Cover-kunal-compressed

26 DARPANTMJULY / AUGUST 2013
Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle
BY
GARIMA
GOSWAMI
STORY
Starring in today’s most popular comedy sitcom, Kunal Nayyar needs no
introduction. He comes aboard with his unique style of dexterity, wit and jest.
YES!That’s what he is, a comedy genius. Starring
in one of the most popular comedy shows
in history – The Big Bang Theory – Kunal
Nayyar has come a long way with his baggage
of six stupendous seasons (more to come)
and of course a massive lineup of fans across
the globe, who just can’t get enough of his
succinct wittiness. Growing up in India and
bagging a major role on American television,
Nayyar’s accomplishments surpass inter-
national boundaries with a wider audience
wanting more and more of his intellectual
humour.
As I converse with Nayyar, I find him
laid back and composed, with his humour
making appearances in between. He
delightfully says working on the show is “a
dream come true. Big Bang Theory has sort
of been a dream scenario.”
Nayyar was born in London, United
Kingdom, but moved to New Delhi, India
at the age of four, and described the period
as “wonderful” and the “best thing.” Nayyar
says, “You are always surrounded by family.
It would never just be you or your parents for
dinnerbutalwaysyourcousinsandneighbours.
There was just this sense of community
and there were always people around and
I loved that.” He speaks profoundly on his
love for New Delhi, talking about the love
and affection, which in his words, extended
beyond the nuclear
family. “A nuclear family
meantlike20peoplebasically,”
he says with a laugh. “You know
with all the festivals in India – Rakhi
or Diwali or Holi, it was just wonderful…
Delhi has just been home.”
Nayyar’s parents – both retired – reside in
New Delhi. His father was an accountant,
while his mother was an interior designer.
He was the younger sibling to an elder
brother but was always treated like an adult
by his parents, who constantly supported
his dreams and journey to stardom. Nayyar
credits them for the humble upbringing that
his parents instilled in him. “I think that they
cared less about my success and more about
the kind of person I was going to become or

27DARPANTM JULY / AUGUST 2013
A performer from a young age, Nayyar was involved in plays and musicals in India,
but it was while doing theatre in America that he was exposed to the wider horizons of
this glamourous profession. One of his prominent works dates back to 2006, where he
was cast in the play Huck & Holden at the Dahlia Theater in Los Angeles. He played an Indian exchange student, who is anxious to experience
American culture before returning back home. Nayyar was recognized for this role, and was awarded ‘Best Male Lead in a Play on the West
Coast’ by the Garland Awards. Across the pond, he also acted in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-
Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

I’m continuing to work on becoming.” Nayyar’s
elder brother currently lives in India and works in
private equity.
As Nayyar speaks lavishly about his love
for New Delhi, he also throws light on a common
misunderstanding that his fans hold about him.
“A lot of my fans think I’m American…they don’t
know I’m actually from India.” Most fans asso-
ciate Nayyar’s life with two nations, the United
Kingdom and the United States. “No one actu-
ally knows that I grew up in New Delhi and my
parents live there and my home is there, which I
find fascinating. But I guess you get your informa-
tion from the Internet, right, so I don’t even know
what’s on the Internet.”
Getting back to humour, Nayyar tells me that
being part of a family that constantly cracked jokes
at one another’s expense, he had no option but
to develop quick wit and hilarity to bounce back
from "what was thrown at you, otherwise you get
eaten alive.” So now we know where those swiftly
flying jokes come from. But what about acting?
Well, Nayyar had never planned on making acting
a source to earn his bread and butter until his
junior year in college in America. Not that he had
never experienced acting previously; rather it was
something he was engrossed in since his schooling
years in Delhi, but it was only in his junior year in
collegethatherealized“ThisiswhatIreallywant…
then I started taking all the theatre classes and I
ended up getting my degree in business.” And to
prove his passion for acting, this comedian then
got his Masters in Acting, and jokes “so then it all
evened out.”
A performer from a young age, Nayyar was
involved in plays and musicals in India, but it
was while doing theatre in America that he was
exposed to the wider horizons of this glamourous
profession. One of his prominent works dates
back to 2006, where he was cast in the play Huck
& Holden at the Dahlia Theater in Los Angeles. He
played an Indian exchange student, who is anxious
to experience American culture before returning
You’re in front of a camera, you
are playing to an audience the size of
a lens. The lens is small which means
that’s what people are going to see.”
Moving on to theatre, Nayyar explains,
“When you are acting in theatre, you
are acting in front of 300 to 1,000
people so you can’t afford the luxury
to be as settled because in theatre
you have to play to the last role.”
PHOTO:CINE.COM

