator, Mister Robot.
The Man's range runs from broad comedy to genuinely chilling drama.
Let's welcome Riswan Manji to the show. How are you, Riswan?
Speaker 23 (30:15):
I'm good?
Speaker 24 (30:15):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I am good? My goodness? These twenty five years have
just blown by, haven't they.
Speaker 22 (30:22):
I know I couldn't believe it when they told me
it was twenty yourself, I know that I can't be
I can't possibly.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Be this bull.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
You know, I've really been thinking a lot, and I'm
sure you have at certain points of your life as
far as what this movie meant to you and just
meant to the entire scene, and and what it ushered
in in terms of changes and and et cetera, et cetera.
Give us your give us your perspective on this, put
us in. Put this all in a capsule.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
For us.
Speaker 22 (30:51):
Oh well, you know what, I you we get caps
of this movie, right like me and Deep had was
doing like Downtown Theater in New York and he says,
I have this movie, you might write for it, and
I just end up doing it. Then you know, it's
the it's a low budget indie film, and you're like,
(31:12):
you know, you have you have no idea what's going
to happen?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Right?
Speaker 22 (31:15):
And I think the first time I realized the impact
of it was the not even the day of the opening,
but the Saturday, me and my family and I think
Aladdin and some other cast members went to Queens Kauf
Nastoria to watch the movie and I just could it
was it was pasted. I ended up sitting on the stairs,
and the way that the people were just like craving
(31:38):
a movie that they could see themselves in it was
it was shocking to me. How how how And that's
what at that point I were like, oh my god,
this is this is this is something else. This is
not something that I had thought what's going to happen?
You know? Yeah, it definitely was something that people needed
at that time.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know.
Speaker 7 (31:58):
So take us back to where Selim Ali Khan lends
in your lap here and you know, by the way,
which ended up being a very important, you know character
because of just the timing of things in America at
that time.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
And you know, and and nine to eleven happens just
a few months after.
Speaker 7 (32:16):
I'm sure you had no idea of any of this,
of course, with the gravity of the role that you play,
But tell us about the moment you found out about it,
and and just that whole time.
Speaker 22 (32:26):
Yeah, So I, as I said, Deep was telling me
about it, that he was sort of producing and acting
in this movie. And then I got the audition. Well, actually,
no before that, he asked me to come for a
table read, and I think from the we read the
whole script, and the only three people that I remember
besides Deep who ended up in the movie were me
(32:50):
and Aladdin, who played the parts that we played in
the table read, and Porba, who was not playing the
character that she got, but she ended up playing Nina.
Somebody else was reading Nina. We did this table read
and done, you know, I thought I did a great job.
But then they had auditions after that, and they sort
of mixed and matched us with I read with Sunita
and some other girls and then the next day I
(33:11):
got a call saying, hey, would you like to be
a part of it? And I was really excited. You know,
we as you know, there was few in in the
late nineties, there was few and far part parts for
us Brown folk, and getting to work with other South
Asian cast members that was it couldn't I couldn't believe it.
So it was just sort of like a party, like
(33:31):
we spent uh. I think it was like six weeks
New Jersey and and and Manhattan, and we got along
really well and it was like a little party.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
Every day about that that that set must have been
so cool and so much fun with all of you
guys there, and of course everyone going on to do
so many great things individually.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Of course.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
And you know, I was going to ask you you
You've had an amazing career and one that I think
has inspired a lot of South Asian actors and just
creatives out there. And you know, the roles that you've
played have been genuinely across pretty much the entire board
of Brown characters.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
If you will, you know, do you?
Speaker 25 (34:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Really?
Speaker 7 (34:14):
And and and you know, as I think about it,
you know, all the stuff that you've done with whether
it shit's creek or you know all I mean, I
mean so much right and when I think of, uh,
you know what the film was and how it's opened
the door for brown actors and now you've played these.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Like range of roles.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
You know, I guess the question is has the door
genuinely opened or uh riswan, have you found the roles
that were there for you? You know, is it really
genuinely open now or is it are the roles just
very still limited?
Speaker 22 (34:47):
So I always like to answer initially positive, I say
that it's definitely better than it was, you know what
I mean, They're like we're talking if we're talking about
when I started to when it is right now, there's
definitely an improvement. You know, you can tell from the span.
Initially it was all just you know, there were it
(35:08):
was very there was a lot of very stereotypical stuff.
It was very much like you come in as a
cab driver, you need two lines or you know that
kind of stuff where initially started. And it's definitely changed.
You know, I'm I knock on what. I'm very lucky
that I get to get to go into rooms where
where I get to uh, you know, they have an
idea for a character, and I can put some input
(35:29):
and I can I can create something. I just finished
shooting something on Friday where I'm very excited for you
guys to see it. But it's something completely different than
what I've done before. So there's definitely doors that are
that are open. Do I think it's where it needs
to be. No, We're still We're still not where we
need to be there, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I I.
Speaker 22 (35:50):
There are a lot of South Asian actors who are very,
very talented who are not at the level that their
Caucasian counterparts are, you know what I mean, And I
think that that that's unfortunate. So the positive is that
we've definitely moved forward, but there is a lot of
there's a lot of work still to be done.
Speaker 7 (36:10):
That's an interesting observation, and I certainly appreciate your honesty
in the space because I think that's been an interesting
kind of mix of things. That I hear is that
the doors have been opened by this film, but there's
certainly a lot of challenges still remaining. And to your point,
you know, it's not been easy for people to accomplish
(36:31):
what you have, of course, and with your work being
out there and the range of work that you've done,
and yeah, and the impact that you've made through your career.
And you know, to that point, you've worked with the Scorseses,
You've worked with so many different folks like that, and
now you're you know, you play Jamail and Peacemaker now
(36:52):
and it's an interesting role. How different is it than
the sensibility you carried through you know, Ben Saline or
whatever back in the day.
Speaker 22 (37:02):
Well, I realized so I was like, oh, you know
in Peacemaker, I cursed like so like my kids were
watching and they're like.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
What are you doing.
Speaker 22 (37:10):
I'm like, hey, I didn't write it. I didn't write it. Awesome,
but but I realized after watching this American basy again
when we were in the theater, like, uh, several weeks
ago when we did the reunion, that I actually cursed
in India a lot.
Speaker 9 (37:27):
Maybe it's maybe.
Speaker 22 (37:28):
It's my lot in life, but yeah, definitely Jamille was
a very different character. And uh, you know, that was
a very interesting story because it wasn't written for a
South Asian person. The characters name was Jose initially, and
they you know, thankfully, my agent was like, hey, you
(37:50):
guys are having trouble finding the guys you want to
see and it was during COVID, so it was all
over zoom and and I just put myself on tape
and then the you know, like a few days later,
they're like, okay, well James Gunn wants to zoom with you.
So I get on this zoom and it's like James
Gunn and Peter Saffron and and you know, they're just like,
let's and let's just do it and and you know,
(38:12):
that's one of those things I said, well, it wasn't
really written for me, so I had to just do
my take on it right.
Speaker 24 (38:18):
So and.
Speaker 22 (38:21):
It was just it was one of those things where
zoom zoom auditions are so weird because people turn off
their camera and you're the only feel like you're doing
it to an empty space.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
But they were really really it was a really.
Speaker 22 (38:33):
Awesome fun time because they were interactive, they were they
were I think I actually I think he told me
in the zoom that I ended up getting the job,
so that rarely happened. And yeah, so it was just
it was one of those things I'm talked about where
I was like, it wasn't written for somebody like me,
but I got to go in and go, hey, this
is my take on what you and he was like, yeah,
(38:53):
I like this.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
That's great.
Speaker 7 (38:55):
Now, that's awesome, really is awesome as well. You're going
in there, You're you're putting your face, your print on
things and adding the stamp of our community in there.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
That's that's really awesome.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Matt, going from Jose to a different, completely different Jamil, Right,
that's that's all. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, I often
think about the set there and of course the the
remarkable folks, and we did touch on this in terms
of the great careers everybody has had there across the
board and and to that level. Right, and then when
(39:25):
you look at you know, what's happening now in the
scene that that the scene has evolved to. Now you
you turn on Netflix and you see South Asian stuff
all over the place. There, although it is being produced
all over the world, it may not be considerable, considerably
you know, telling the story of the South Asian experience
here in North America or the diaspora. For that reason,
(39:45):
have we run out of stories here? Was one is
that the deal are we not interesting to the rest
of the world, Like what's going on?
