INTERVIEW: AASIF MANDVI

He once earned a smidgeon of screen time when portraying an angered cabbie chasing after a stolen taxi hijacked by Bruce Willis’s character in Die Hard With A Vengeance. Nearly two decades later, Aasif Mandvi finds himself having more on-screen face time than he knows what to do with, as the actor with a recurring role on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show is also the lead in this week’s independent feature film release, Today’s Special. Winner of the Best of the Fest award at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival, Today’s Special was also the opening night film at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in March.

Inspired but not based upon Mr. Mandvi’s one-man stage show of more than a decade ago, Sakina’s Restaurant, the versatile Indian American actor believes Today’s Special is a worthy watch for two reasons--it appeals to foodies as well as to those who understand the immigrant experience.

“I brought the world of the Indian American experience, and (co-screenwriter) Jonathan Bines brought his world as a foodie and a food critic,” Mr. Mandvi, who also procured the screenplay with Mr. Bines, told Buzzine in an exclusive interview. “The film is really about integration. I think that’s more than the South Asian immigrant experience, but it’s a human experience. In order to be a whole person, he has to reclaim his own cultural identity--the one he initially rejected.”

Portraying a sous chef working at an upscale New York restaurant and whose dreams of studying French cuisine are shattered when he is forced to take over his father’s Indian restaurant, Mr. Mandvi, who won the Best Actor award at Mahinda Indo-American Arts Council for his role as Samir in the film, said Today’s Special is ultimately a human story of identity and integrity.

“I think a lot of things in the world can be brought back to a disassociation of things. The movie is ultimately of integrity of character, not just integrity of purpose,” Mr. Mandvi told Buzzine. “It’s also about hopefulness, and it’s funny. I think what the audience is responding to is the film is about family. There is an element of something very delicious.”

Even more, Mr. Mandvi truly believes that Today’s Special, which is directed by David Kaplan and also stars Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah alongside Madhur Jaffrey and Ajay Naidu, has the perfect recipe to entertain audiences in light of today’s global socio-political-economic climate.

“We’re in a world right now where people are dealing with economic troubles and polarization of viewpoints. This movie, I think, is cathartic,” Mr. Mandvi humbly said.

As for how Today’s Special affected him personally, Mr. Mandvi thoroughly enjoyed his experience playing the lead, mostly because he feels his role as Samir provided insight into who Aasif is when the red light is off.

“I am the romantic lead in the film” Mr. Mandvi began to explain before lightheartedly skewing off the beaten path by jokingly saying “and I am a romantic lead in life. Those who hang out with me for a long period of time would see the person I am in Today’s Special is who I am all the time.”

Even more, Mr. Mandvi told Buzzine that very little, if anything, has changed for him professionally, other than the fact that he has steadily earned roles with more screen time than he had in Die Hard With A Vengeance.

“I don’t feel like (my career has) changed. I think Today’s Special is the most personal thing I’ve done since Sakina’s Restaurant. But end of the day, I am an actor, and there are many roles I have portrayed,” Mr. Mandvi said. “I don’t see this as different from anything I’ve done before.”

One thing that is different, however, is the role Indian Americans are beginning to play in Hollywood. When Mr. Mandvi first started in Hollywood about 20 years ago, there were very few Indian Americans to be found within the industry. Even worse, many landed stereotypical roles such as doctors, taxi cab drivers, convenience store clerks, and terrorists. Now, Indian Americans are finally starting to land legitimate roles, and while such progress is positive and well-noted by Mr. Mandvi, he is not sure whether the industry is fully up to speed with society.

“On one level, there is more globalization; we live in a post-9/11-Slumdog-Obama world. There are more brown people out there. Americans are accepting us as part of the tapestry,” he opined to Buzzine. “But we still haven’t crossed over into the mainstream as much as we can. We still have work to do in creating the image of South Asians in America. Outsourced has the highest number of South Asian cast members, and it's on NBC; and that’s great, but there is an element of “other” and, oh yeah, they (the characters) are foreign. The integrations has not happened in Hollywood as much as it has in America itself.”

Whether or not further integration in Hollywood will actually occur, Mr. Mandvi pointed out that what matters most is the story, such as the one ultimately told in Today’s Special--a story of identity and the ability of an individual to understand there is more to the world than just themselves.

“Maybe nothing needs to be done, or maybe we need to be more active (about promoting integration in Hollywood), but Today's Special is a story told by us, for us, and beyond,” he stated with fortitude. “That’s the key--the 'beyond' part. These stories are being told. It’s just a matter of supporting playwrights and television writers, and having that economic and creative control.”

Such support, ideally, will be directed Mr. Mandvi’s way this weekend, as the independently produced Today’s Special hits movie theaters on November 19th.