Nayyar plays Rajesh Koothrappali, in The Big Bang
Theory, and considers the show to be a “dream sce-
nario,” with his team of talented co-stars and an
excellent set of writers.
The Big Bang Theory wrapped up its sixth season in May 2013, with their finale episode, The Bon Voyage
Reaction.The sixth season closer was watched by 15.48 million people, according to their website.
back home. Nayyar was recognized for this
role, and was awarded ‘Best Male Lead in
a Play on the West Coast’ by the Garland
Awards. Across the pond, he also acted in
Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Royal Shakespeare
Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, the
birthplace of William Shakespeare.
Although Nayyar majored in business at
the University of Portland, he was always
acting and in his senior year, he was
nominated for ‘Best Actor’ in his play The
Rose Tattoo. He was then invited to the
American College Theater Festival, where he
competed in an acting competition, where
he eventually won the Mark Twain Award
for comic brilliance, as well as a fellowship
to the prestigious Sundance Theater Lab.
He completed his Masters in Fine Arts from
Temple University in Philadelphia
As for television, Nayyar landed television
roles that include the popular series NCIS
(NavalCriminalInvestigativeService),where
he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist, in
a Season 4 episode. Then came his big break
– the comedic role of Rajesh Koothrappali in
CBS’s The Big Bang Theory.
Playing Raj in The Big Bang Theory – the
young genius astrophysicist, who suffers
from selective “mutism” and pathological
shyness, Nayyar mentions the hard work
involved in entertaining a global audience.
“We work very hard and make it look easy.”
However, an indubitable team of talented
and phenomenal actors, including Jim
Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco,
makes the work effortless and as Nayyar
emphasizes, a great team of writers further
makes their job easier.
Reflecting on his experience in both
theatre and television, Nayyar elaborates
on both mediums saying that when “you’re
in front of a camera, you are playing to an
audience the size of a lens. The lens is small
which means that’s what people are going to
see.” Moving on to theatre, Nayyar explains,
“When you are acting in theatre, you are
acting in front of 300 to 1,000 people so you
can’t afford the luxury to be as settled because
intheatreyouhavetoplaytothelastrole.”He
further elaborates on the intricacies of theatre
saying a performer has to physically express
various expressions like being shocked to
every person in the theatre, whether he/she
is in the 25th row or beyond.
“Theycan’tseeeverysinglefacialexpression
of yours, they are further away so you have
to really allow your body to be part of your
The Big Bang Theory cast members flaunting their Favorite TV Comedy award at the People’s Choice
Awards 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

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you’re in front of a camera,
you are playing to an audience
the size of a lens. The lens
is small which means that’s
what people are going to see.”
Moving on to theatre, Nayyar
explains, “When you are acting
in theatre, you are acting in
front of 300 to 1,000 people
so you can’t afford the luxury
to be as settled because in
theatre you have to play to the
last role.”
performance. In television, you can get away
with not having to engage your body as much.”
That seems an apt description, but what does he
prefer? “I’ll take it all, whoever gives me a job,”
he replies with a chuckle.
This talented comedian is now gearing up for
another bang, however this time the bang will
reverberate his skills on the big screen. Nayyar
is all set to make his debut in an upcoming film
titled Dr. Cabbie, where he plays an interesting
character differing from Raj and stars opposite
Isabelle Kaif – Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif’s
sister – who will also be making her debut on
the big screen with Dr. Cabbie.
The movie revolves around an Indian guy,
who comes to Canada to become a physician
but ends up driving a cab and healing patients
in his cab. Nayyar plays his best friend, who is
a cabbie in Canada from India. “I was looking
to do a project that was completely different
from Raj, and this has been a great experience,”
says Nayyar.
He also dishes on his co-star Kaif and says
“Isabelle is a wonderful young actress. I think
she’s talented and well trained, and she’s been a
joy to work with.” The film is co-produced by
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and appears
to be a collaboration between Bollywood and
Canada.
Since the movie is set in the backdrop of
Toronto,Nayyarspentquitesometimeshooting
in this Canadian city and seems to be gaga about
our wonderful country. “I was there for seven
weeks and shooting 14 hours a day. So if you can
stillloveacountryafterthatgruelingschedule…
it really is a wonderful place. Toronto is a great
city and I love the people.”
Dr. Cabbie might be his debut appearance in
a movie, but that would only be in terms of a
physicalappearance.Nayyarhadpreviouslylent
PHOTO:WARNERBROS.ENTERTAINMENTINC.,SMALLZ+RASKIND,CINE.COM,PEOPLE.COM