Speaker 22 (39:51):
Well, the I'd say the opposite. There we have so
many stories that we I feel like it's not enough
we have. It's not you know what I mean, Like
we need there's more stories. There's there. There's the the
American story, there's a Muslim story, there's the stuff. You know,
there's so many things that we still need to tell.
I'm excited again. I'm excited that there's a bunch of
(40:12):
stuff coming up from all over the world that's sort
of uh in the pipeline that I know about. But
you definitely can never have enough. We we just you know,
we just we just seed.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
We need more.
Speaker 22 (40:27):
And I'm trying to produce myself, so I have some stories.
I have a show that me and my friend are
pitching right now. So we're we're excited about telling different stories.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
Uh Raswan uh forever the fan of your work and
here in our South Asian community. Thank you for being
a champion out there and for being so visible for
us all and thanks for you know, being a part
of that big film twenty five years ago and leaving
us with these great memories.
Speaker 5 (40:57):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 22 (40:57):
Thank you for taking the time to talk to all
of us, and you know, I really appreciated and yeah,
I'm really excited for what's to come. And thank you again.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Thank you as one that's for his one monji. Everybody
full lun artists.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Got lookay by August Sooner Doyana burdy of your jugger
my good lordye dogra my heck Vara Devara full full
(41:45):
lun artists lookay by August Sooneraana.
Speaker 11 (41:56):
Buddy of hi jugger my good lord. H m hmm
man the a ngir gool?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Who are doing? When the arongir gooda?
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Who are doing?
Speaker 26 (42:22):
Or not?
Speaker 13 (42:23):
Barson or mad ram har har ha j John Jahan, your.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Uncle Jay the charney. I'm not such a argered.
Speaker 8 (42:44):
Lookame listen, oh.
Speaker 7 (43:15):
Sunahda jad here one of our favorite artists here on
this show, Ladies and gentlemen. My next guest was born
and raised in East Harlem, the son of Bangladeshi immigrants,
and one of the first South Asian American stand up
comedians to break through in New York City. He gave
us Professor Galtham Rau and American Dacy voiced Hanuman and
(43:38):
Sita Singh's The Blues, led the cult classic Uncle Mordies Dubshack,
and most recently wrote and directed In Search of Bengali Harlem,
a deeply personal documentary tracing his own families for Godden history. Comedian, actor, filmmaker, storyteller.
Please welcome to the bridge, Alalden aka Aladdin.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Welcome to the show. How are you, brother?
Speaker 5 (44:04):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
How's everything We're doing well?
Speaker 5 (44:07):
Man?
Speaker 7 (44:08):
American Day sy twenty five years this year? You know
you hear that number that well, does it feel like
twenty five years?
Speaker 5 (44:16):
Do you?
Speaker 18 (44:17):
No?
Speaker 19 (44:18):
It doesn't.
Speaker 5 (44:19):
I mean it was quite. It was very moving to,
you know, be around people who you know, just remembered,
you know, the film and then it brought back so
many memories that I hadn't seen a film in twenty
five years. And what was fascinating is that we all
kind of knew each other when we were shooting the film,
because we were all kind of in different genres and
(44:41):
different places. And I mean I said in the talk
back that I knew ron A Beer. He just came
out of Yale University.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
He was like the.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
Clitsical, you know, actor, and he didn't King and I
on Broadway and Rizwan and Perva were grinding in the
theater world, you know, doing off off Broadway. You know
in the East village, you know, in basements, and you know,
we knew Cal because Cal, I think was in LA
at the time, going to school, and I was I
(45:10):
was really like working hard as a stand up comedian.
I mean, I help open doors for comedians today. Yeah,
you know, it's crazy because when we saw the film,
I had forgotten some of the things, you know, in
the nineties, like I was I was the first comedian
in the New York Times to do a self produced show,
and the article said, here's the one about the comics
(45:31):
with the Cause, And there were people people there that
were that remembered, you know, the stand up shows that
I did in the nineties when I was like out
of high school sote, which absolutely It's funny because I'm
in a place now where I'm writing and directing films,
I'm behind the camera. But to kind of see that,
it's almost like, you know, back to the future, your
(45:53):
time traveling in the place that you had forgotten.
Speaker 7 (45:55):
Yeah, you know, just to give people context, A Latin
at that time when this film was being made and
when it came out, was probably one of the most
prominent figures in that film. But the crew when the
film was being assembled at that time. I mean, if
I don't mind saying so myself. And the time, you
know where you know, our South Asian representation just wasn't
(46:17):
so vast as it is now. You were really one
of the first few people out there putting a face
to our community.
Speaker 5 (46:24):
My man. Yeah, to show you the grind. I mean,
I just went on Broadway a couple of days ago
to see Cedric the Entertainer on Broadway. He and I
were in the first season of BT's Comics Few that
d o Uly hosted That's My Way Back. So at
the time, like you know, in the country, there were
(46:45):
no South Asians on national TV, so I was performing
on national TV. So I was being recognized and I
was trying to make that jump to TV. And you
know what's interesting is that, you know, film wasn't even
in my sort of phone focus and because I thought
it was really stereotypical, and Peuse was like, I want
you to read for associate professor, Like what.
Speaker 7 (47:09):
So all right, let's let's let's go back to two
thousand and one. Yeah, you're you're, you're, you're, you get handed,
you know, got them raw in your lap. You know,
what was your first read on him. What was your
what was your take on the character? And I'm getting
the reaction. It was a little bit of a like,
what kind of a moment for you? Tell us about that?
Speaker 5 (47:27):
Well, it was. It was dope because a lot of
people who came to audition, you know, there's a lot
of people who are like working now in the industry,
like Sean christianin and a lot of other people. You
met people who were South Asian that were in the arts,
who were actors.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
At the audition.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
And so when I when I read for him, I
was still tripping that I was reading for an associate
professor because I'm not kidding, the industry was so racist.
Speaker 21 (47:52):
I was only reading for.
Speaker 5 (47:54):
Cap drivers and for like terrorists, and I'm going I'd
go into the audition like, you know, man, you do
know I'm from one hundred and fourth Street, New York.
Why am I reading this? But Pews was absolutely like, yo,
you can have fun with this character. You can just
kind of like run with it. And so it was
it was just really nice to be around the director
who said, yeah, I see you as an associate professor,
(48:16):
and our people are vast and this is who I
think American dacy is beautiful because you've got a Mustlim,
you've gotta seekh you've got Hindu, you got Punjabi all
together kind of you know, winking at the audience saying,
we know the struggle, but we're just making fun of
it in a very South Asian way. And the fact
that the main character, Chris is short for Krishna, like
(48:38):
we all related to being you know, ABCD. So I
felt it was timely and for me to play a
professor or associate professor. You know, it was just kind
of cool that, you know, I could put my foot
into a character that wasn't like me, but yet you know,
there was a large percentage of South Asians that related
to the film because they had come to the country
(48:59):
and the academic scholarships to pursue a PhD or you know,
the masters, and they were they were professive. So it's
funny in academia people were coming up to me and going,
that was me, that was me, and you know, I,
you know, I scratched my head and go, you know,
this was like in nineteen ninety nine or two thousand,
So it was just really nice to play a character
(49:19):
that wasn't you know, a type cast, right, you know,
terrorist or a cab driver. Well, you know, it was refreshing.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
It was let's let's let's you know, let's put this
film into context. Here now here we are twenty five
years later, celebrating the moment you refer to when it
came out and to kind of give people context. This
film came out in an interesting moment for our community
because it was right before nine to eleven and then
right after nine to eleven.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
This was one of the first films that.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
People really had reference of our culture in like film
from the diaspora perspective, which really became interesting. It told
the story of our community and maybe even explained who
we were to a certain extent. And I think that
this film grew in not only just and just in value,
but just in terms of just the overall kind of
(50:10):
gravity that it had for us in the greater fabric
of the of the country. All this to say, what
do you when you know, you know, you look back
on the legacy of this film. It's certainly made a
mark in our culture. How do you how do you
kind of reflect back on this film?
