Desi Today Magazine
With sharp features, golden skin tones, and larger than life dance moves, Indian actors have excelled in the international film circuit with their acting prowess. A young generation of actors of Indian origin have taken the international film market by storm, and we’ve compiled our own list of actors to watch.
Parminder Nagra
Known as the girl who stole our hearts in her breakthrough film Bend It Like Beckham, Nagra has played pivotal roles during her career as an actress. From ER to Alcatraz, to her recurring role in Psych and star role in The Blacklist, Parminder Nagra is definitely an actress to watch.
Sarita Choudhury
The Bengali-Indian and half English descent actress is best known for her roles in Mississippi Masala, The Perez Family and Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. More recently Choudhury played the role of the King’s mistress in the NBC drama Kings, and is Saul Berenson’s wife in the series Homeland.
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam, better known by her professional name of Mindy Kaling, is known for her role on The Office. The 34 year old actress currently stars at Mindy Lahiri in the FOX sitcom The Mindy Project. She has played hilarious roles since her career debuted in 2003, including appearing in the film The Five-Year Engagement. Starting her career off as a writer, Kaling first joined The Office at the young age of 24 as the only woman on a staff of eight.
Kal Penn
Born Kaplen Suresh Modi, Kal Penn is known for his role on the series House, as well as the character Kumar Patel in the Harold and Kumar series. He is recognized for his outstanding performance in the critically acclaimed film, The Namesake. In addition to being an actor, Penn is a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and currently works as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Aziz Ansari
Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari started his career performing standup comedy in New York City while attending NYU. In 2007, he created and starred in the critically acclaimed MTV sketch show Human Giant, which led to acting roles in feature films incl.: Funny People, I Love You, Man, Observe & Report & 30 Minutes or Less.
Waris Ahluwalia
An Indian-American designer and actor, Waris Ahluwalia’s first film was The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and he has gone on to play roles on TV series like The Unusuals, The Carrie Diaries and in films like Missed Connections, The Darjeeling Limited, Inside Man, and The F Word.