his voice in the fourth installment of the popular
Ice Age series for the voiceover of the animated
character Gupta, who is an Indian badger and a
pirate. Nayyar recalls how as children you dress
up and play different voices, but as you grow up
and adapt to adulthood, all those childish
things take a backseat. However, with Ice
Age 4: Continental Drift, Nayyar calls it a
“wonderful” experience, as it’s like “being
a kid again.” While it may sound like all
fun and games doing voiceover work for the
role of Gupta, it’s certainly not as light as it
sounds. “You also have to do sounds, like
effort sounds, such as climbing up the stairs
or falling or hurting [yourself].”
Recently Nayyar was seen presenting at
the MuchMusic Video Awards in Canada,
where he was one of the notable presenters
amongst others like Lucy Hale, Shay
Mitchell, Stephen Amell, Naya Rivera and
many others.
Another hidden talent this actor speaks
modestly about is his flair of writing, “I
don’t consider myself a writer. I’m an actor
who writes.” It was a casual night in New
Delhi when he, along with a friend, wrote
the critically acclaimed play Cotton Candy.
The duo worked through the night to
complete the finished product, which was a
success in India and ran over and over again,
even after Nayyar came back to LA. “It was
just sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing and
it turned into this huge thing.”
The height of a comedian’s skill and talent
can be interpreted with the manner he
handles a live audience. Even in that sphere,
Nayyar came out in flying colours with his
highly appreciated comedic timing as host
for the 2011 Just for Laughs:Tribute to Nerds;
a show that pays homage to those whose
lives consist of iPhones, apps, graphic novels
and so forth. He co-hosted the show with
his fellow co-star Simon Helberg from
The Big Bang Theory. The show was one
of the most celebrated and buzzed-about
show at the 2011 Just For Laughs festival
in Montreal. Nayyar humbly talks about
that experience saying, “We had really
good writers to help us host the thing and
Nayyar poses with the star cast of his upcoming flick
called Dr. Cabbie. (Left-Right) Isabelle Kaif, Kunal Nayyar,
Adrianne Palicki and Vinay Virmani.
Nayyar married Neha
Kapur – an Indian model
and former Miss India,
who also represented
India at the Miss Universe
pageant. Nayyar recollects
the first time he saw
Kapur and thought to
himself, ‘Oh my god! She’s
hot.’ He goes on to say
“She is 5’10 and I’m 5’8
and she was wearing
5-inch heels so she was
6’3 and I was 5’8. I said to
her, ‘Sit down. I’ll buy you a
drink’ and that was it.”
PHOTO:PEOPLE..COM