Speaker 5 (50:29):
I think, you know, I deal with this as a
writer and the director and making films now, and you know,
I've been played and you know, I've kind of done
every genre on the arts, from you know, animation to
TV to film to theater. And one of the things
is that you want people to see us with nuance,
but also that we're human. And I know it sounds simplistic,
(50:52):
and you know, because I was a comedian and I
was getting national attention all the roles that I was reading,
which just they weren't And I would tell the casting director,
telet director, I'm like, hey, do you know that there's
stories of South Asians who came to America and you
know it came for a better life, and you know
there's comedy and there's you know, stuff that really is
(51:14):
entertaining that. Yeah, I just read the lines. I felt
we weren't being heard, we weren't being seen. And what
Puche did with American Daisy is he reached I think
our community by saying we do exist. There's a vast
array of colors and people that are in our world,
and we're South Asians of different colors, different ethnicities, different religions,
(51:36):
different sizes and shapes, and we're human and we have
a sense of humor, that is really ours and I
think that film captured that and it's a special it's
a special moment when you as a performer, you're working
so much, just moving on to the next gig and
the next gig, and to reflect back on a time
where that wasn't even an agenda in our industry, where
(51:58):
they didn't even see us, it's huge and that we
can laugh. I mean, to see that, I mean, that's
just that's beautiful, man, because you know, that's something that's
not like celebrated in South Asian culture in the art right.
And while I love Bollywood films and they're beautiful and
I grew up on it, there's not enough films about us,
(52:19):
about the younger version of us. Who are we as youth?
Who are we as you know, our struggle and going
to college and identity and what is our name? Like
that's the own kind of like checked all the boxes
of the stuff that South Asians who were young dealing
with that in a very fit.
Speaker 7 (52:37):
Yeah, mister Ullah, thank you so much for joining us today.
You have been an absolute class act to talk to today.
And again, congratulations on twenty five years and most importantly,
congratulations and all the great work you've been doing since
then as well.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
And here's the more success for you, sir, thank you,
thanks for having us of.
Speaker 7 (52:57):
Course, brother of course the great a k Aladdin A
great conversation that was. We'll be right back after this time.
Speaker 24 (53:06):
Ku Su Mammy bah jamaat Malanga Jama, look a gimme
don Bernard Jama.
Speaker 27 (53:21):
There's got you myself there, you teller Jama Bajana, you're not.
Speaker 24 (53:37):
Ja away.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Sat by Billy Coo to Billy.
Speaker 28 (53:58):
Billy, Lika melkosura, kaki kusa kun oh be cool for
a tired Chadarsacharna headed look it to has in.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
The game maybealy cools.
Speaker 8 (54:18):
Giant man.
Speaker 27 (54:21):
Human, but there is a lot of salad or just
don't love a god you can get don't John Adam.
Speaker 24 (54:36):
Today, how bout you calling.
Speaker 19 (54:40):
Ka banana men?
Speaker 3 (54:43):
But Jana can harm You're not harve jan man can kaaway.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
That's a simmon Jadre. The song is called Makana.
Speaker 7 (55:05):
Looking forward to tomorrow's episode, everybody will be joined by
Deep Kadare Deep with the lead actor in the movie
American Basi, also one of the producers, will have a
conversation with him and we'll be joined tomorrow by Bush
Bondia the writer director looking forward to that.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
Here's Doita Das Gupta for you.
Speaker 29 (55:24):
Thanks Sammy, Hi everyone, this is dead Guta you Rokasavni
radio music Curs bond and back with some fun facts
about your favorite artists. Today we're talking about a musical legend,
Shira Goshal, whose voice has become the emotional backbone of
Indian cinema.
Speaker 19 (55:38):
From debuting as a teenage sensation in.
Speaker 29 (55:41):
Diptas with BiDi Pia and Dola Retola, She's still recorded
over three thousand songs in twenty plus languages.
Speaker 19 (55:48):
That's a vocal journey few can match.
Speaker 29 (55:49):
And her words cabinet boast five National Film Awards and
countless FilmFair wins. She even has her own wax figure
at Madame Tissan's.
Speaker 19 (55:58):
In twenty twenty five, Shira's.
Speaker 29 (55:59):
Voice rich into film with TRACKSIX Sarah and Bus from
to New Melody SA Show.
Speaker 19 (56:04):
She's still defining romance in Bollywood music.
Speaker 29 (56:07):
So whether you discovering her so iconic classics at or
Na or her recent film releases, Ria Koshell continues to
remind us why she's the unmatched voice of the nation.
Speaker 19 (56:18):
Well that's all for me. Now back to Sammy, thank
you so much.
Speaker 7 (56:21):
We're getting ready for the big Trea Go show tour
this summer, looking forward to it. Here's her song called Lelo,
and I'll be back with some closing remarks.
Speaker 30 (56:30):
Medie Sadi Hello, Medi Bady Hello, Medico, Hey, Sadi, Hello, Madi.
Speaker 19 (56:54):
Journey shiny.
Speaker 30 (57:00):
Virgildy shaka the Charny.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
On the show.
Speaker 31 (57:09):
Rosa Caribe the deab Sobat plans are LOOKI say, com
sger Nasa meaning let jam bird at the park and
many dollar.
Speaker 26 (57:31):
Maybe hoping Hello, sob they mom at they had miracle,
Lem's sorry, don't even the real alone.
Speaker 30 (57:45):
Maybe hustlady the Vergilby.
Speaker 31 (57:50):
I shook the jersey and a shiny Hussardy the echo every.
Speaker 7 (58:02):
Sure shall The song is called Lelo Great stuff and folks,
that's a wrap. On this episode three of Our American
They See twenty fifth anniversary special right here on the bridge.
Cal Penn, Riswan Manji a loalden Ullah three men who
in two thousand and one made us laugh on a
(58:23):
college campus, and over the next twenty five years took
that laughter and built three of the most distinct boundary
breaking careers in our community has ever produced. Cal who
went on from A J. Pondia to Kumar to the
Namesake to the Obama White House and back and gave
us New York Times best selling memoir along the way.
(58:44):
Riswan the working actors, working actor who's quietly built one
of the most consistent careers in all of Hollywood, from
Outsourced to Shit's Creek to Wolf of Wall Street to Peacemaker.
And then you have Aladdin, the East Harlem stand up
who became a filmmaker, took the camera and turned it
on to his own community, the Bangladeshi roots in search
(59:07):
of Bengali Harlem. Now, these are three artists that took
three different, completely different roads to their end game and
one starting line. Tomorrow's the big one. We'll close it
out with the week of American Dacy's twenty fifth anniversary
special with the men who saw all of this before
any of us did. We'll be joined by Deep Kadare
(59:31):
and we'll be joined by push Pandhia tomorrow. Really looking
forward to it, folks. I'll leave you guys here with
Jordan Sandhu.
Speaker 25 (59:38):
Have a great day, everybody, and comm.
Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Badimore and thought with the liatackling here, I can't everything.
My pony apple can't everything.
South Asian music and cultures can.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Be found around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
We tracked down the best and presented here for you
on Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Hi everybody, I'm katonage Land. You're listening to Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Hello and call.
Speaker 5 (00:22):
This is Doctor Sinistas and you're listening to The Bridge
hosted by The Deal but Sami Chan on Ruckus Avenue Radio. Hey,
this is Vedas and you're listening to the Bridge with
Sammy Chon on Ruckus Avenue Radio.
Speaker 6 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I hope you all are well.
Speaker 7 (00:40):
Thank you very much for picking up the signal wherever
you may be across this beautiful planet of ours. My
name is Sammy Chan and welcome everybody to a May
sixth edition of The Bridge. I hope you have your
jab a cup ready for this one.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I got mine in my hand right now.
Speaker 7 (01:02):
This is gonna be a fun hour and all week
long we've been paying tribute to the American dacy film
that came out twenty five years ago. And if you
joined us on Monday, you heard from the two leading
ladies on this show, Sunita Batam fun conversation and yesterday
(01:23):
we had the three pad dudes from the film Anil
Kamar send it to Silva Sonoma joined us. I had
a really good time yesterday's show.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
That was fun.
Speaker 7 (01:35):
And today we'll be joined by I would say the
three comics. These three individuals really went out there and
made a name for themselves in the comedic space, whether
it was before or after whatever, but generally in our
South Asian space.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Today we'll be joined by Cal Penn.
Speaker 7 (01:54):
And Cal's had a phenomenal career, very wide and has
worked in different spaces and in different and capacities in
his career, so looking forward to having him. We'll be
joined by Rizwan Manji, somebody that has really been on
television quite a bit in our time, been one of
the common brown faces that we've seen. And then we'll
(02:16):
also be joined today by Aladdin, stand up comic, one
of the first in our space back in the nineties
when this film was put together and has gone on
to do so many things in the business.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Big show ahead, can't wait to bring it to you.
I'm gonna start it.
Speaker 7 (02:35):
Off with one of the big songs from the film
Banjab BMC. The song is called Mirza and it was
used in the soundtrack of the film American They See
Let's have some fun today. Welcome to the bridge, everybody, my.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Moon, that.
Speaker 8 (03:14):
Old ja, my mode that.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Oh hold n.
Speaker 9 (03:23):
Jack and God sain Jack and God said Massinana.
Speaker 10 (03:34):
It was the last summer my book color disguise. When
I heard you read your swept and job in my
heart never had a crab for never.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Had my still heart dive before. But now I fo.
Speaker 10 (03:46):
Blast, true love and blast. But you can fit my
body and she was cast for my woman. My woman
is my mind, my destiny.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
She speaks to her.
Speaker 10 (03:55):
Heavyfore nine, her body blues. This is the way as five.
When I'm on the battlefield, Stay in live, Stay in live,
marg step two one hundred and forty nine ms A spat.
So I pulled out my stilts are five back, pull
out the house.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
This from my br sat walked across the five pripleens
one hundred degrees.
Speaker 11 (04:17):
My body burns.
Speaker 8 (04:18):
My mom sell, how I been on it and I just.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Got here?
Speaker 9 (04:25):
How they can under under cane me came may Arena,
came out of may Arena.
Speaker 12 (05:03):
My god, Jennifer Nucket Time, Jennifer n the Nucket sound,
Enny back cornicle, don it dun gonna leg.
Speaker 9 (05:20):
Back cord uncle, don it dun gonna let Mama Manica
(05:49):
Ya hold on sign Doctor John the manic ya hold
Yo sign Doctor John.
Speaker 13 (05:57):
On the.
Speaker 7 (06:00):
Inside miticize the song part two if you're keeping score.
Benjab BMC is the artist classic and one of the
many songs used in the American Bacy soundtrack, including one
(06:22):
of ours, of course, a Kharmacy passage to India. It's
a closing credit song. We'll roll that out tomorrow. Here's
Hassan Rahem who's there just followed. The song is called
baby Girl Daily every.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Night you've been on my mind, Baby Girl.
Speaker 14 (06:36):
These much good ekker Mosca, I haven't so alone feeling
my bones, Dona Joe made Usta Jordadkoyuna Jorda manager ka
(07:05):
to not the cany giant push your guy a.
Speaker 15 (07:15):
Ra poo longtery a book you.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
M l I guess it was.
Speaker 11 (08:01):
A baby through until you make up.
Speaker 15 (08:09):
Yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Girls enjoy a.
Speaker 16 (08:30):
Roshan in Cooder Saya observer man Jusamaya retarded to my
album cock Sophia, you're like an know that you went
out baby and you took me with yourselves.
Speaker 8 (08:47):
Running ver don't inside my head, laid me.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Don't you tell me by yourself pillb deal Metal.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Baby cu.
Speaker 11 (09:00):
DEI bad the Baby till you make.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It's a great track, Baby Girl, who's there?
Speaker 11 (09:50):
Just fall?
Speaker 7 (09:50):
Hassan Mahim played it a couple of times this week already.
We'll be joined today by doctor Roy, who'll be joining
us after this song right here, who brings us the
daily word.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
On the avenue, we'll be joined.
Speaker 7 (10:04):
By Data, brings us a daily artist spotlight.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
This is Jasmine Sandless, what such Dave.
Speaker 17 (10:12):
Shan Man, johnny Man, johnny Manjock to do her, No,
you're married, delumea Jana Man johnny Man, johnny Man.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
John to.
Speaker 9 (10:34):
Do her nona're married?
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Delu me after.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Ingo Hoky Gusta bols A, Honky Rubert Roy.
Speaker 18 (11:25):
Thank you, caut skis alla baby not so much more
your touch l a give the Greek problems wor class
send me come close yourself chest we can get baby.
Speaker 11 (11:40):
Thank you some.
Speaker 16 (11:42):
I love baby so much?
Speaker 15 (11:47):
Screen program what tes me?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Come come well from the problem the job.
Speaker 15 (12:03):
Carry problem of the corn John him and John him
and Jet.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Whn't married?
Speaker 19 (12:18):
Did you mad?
Speaker 8 (12:19):
Did you pat it? John m John and John him
and died.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
When that's aren't married?
Speaker 8 (12:33):
Did you mad? Did you bath.
Speaker 11 (12:38):
They can ring him.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
The hockey got the boot, the log robber room, they
d him.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Yeah, you can find that top shelf of Indian composers
and put shush what shuts there right there at the top,
he belongs there.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
That's Jasmine sandlist Man or two. Here's doctor Roy for you.
Speaker 20 (13:26):
Hey, guys, this is doctor Vreuman, Today's word on the Avenue.
In Film and TV News, Top Gun starring Tom Cruise
is set for a special re release in India to
mark its fortieth anniversary. Alongside its sequel Top Gun Maverick.
Backed by Paramount Pictures, The Iconic Films will return to
theaters for a limited one week run starting May fifteenth.
Speaker 19 (13:47):
In Media News, Global Icon Blgito.
Speaker 20 (13:49):
Sounge returns to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, marking
another major milestone for Punjabi music on the world stage.
With every appearance, he continues to break barriers, bringing the
sound and job to global audiences and redefine the reach
of Indian culture worldwide. In Avenge News, what if ancient
art could shape future tech? Researchers at University of Maryland,
(14:10):
Baltimore County are studying Pirate not Damn to teach robots
more expressive and precise hand movements. By analyzing the geometric
maudras the dance's intricate gesture system, they've uncovered a sophisticated
language of motion that could enhance robotics. And it feels
like surgery and physical therapy, proving Indian tradition can power
innovation on a global scale. That's it for today's word
(14:34):
on the Avenue.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
Until next time, Thank you so much for that, Doc
de Roy. We've got Kalpen coming up right after this song.
This one is called by Misha Shaffi stand by for Cowardi.
Speaker 11 (15:00):
Alberny.
Speaker 12 (15:00):
Is I mean not?
Speaker 6 (15:02):
There's a hon somebody say it never okay, namenware Okay.
There's not a sad that's like color name okay him anywhere? Okay,
(15:26):
look to people looking donkey okay, sky, how you gonna okay? Okay,
chap only been punish the killer night or there's a
all us said that's like coll it never okay enyhere hokay.
(15:49):
There's not a US sad that's like color.
Speaker 8 (15:53):
Name Okay, nware Okay?
Speaker 21 (15:57):
Then sure your party look on you the rang Basi
bill Kla Krasi look CALLI the party look Cally Rang Basi,
Bill kraz Loo Cally the Party, No Cobby Basil Krasi,
(16:18):
No Cobby Party, No Cobby Rasi, Blas.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Rag bash Hamshia persona.
Speaker 22 (16:36):
Are you very very party either dark day but very guardian?
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Mafia? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Heads three gang cha big rim bangers. What can angers
come here? The angry give me many banger. I try
a cheapen life in the gamb going champion the.
Speaker 11 (16:58):
Heads.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
That's Misha Chuffey. The song is called Bessa Bole and Folks.
My next guest was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He
broke through his ja in American dacy to find a
generation as Kumar and Harold and Kumar broke hearts and
Mira and ires the namesake Constole scenes on House MD.
Then he walked away from it all from Hollywood but
(17:45):
the Peak to serve in the Obama White House. He
came back to give us designated Survivor Sunnyside and a
New York Times best selling memoir. Actor, producer of public
servant and author. Please welcome to the bridge, the one
and only Cal Penn.