it was really fun. Montreal is a beautiful city and
celebrating nerds, which we do every day on our
show… it was fun. I would love to do it again.”
Whenawayfromcameraandlimelight,Nayyar
enjoys playing the guitar, spending the day on
the green playing golf, watching television and
spending time doing his favourite thing – taking
a nap. “I love napping.” He relates this back to an
Indian way of life, where the weekend afternoon
hours are reserved for a nap. “That’s Indians, I
mean no one is calling the house between 2 and
4 pm on a Saturday.”
In contrast from his reel life character of Raj
– an individual who has a tough time when it
comes down to dating – Nayyar in real life
seems to be quite a charmer. In the fall of
2011, Nayyar married Neha Kapur – an
Indian model and former Miss India, who
also represented India at the Miss Universe
pageant. The couple initially met in 2009 in
India at the bar opening of a mutual friend.
Nayyar recollects the first time he saw Kapur
and thought to himself, ‘Oh my god! She’s
hot.’ He goes on to say “She is 5’10 and I’m
5’8 and she was wearing 5-inch heels so she
was 6’3 and I was 5’8. I said to her, ‘Sit down.
I’ll buy you a drink’ and that was it.”
A predominant custom in the Indian
fashion and modeling industry – a successful
model at some point ends up diverting her
career towards Bollywood, however in the case of
Nayyar’s successful model wife, we witness Kapur
burgeoning her career in the fashion industry.
Nayyar tells us Kapur is designing a clothing line
for the ‘Fall 2014’ season.
Gearing our conversation towards where he
draws his inspiration from and who his role
model or mentor is, Nayyar speaks passionately,
making his father the focal point of his answer.
“I have many mentors. But I think that if I end
up like my father in my life, I think I would
succeed at least in something in life.” So that
speaks for who his role model is. But from who
does ‘the comedian’ in him get inspiration from?
“I love watching the greats like Steve Martin and
Robin Williams. Peters Sellers is phenomenal,”
says Nayyar. Another source of inspiration he
mentions is the perfectionist of Bollywood –
Aamir Khan.
Speaking of Bollywood, since he is starring in
a movie co-produced by a Bollywood superstar,
does he look forward to projects in the largest film
industry on the globe? “There’s a lot of filmmakers
doing really, really wonderful work in India and I
would love to be part of that wave somehow,” says
Nayyar. “In Dr. Cabbie, I did some dancing and
lip-syncing and fun stuff like that. I’d love to do
something [that] was just like a mirror to society,
and to do a movie about something that no one
talks about, and just show it in a very raw, not
candid form, if that makes any sense.” Well, with
his level of expertise in acting, we can expect more
of him in the near future, whether it is Hollywood
or Bollywood. As it is, his fan following surpasses
North American borders.
Nayyar is all set to make his
debut in an upcoming film titled
Dr. Cabbie, where he plays an
interesting character differing
from Raj and stars opposite
Isabelle Kaif – Bollywood
actress Katrina Kaif’s sister
– who will also be making her
debut on the big screen with
Dr. Cabbie. “I was looking to do
a project that was completely
different from Raj, and this has
been a great experience,” says
Nayyar.
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For an individual who initially had no plans
on carving a career in acting and was brought up
in India, we can imagine the profuse hard word
and dedication he implemented to mould the
success story he owns today. Nayyar’s journey
from New Delhi to starring in one of the most
popular comedy sitcoms is motivational to a
myriad of aspiring actors.
A worthy and prudent piece of advice he
shares with fellow aspiring actors is “There is
so much out of your control, that the only
thing you can do is work that out.” Speaking
further on that note, Nayyar says, “There’s
this notion that if you make your body right
and your look right, you’ll get cast. I never
understood that notion. Invest money in
training because ultimately when the camera
is rolling, if you’re good, you’re good, if you’re
not, you’re not. So to have longevity in the
industry, you need training.”
He lays strong emphasis on staying up-do-
datewiththeindustryyouwanttobreakinto.
“Wake up in morning and read the news, the
entertainment news – I’m surprised at actors
who are like ‘I don’t watch television or I
don’t watch movies.’ I’m like why would you
wanttobeanactor.Ifyouwereastockbroker,
would you not look at the market?” So in the
words of Nayyar, if you want to break into
the acting industry, be informed of relevant
news, invest in training and ultimately, work
hard, as those are the only things you can
control.
For the future, post winding up The
Big Bang Theory, Nayyar considers there will
be more job hunting on his part. With all
seriousness and honesty, he states that when
The Big Bang Theory ends, he will be out of a
job, however he expresses his keen desire to do
a few movies in India and take some time out
for himself, and indulge in golf.
To be in a top-rated show is a dream for every
actor, especially when the role lands the actor
in the global spotlight. Once an actor achieves
this, Nayyar says he is vigorously engrossed in a
tight schedule and then dreams of having spare
time away from that hectic schedule, such as
a holiday and “the second you do that, you’re
there for two days and you’re like, ‘Oh man, I
really need to get back to LA and get to work.’”
He chuckles, then goes on to say “It’s just the
nature of life in general, anything you do, you’re
always going to look at the alternatives that
seems better.” Nevertheless, Nayyar prefers to
live in the moment and skip the over thinking
of the future. With a movie releasing this year,
we doubt this comedic genius will have any
spare time for play, as his career continues to
skyrocket to the moon.
No one actually knows
that I grew up in New Delhi
and my parents live there
and my home is there, which
I find fascinating...I think that
they [parents] cared less
about my success and more
about the kind of person
I was going to become or
I’m continuing to work on
becoming.”
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