Speaker 23 (18:01):
How are you man?
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Nice to talk to.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
You, likewise, my man, good to be on the air
with you. Here today, Cal thanks so much for joining us.
Of course, we're celebrating the big twenty five year anniversary
of the film American They See. I wanted to take
you back to the moment you find out about the film.
Was it was it Bush that reached out to you
how to go?
Speaker 23 (18:23):
So he didn't approach me. There's a wonderful director, Nisha Ganapdra.
Speaker 22 (18:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 23 (18:28):
I reached out to for one of her first movies
because I read that she was casting. I was too
young for the part. And a few months later she
emails me and says, hey, there's a movie called American
They See that is casting out New York. You should
audition for it. So I sent my headshot and resume
in they called me in for an audition. I flew
to New York. It must have been I'm guessing I
(18:50):
had to have been home anyway for like spring Break
or some sort of break winter break movie. And I
go in and I audition, and then you know, Peusche
called later and it's like, we'd love to have you
play this part.
Speaker 22 (19:03):
So I was.
Speaker 23 (19:03):
I was thrilled, but I remember that coming together.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yeah, that's awesome, that's really cool, you know, looking back
on it. I feel like each of the characters, with
great intent, represented different parts of our diaspora. There was
one of everyone in the film.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
Your character specifically a Jay Bondia is like a confluence
of like hip hop culture and an American Indian kid,
you know, And I felt like this was the first
time we got a chance to see ourselves on screen
like this.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What are your thoughts on that level?
Speaker 23 (19:37):
Yeah, it was so interesting. It was you know, it's
an identity film. It's not the it's since then, there
have been so many films that have built on this idea.
But like the infancy of so many communities starts with
an identity film. A lot of early black films are
like this, a lot of early LGBT films, So it's
not unique in that sense before our community, like it's
(19:58):
super unique. And we didn't even know when we made
it if people would watch it and like it. And
you know, our community loves piracy, right, so I remember,
like people would just watch that ship bootleg. Yeah, and
so it didn't really make money. It was not a
money making film, right, But to your point, it was
a cultural impact was huge and everybody saw it and
(20:20):
and that meant a lot to us. I think, you know,
the fact that they resonated with people.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
Yeah, that's that's really cool. You know, all week long,
I've been speaking to the different members of the cast,
and each of them are so accomplished. They went on
to do so many things.
Speaker 24 (20:38):
You know.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
The film I think was really instrumental in that in
terms of spreading everyone out there and putting brown faces
out there. And it certainly made an impact out there
in a time when you didn't quite see it very often.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
And you know, what are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 23 (20:54):
So I don't in my view, I was just in
awe of the cast stright. I think I was only
a couple of years younger than the other guys, but
at that age, you know, I took a semester of
college basically to do this movie, and I was working
with really you know, the rest of the cast had
(21:14):
graduated college. They were all working actors with incredible backgrounds
and theater and music, and it was the first time
that I really thought like, Wow, I'm actually in a
cast with my peers who are like this, and I
looked up to them so much. I still do obviously,
so that I think was the biggest impact. I don't
think the film itself opened any doors in traditional entertainment,
(21:39):
but what it meant by working with people of that caliber,
with that training and for you know, in that sense,
was a first for me, I think for all of
us kind of made us feel like we belonged a
little more than we probably did at the time.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Right right, and in a very important time light. I add,
this is right around this movie comes out right before
nine to eleven. Yeah, and so it became a very important.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Part of our story. Yeah, for sure, definitely.
Speaker 7 (22:05):
You know, Cal of course, we've been talking at a
great extent about your career in front of the camera
or in entertainment. Let's just say, but one of the
cool things about your career, one of my favorite things
about your story has been the time you spent at
the White House working for working alongside President Obama.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And you know, take us to that moment.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
You're a South Asian kid, you've been you know, at
it in entertainment for such a long time, and now
comes this chance to go work at the White House.
When did you pinch yourself there and say, wow, I'm
I can't believe I'm here.
Speaker 23 (22:44):
Yeah, Yeah, there's a there's a story that's much longer
than I know the time we have today on how
it all came together. But I will say this, you know,
the thing that really opened my eyes was I obviously
people knew my story because I happened to be in
a career that was public facing that I took a
little bit of you know, it took like a year
and a half of a break from to serve as government.
(23:07):
But to me, the real story was, there are so
many people. Almost everybody I've worked with was taking a
leave of absence, temporary leave of absence from whatever their
private sector current was. There were teachers and doctors and
lawyers and professors, and those were the people I was
working with, and so it was really reassuring that, you know,
there were so many people who just sort of thought, look,
I have the means and the privilege to serve like
(23:27):
a country right now, I'm going to go and do that.
And generally that is how things work. I know we're
in a really polarized, really tricky time right now, but
I try to look back and remember that usually it's
good people who rally, and it doesn't have to be
you know, in the federal government level. It's in your community,
your school board, your neighborhood association, churches and mosques and
(23:48):
temples and the groups that you can get involved in.
So many people do that kind of work and at
every level it just means a lot. And I felt
grateful to be part of that.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
For the president, that's incredible. Yeah, what an opportunit unity
and and thank you for doing that. What an amazing
role you played there. Certainly, Uh, you can't be serious.
A brand new book that you have just put out there,
and it's titled that way because the Aunties told you
that it was a phrase that they kind of do.
And now it's become the thesis of your book, and
(24:18):
and and and maybe an entire thesis of what you've accomplished. Really,
and tell us about this, this is an interesting take
on on your story.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Really, thanks man.
Speaker 23 (24:29):
Yeah, look, I mostly just wanted to write a funny
book that was similar to like the books that I
like that our memoirs are like you know, Mindy Kayaleing,
Pina Fezsa, stuff like where you can read it at
the pool, read it on vacation, laugh or I narrate
the audiobook myself. So I wanted it to be something
like all right, you're stuck in traffic every day to
and from work, Like, what's something that you can just
(24:50):
listen to and feel good about? So so that's why
I wrote the book and the subtimes you know, So, A,
it's just hopefully fun and funny. But B it's kind
of the subtext is how Hollywood and entertainment and politics
kind of change over time. That these are institutions that
are malleable, that when people like you said, of our
generation in our community come into them, how do they adapt?
(25:12):
How can we push the envelope for things like art
and public service? So it was all that combined, and
there are some like ridiculous stories in there too that
are just kind of fun and silly. So I hope
people like it. It was really fun. I'm a very
slow writer and a very slow reader, and so I've
had a couple of people who have read it and
listened to it just be like, man, I breeze through
that book like, oh good.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It took me four.
Speaker 23 (25:34):
Years to write. So I'm just happy with it.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
I hope you like it.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Man, Thank you.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
That's awesome. Cal All right, well last question for you
before I let you get off the phone. Here we
you know, what's next is it another book?
Speaker 24 (25:47):
You know?
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Where are you looking at these days?
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 23 (25:50):
So I just finished season four of the HBO show
Industry that just dropped on streaming, So I have that
out right now. I have a couple of movies comeing
out later this year. The next one I think is
called Trust Me I'm a Doctor, about Anna Nicole Smith
and her doctor and his sort of uh attempted I
(26:13):
think it was like an attempted murder case basically, but
so kind of interesting stuff within a couple of TV
shows and development. So a lot coming up. And I
got to say, since since I know our listener base,
I just got to thank thank you and thanks for
the folks who listened, for all the love and support.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Of here, Cal.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
Thank you so much, and continued success and all the
great work that you're doing out there and representing our people.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Well, thank you very much, Cal, Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 23 (26:38):
Thanks good to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 22 (26:39):
Cal.
Speaker 7 (26:40):
Likewise, this one is morning Deljit Dosange has heard on
Jimmy Fallon last week stand by for Rizwan.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Do you.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
He can't Canna gets ain't there?
Speaker 12 (27:02):
I can't eat un the.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Lock Puney off, you can't eat on the knock the puney.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I'm telling you to take your hat.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Everyone in there in your heads, get the gut there
ta hard everybody kids got the gut there the tlaharty mondy,
(27:35):
what's the piece like God gotta get the rags, guitar up,
telling and colling jumper the hair part.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Shove me eye up, and so.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I shove my eye up and soil be happy.
Speaker 11 (27:51):
There got the head.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
He had to put their tithing. You taking the candy
to me? Didn't you need on them? The phone helm
in the air, the gut, the gut there the telephan
he CA's it the gut there they money.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Check me out your.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
What you have?
Speaker 4 (28:35):
The thrown up and put you and then put the
You came up the sundown, honey, I.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Got in bad that that look back.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
You bad?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Got that look bad to boot Then he certainly put
me up repay and cowberle had can you get then
they buddy?
Speaker 1 (28:54):
What about about a delged dosans?
Speaker 7 (29:31):
The song is called Mordany great track right there. My
next guest was born in Toronto to Indian parents who
emigrated from Tanzania, and he was raised in Calgary. He
gave a Salem in American Day Sy then went on
to build one of the most consistently working careers of
his generation. Rajiev on NBC's Outsourced, The Unforgettable, Ray Butani
(29:55):
on Ship's Creek, Tick, Pickwick on The Magicians, and Jamil
and James Gunn This Peacemaker. Add to that The Wolf
of Wall Street, Charlie Wilson's War, The Dictator, Mister Robot.
The Man's range runs from broad comedy to genuinely chilling drama.
Let's welcome Riswan Manji to the show. How are you, Riswan?
Speaker 23 (30:15):
I'm good?
Speaker 24 (30:15):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I am good? My goodness? These twenty five years have
just blown by, haven't they.
Speaker 22 (30:22):
I know I couldn't believe it when they told me
it was twenty yourself, I know that I can't be
I can't possibly.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Be this bull.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
You know, I've really been thinking a lot, and I'm
sure you have at certain points of your life as
far as what this movie meant to you and just
meant to the entire scene, and and what it ushered
in in terms of changes and and et cetera, et cetera.
Give us your give us your perspective on this, put
us in. Put this all in a capsule.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
For us.
Speaker 22 (30:51):
Oh well, you know what, I you we get caps
of this movie, right like me and Deep had was
doing like Downtown Theater in New York and he says,
I have this movie, you might write for it, and
I just end up doing it. Then you know, it's
the it's a low budget indie film, and you're like,
(31:12):
you know, you have you have no idea what's going
to happen?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Right?
Speaker 22 (31:15):
And I think the first time I realized the impact
of it was the not even the day of the opening,
but the Saturday, me and my family and I think
Aladdin and some other cast members went to Queens Kauf
Nastoria to watch the movie and I just could it
was it was pasted. I ended up sitting on the stairs,
and the way that the people were just like craving
(31:38):
a movie that they could see themselves in it was
it was shocking to me. How how how And that's
what at that point I were like, oh my god,
this is this is this is something else. This is
not something that I had thought what's going to happen?
You know? Yeah, it definitely was something that people needed
at that time.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know.
Speaker 7 (31:58):
So take us back to where Selim Ali Khan lends
in your lap here and you know, by the way,
which ended up being a very important, you know character
because of just the timing of things in America at
that time.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
And you know, and and nine to eleven happens just
a few months after.
Speaker 7 (32:16):
I'm sure you had no idea of any of this,
of course, with the gravity of the role that you play,
But tell us about the moment you found out about it,
and and just that whole time.
Speaker 22 (32:26):
Yeah, So I, as I said, Deep was telling me
about it, that he was sort of producing and acting
in this movie. And then I got the audition. Well, actually,
no before that, he asked me to come for a
table read, and I think from the we read the
whole script, and the only three people that I remember
besides Deep who ended up in the movie were me
(32:50):
and Aladdin, who played the parts that we played in
the table read, and Porba, who was not playing the
character that she got, but she ended up playing Nina.
Somebody else was reading Nina. We did this table read
and done, you know, I thought I did a great job.
But then they had auditions after that, and they sort
of mixed and matched us with I read with Sunita
and some other girls and then the next day I
(33:11):
got a call saying, hey, would you like to be
a part of it? And I was really excited. You know,
we as you know, there was few in in the
late nineties, there was few and far part parts for
us Brown folk, and getting to work with other South
Asian cast members that was it couldn't I couldn't believe it.
So it was just sort of like a party, like
(33:31):
we spent uh. I think it was like six weeks
New Jersey and and and Manhattan, and we got along
really well and it was like a little party.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
Every day about that that that set must have been
so cool and so much fun with all of you
guys there, and of course everyone going on to do
so many great things individually.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Of course.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
And you know, I was going to ask you you
You've had an amazing career and one that I think
has inspired a lot of South Asian actors and just
creatives out there. And you know, the roles that you've
played have been genuinely across pretty much the entire board
of Brown characters.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
If you will, you know, do you?
Speaker 25 (34:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Really?
Speaker 7 (34:14):
And and and you know, as I think about it,
you know, all the stuff that you've done with whether
it shit's creek or you know all I mean, I
mean so much right and when I think of, uh,
you know what the film was and how it's opened
the door for brown actors and now you've played these.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Like range of roles.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
You know, I guess the question is has the door
genuinely opened or uh riswan, have you found the roles
that were there for you? You know, is it really
genuinely open now or is it are the roles just
very still limited?
Speaker 22 (34:47):
So I always like to answer initially positive, I say
that it's definitely better than it was, you know what
I mean, They're like we're talking if we're talking about
when I started to when it is right now, there's
definitely an improvement. You know, you can tell from the span.
Initially it was all just you know, there were it
(35:08):
was very there was a lot of very stereotypical stuff.
It was very much like you come in as a
cab driver, you need two lines or you know that
kind of stuff where initially started. And it's definitely changed.
You know, I'm I knock on what. I'm very lucky
that I get to get to go into rooms where
where I get to uh, you know, they have an
idea for a character, and I can put some input
(35:29):
and I can I can create something. I just finished
shooting something on Friday where I'm very excited for you
guys to see it. But it's something completely different than
what I've done before. So there's definitely doors that are
that are open. Do I think it's where it needs
to be. No, We're still We're still not where we
need to be there, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I I.
Speaker 22 (35:50):
There are a lot of South Asian actors who are very,
very talented who are not at the level that their
Caucasian counterparts are, you know what I mean, And I
think that that that's unfortunate. So the positive is that
we've definitely moved forward, but there is a lot of
there's a lot of work still to be done.
Speaker 7 (36:10):
That's an interesting observation, and I certainly appreciate your honesty
in the space because I think that's been an interesting
kind of mix of things. That I hear is that
the doors have been opened by this film, but there's
certainly a lot of challenges still remaining. And to your point,
you know, it's not been easy for people to accomplish
(36:31):
what you have, of course, and with your work being
out there and the range of work that you've done,
and yeah, and the impact that you've made through your career.
And you know, to that point, you've worked with the Scorseses,
You've worked with so many different folks like that, and
now you're you know, you play Jamail and Peacemaker now
(36:52):
and it's an interesting role. How different is it than
the sensibility you carried through you know, Ben Saline or
whatever back in the day.
Speaker 22 (37:02):
Well, I realized so I was like, oh, you know
in Peacemaker, I cursed like so like my kids were
watching and they're like.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
What are you doing.
Speaker 22 (37:10):
I'm like, hey, I didn't write it. I didn't write it. Awesome,
but but I realized after watching this American basy again
when we were in the theater, like, uh, several weeks
ago when we did the reunion, that I actually cursed
in India a lot.
Speaker 9 (37:27):
Maybe it's maybe.
Speaker 22 (37:28):
It's my lot in life, but yeah, definitely Jamille was
a very different character. And uh, you know, that was
a very interesting story because it wasn't written for a
South Asian person. The characters name was Jose initially, and
they you know, thankfully, my agent was like, hey, you
(37:50):
guys are having trouble finding the guys you want to
see and it was during COVID, so it was all
over zoom and and I just put myself on tape
and then the you know, like a few days later,
they're like, okay, well James Gunn wants to zoom with you.
So I get on this zoom and it's like James
Gunn and Peter Saffron and and you know, they're just like,
let's and let's just do it and and you know,
(38:12):
that's one of those things I said, well, it wasn't
really written for me, so I had to just do
my take on it right.
Speaker 24 (38:18):
So and.
Speaker 22 (38:21):
It was just it was one of those things where
zoom zoom auditions are so weird because people turn off
their camera and you're the only feel like you're doing
it to an empty space.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
But they were really really it was a really.
Speaker 22 (38:33):
Awesome fun time because they were interactive, they were they
were I think I actually I think he told me
in the zoom that I ended up getting the job,
so that rarely happened. And yeah, so it was just
it was one of those things I'm talked about where
I was like, it wasn't written for somebody like me,
but I got to go in and go, hey, this
is my take on what you and he was like, yeah,
(38:53):
I like this.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
That's great.
Speaker 7 (38:55):
Now, that's awesome, really is awesome as well. You're going
in there, You're you're putting your face, your print on
things and adding the stamp of our community in there.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
That's that's really awesome.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
Matt, going from Jose to a different, completely different Jamil, Right,
that's that's all. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, I often
think about the set there and of course the the
remarkable folks, and we did touch on this in terms
of the great careers everybody has had there across the
board and and to that level. Right, and then when
(39:25):
you look at you know, what's happening now in the
scene that that the scene has evolved to. Now you
you turn on Netflix and you see South Asian stuff
all over the place. There, although it is being produced
all over the world, it may not be considerable, considerably
you know, telling the story of the South Asian experience
here in North America or the diaspora. For that reason,
(39:45):
have we run out of stories here? Was one is
that the deal are we not interesting to the rest
of the world, Like what's going on?
Speaker 22 (39:51):
Well, the I'd say the opposite. There we have so
many stories that we I feel like it's not enough
we have. It's not you know what I mean, Like
we need there's more stories. There's there. There's the the
American story, there's a Muslim story, there's the stuff. You know,
there's so many things that we still need to tell.
I'm excited again. I'm excited that there's a bunch of
(40:12):
stuff coming up from all over the world that's sort
of uh in the pipeline that I know about. But
you definitely can never have enough. We we just you know,
we just we just seed.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
We need more.
Speaker 22 (40:27):
And I'm trying to produce myself, so I have some stories.
I have a show that me and my friend are
pitching right now. So we're we're excited about telling different stories.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
Uh Raswan uh forever the fan of your work and
here in our South Asian community. Thank you for being
a champion out there and for being so visible for
us all and thanks for you know, being a part
of that big film twenty five years ago and leaving
us with these great memories.
Speaker 5 (40:57):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 22 (40:57):
Thank you for taking the time to talk to all
of us, and you know, I really appreciated and yeah,
I'm really excited for what's to come. And thank you again.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Thank you as one that's for his one monji. Everybody
full lun artists.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Got lookay by August Sooner Doyana burdy of your jugger
my good lordye dogra my heck Vara Devara full full
(41:45):
lun artists lookay by August Sooneraana.
Speaker 11 (41:56):
Buddy of hi jugger my good lord. H m hmm
man the a ngir gool?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Who are doing? When the arongir gooda?
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Who are doing?
Speaker 26 (42:22):
Or not?
Speaker 13 (42:23):
Barson or mad ram har har ha j John Jahan, your.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Uncle Jay the charney. I'm not such a argered.
Speaker 8 (42:44):
Lookame listen, oh.
Speaker 7 (43:15):
Sunahda jad here one of our favorite artists here on
this show, Ladies and gentlemen. My next guest was born
and raised in East Harlem, the son of Bangladeshi immigrants,
and one of the first South Asian American stand up
comedians to break through in New York City. He gave
us Professor Galtham Rau and American Dacy voiced Hanuman and
(43:38):
Sita Singh's The Blues, led the cult classic Uncle Mordies Dubshack,
and most recently wrote and directed In Search of Bengali Harlem,
a deeply personal documentary tracing his own families for Godden history. Comedian, actor, filmmaker, storyteller.
Please welcome to the bridge, Alalden aka Aladdin.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Welcome to the show. How are you, brother?
Speaker 5 (44:04):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
How's everything We're doing well?
Speaker 5 (44:07):
Man?
Speaker 7 (44:08):
American Day sy twenty five years this year? You know
you hear that number that well, does it feel like
twenty five years?
Speaker 5 (44:16):
Do you?
Speaker 18 (44:17):
No?
Speaker 19 (44:18):
It doesn't.
Speaker 5 (44:19):
I mean it was quite. It was very moving to,
you know, be around people who you know, just remembered,
you know, the film and then it brought back so
many memories that I hadn't seen a film in twenty
five years. And what was fascinating is that we all
kind of knew each other when we were shooting the film,
because we were all kind of in different genres and
(44:41):
different places. And I mean I said in the talk
back that I knew ron A Beer. He just came
out of Yale University.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
He was like the.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
Clitsical, you know, actor, and he didn't King and I
on Broadway and Rizwan and Perva were grinding in the
theater world, you know, doing off off Broadway. You know
in the East village, you know, in basements, and you know,
we knew Cal because Cal, I think was in LA
at the time, going to school, and I was I
(45:10):
was really like working hard as a stand up comedian.
I mean, I help open doors for comedians today. Yeah,
you know, it's crazy because when we saw the film,
I had forgotten some of the things, you know, in
the nineties, like I was I was the first comedian
in the New York Times to do a self produced show,
and the article said, here's the one about the comics
(45:31):
with the Cause, And there were people people there that
were that remembered, you know, the stand up shows that
I did in the nineties when I was like out
of high school sote, which absolutely It's funny because I'm
in a place now where I'm writing and directing films,
I'm behind the camera. But to kind of see that,
it's almost like, you know, back to the future, your
(45:53):
time traveling in the place that you had forgotten.
Speaker 7 (45:55):
Yeah, you know, just to give people context, A Latin
at that time when this film was being made and
when it came out, was probably one of the most
prominent figures in that film. But the crew when the
film was being assembled at that time. I mean, if
I don't mind saying so myself. And the time, you
know where you know, our South Asian representation just wasn't
(46:17):
so vast as it is now. You were really one
of the first few people out there putting a face
to our community.
Speaker 5 (46:24):
My man. Yeah, to show you the grind. I mean,
I just went on Broadway a couple of days ago
to see Cedric the Entertainer on Broadway. He and I
were in the first season of BT's Comics Few that
d o Uly hosted That's My Way Back. So at
the time, like you know, in the country, there were
(46:45):
no South Asians on national TV, so I was performing
on national TV. So I was being recognized and I
was trying to make that jump to TV. And you
know what's interesting is that, you know, film wasn't even
in my sort of phone focus and because I thought
it was really stereotypical, and Peuse was like, I want
you to read for associate professor, Like what.
Speaker 7 (47:09):
So all right, let's let's let's go back to two
thousand and one. Yeah, you're you're, you're, you're, you get handed,
you know, got them raw in your lap. You know,
what was your first read on him. What was your
what was your take on the character? And I'm getting
the reaction. It was a little bit of a like,
what kind of a moment for you? Tell us about that?
Speaker 5 (47:27):
Well, it was. It was dope because a lot of
people who came to audition, you know, there's a lot
of people who are like working now in the industry,
like Sean christianin and a lot of other people. You
met people who were South Asian that were in the arts,
who were actors.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
At the audition.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
And so when I when I read for him, I
was still tripping that I was reading for an associate
professor because I'm not kidding, the industry was so racist.
Speaker 21 (47:52):
I was only reading for.
Speaker 5 (47:54):
Cap drivers and for like terrorists, and I'm going I'd
go into the audition like, you know, man, you do
know I'm from one hundred and fourth Street, New York.
Why am I reading this? But Pews was absolutely like, yo,
you can have fun with this character. You can just
kind of like run with it. And so it was
it was just really nice to be around the director
who said, yeah, I see you as an associate professor,
(48:16):
and our people are vast and this is who I
think American dacy is beautiful because you've got a Mustlim,
you've gotta seekh you've got Hindu, you got Punjabi all
together kind of you know, winking at the audience saying,
we know the struggle, but we're just making fun of
it in a very South Asian way. And the fact
that the main character, Chris is short for Krishna, like
(48:38):
we all related to being you know, ABCD. So I
felt it was timely and for me to play a
professor or associate professor. You know, it was just kind
of cool that, you know, I could put my foot
into a character that wasn't like me, but yet you know,
there was a large percentage of South Asians that related
to the film because they had come to the country
(48:59):
and the academic scholarships to pursue a PhD or you know,
the masters, and they were they were professive. So it's
funny in academia people were coming up to me and going,
that was me, that was me, and you know, I,
you know, I scratched my head and go, you know,
this was like in nineteen ninety nine or two thousand,
So it was just really nice to play a character
(49:19):
that wasn't you know, a type cast, right, you know,
terrorist or a cab driver. Well, you know, it was refreshing.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
It was let's let's let's you know, let's put this
film into context. Here now here we are twenty five
years later, celebrating the moment you refer to when it
came out and to kind of give people context. This
film came out in an interesting moment for our community
because it was right before nine to eleven and then
right after nine to eleven.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
This was one of the first films that.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
People really had reference of our culture in like film
from the diaspora perspective, which really became interesting. It told
the story of our community and maybe even explained who
we were to a certain extent. And I think that
this film grew in not only just and just in value,
but just in terms of just the overall kind of
(50:10):
gravity that it had for us in the greater fabric
of the of the country. All this to say, what
do you when you know, you know, you look back
on the legacy of this film. It's certainly made a
mark in our culture. How do you how do you
kind of reflect back on this film?
Speaker 5 (50:29):
I think, you know, I deal with this as a
writer and the director and making films now, and you know,
I've been played and you know, I've kind of done
every genre on the arts, from you know, animation to
TV to film to theater. And one of the things
is that you want people to see us with nuance,
but also that we're human. And I know it sounds simplistic,
(50:52):
and you know, because I was a comedian and I
was getting national attention all the roles that I was reading,
which just they weren't And I would tell the casting director,
telet director, I'm like, hey, do you know that there's
stories of South Asians who came to America and you
know it came for a better life, and you know
there's comedy and there's you know, stuff that really is
(51:14):
entertaining that. Yeah, I just read the lines. I felt
we weren't being heard, we weren't being seen. And what
Puche did with American Daisy is he reached I think
our community by saying we do exist. There's a vast
array of colors and people that are in our world,
and we're South Asians of different colors, different ethnicities, different religions,
(51:36):
different sizes and shapes, and we're human and we have
a sense of humor, that is really ours and I
think that film captured that and it's a special it's
a special moment when you as a performer, you're working
so much, just moving on to the next gig and
the next gig, and to reflect back on a time
where that wasn't even an agenda in our industry, where
(51:58):
they didn't even see us, it's huge and that we
can laugh. I mean, to see that, I mean, that's
just that's beautiful, man, because you know, that's something that's
not like celebrated in South Asian culture in the art right.
And while I love Bollywood films and they're beautiful and
I grew up on it, there's not enough films about us,
(52:19):
about the younger version of us. Who are we as youth?
Who are we as you know, our struggle and going
to college and identity and what is our name? Like
that's the own kind of like checked all the boxes
of the stuff that South Asians who were young dealing
with that in a very fit.
Speaker 7 (52:37):
Yeah, mister Ullah, thank you so much for joining us today.
You have been an absolute class act to talk to today.
And again, congratulations on twenty five years and most importantly,
congratulations and all the great work you've been doing since
then as well.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
And here's the more success for you, sir, thank you,
thanks for having us of.
Speaker 7 (52:57):
Course, brother of course the great a k Aladdin A
great conversation that was. We'll be right back after this time.
Speaker 24 (53:06):
Ku Su Mammy bah jamaat Malanga Jama, look a gimme
don Bernard Jama.
Speaker 27 (53:21):
There's got you myself there, you teller Jama Bajana, you're not.
Speaker 24 (53:37):
Ja away.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Sat by Billy Coo to Billy.
Speaker 28 (53:58):
Billy, Lika melkosura, kaki kusa kun oh be cool for
a tired Chadarsacharna headed look it to has in.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
The game maybealy cools.
Speaker 8 (54:18):
Giant man.
Speaker 27 (54:21):
Human, but there is a lot of salad or just
don't love a god you can get don't John Adam.
Speaker 24 (54:36):
Today, how bout you calling.
Speaker 19 (54:40):
Ka banana men?
Speaker 3 (54:43):
But Jana can harm You're not harve jan man can kaaway.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
That's a simmon Jadre. The song is called Makana.
Speaker 7 (55:05):
Looking forward to tomorrow's episode, everybody will be joined by
Deep Kadare Deep with the lead actor in the movie
American Basi, also one of the producers, will have a
conversation with him and we'll be joined tomorrow by Bush
Bondia the writer director looking forward to that.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
Here's Doita Das Gupta for you.
Speaker 29 (55:24):
Thanks Sammy, Hi everyone, this is dead Guta you Rokasavni
radio music Curs bond and back with some fun facts
about your favorite artists. Today we're talking about a musical legend,
Shira Goshal, whose voice has become the emotional backbone of
Indian cinema.
Speaker 19 (55:38):
From debuting as a teenage sensation in.
Speaker 29 (55:41):
Diptas with BiDi Pia and Dola Retola, She's still recorded
over three thousand songs in twenty plus languages.
Speaker 19 (55:48):
That's a vocal journey few can match.
Speaker 29 (55:49):
And her words cabinet boast five National Film Awards and
countless FilmFair wins. She even has her own wax figure
at Madame Tissan's.
Speaker 19 (55:58):
In twenty twenty five, Shira's.
Speaker 29 (55:59):
Voice rich into film with TRACKSIX Sarah and Bus from
to New Melody SA Show.
Speaker 19 (56:04):
She's still defining romance in Bollywood music.
Speaker 29 (56:07):
So whether you discovering her so iconic classics at or
Na or her recent film releases, Ria Koshell continues to
remind us why she's the unmatched voice of the nation.
Speaker 19 (56:18):
Well that's all for me. Now back to Sammy, thank
you so much.
Speaker 7 (56:21):
We're getting ready for the big Trea Go show tour
this summer, looking forward to it. Here's her song called Lelo,
and I'll be back with some closing remarks.
Speaker 30 (56:30):
Medie Sadi Hello, Medi Bady Hello, Medico, Hey, Sadi, Hello, Madi.
Speaker 19 (56:54):
Journey shiny.
Speaker 30 (57:00):
Virgildy shaka the Charny.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
On the show.
Speaker 31 (57:09):
Rosa Caribe the deab Sobat plans are LOOKI say, com
sger Nasa meaning let jam bird at the park and
many dollar.
Speaker 26 (57:31):
Maybe hoping Hello, sob they mom at they had miracle,
Lem's sorry, don't even the real alone.
Speaker 30 (57:45):
Maybe hustlady the Vergilby.
Speaker 31 (57:50):
I shook the jersey and a shiny Hussardy the echo every.
Speaker 7 (58:02):
Sure shall The song is called Lelo Great stuff and folks,
that's a wrap. On this episode three of Our American
They See twenty fifth anniversary special right here on the bridge.
Cal Penn, Riswan Manji a loalden Ullah three men who
in two thousand and one made us laugh on a
(58:23):
college campus, and over the next twenty five years took
that laughter and built three of the most distinct boundary
breaking careers in our community has ever produced. Cal who
went on from A J. Pondia to Kumar to the
Namesake to the Obama White House and back and gave
us New York Times best selling memoir along the way.
(58:44):
Riswan the working actors, working actor who's quietly built one
of the most consistent careers in all of Hollywood, from
Outsourced to Shit's Creek to Wolf of Wall Street to Peacemaker.
And then you have Aladdin, the East Harlem stand up
who became a filmmaker, took the camera and turned it
on to his own community, the Bangladeshi roots in search
(59:07):
of Bengali Harlem. Now, these are three artists that took
three different, completely different roads to their end game and
one starting line. Tomorrow's the big one. We'll close it
out with the week of American Dacy's twenty fifth anniversary
special with the men who saw all of this before
any of us did. We'll be joined by Deep Kadare
(59:31):
and we'll be joined by push Pandhia tomorrow. Really looking
forward to it, folks. I'll leave you guys here with
Jordan Sandhu.
Speaker 25 (59:38):
Have a great day, everybody, and comm.
Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Badimore and thought with the liatackling here, I can't everything.
My pony apple can't everything.
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.