Feroza Jussawalla
'Why do we submit? / to fracturing?': A poetry anthology of South Asian women's traumas
An excerpt from 'Sing, Slivered Tongue: An Anthology of South Asian Women's Poetry of Trauma in English', edited by Lopamudra Basu and Feroza Jussawalla.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Kal Penn reveals regret doing teen sex comedy Van Wilder: ‘I played a fairly stereotypical Indian exchange student'
Actor, author, and former White House staffer Kal Penn, known to many for his work in both film and public service, was the latest guest at Express Adda, a platform for candid conversations hosted by The Indian Express Group. In a conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, Kal opened up about his early days in Hollywood, revealing a moment in his career that he still looks back on with mixed feelings: his role in the 2002 teen sex comedy Van Wilder. 'You know, I did this movie, Van Wilder, one of my first films with Ryan Reynolds, he was fantastic,' Kal recalled. 'But I played a fairly stereotypical Indian exchange student. It's a very classic, like, early 2000s teen sex comedy, right.' Kal shared how, at the time, he was navigating a deeply limited and often stereotypical landscape for actors of Indian origin. He recounted how his agent excitedly called him about the role, believing it could be a major break in his career. 'Like any other profession, any other job, and put yourself in the late '90s, early 2000s in Hollywood, you need credits on your resume in order for anybody to take you seriously for that next job,' he explained. His agent emphasized the rarity of opportunities for South Asian actors back then. 'She said, 'It's really hard if you're not white or Black, at that time especially, because there are very few credits you can get on your resume. Nobody's going to go out of their way to cast you unless a role was specifically written Indian or Indian American, and those were few and far between.'' Kal was initially sceptical. When told the character's name was Taj Mahal, he immediately hung up the phone. 'She called me back. 'I had a feeling you were going to hang up,'' he said, laughing. 'I was like, look, I can tell you without reading the script exactly what this is about to be, and I don't really have an interest in it.' Also Read | Kal Penn defends Priyanka Chopra for choosing hot dogs over vada pav; recalls being told to cook Indian food during celebrity cook off: 'Can't Indians like other things?' Despite his hesitation, Kal Penn ultimately auditioned and took the role, trying to steer the character away from crude ethnic caricature where possible. 'I worked with the writers and the director on trying to find jokes that weren't just based on the guy's name or where he's from. And really, it's a teen sex comedy, right? So most of the jokes are not based on identity. And identity jokes tend to be the most boring anyway, you know, 20 years ago and even today.' Though he admits he regrets doing Van Wilder, Kal acknowledged that the film did help open doors for him. Reflecting on how one project often leads to the next, he said: 'But I get this question a lot when I do these interviews with college kids: 'On a scale of one to 10, how much do you regret doing that project?' And I'm just like: first of all, you're welcome.' He continued: 'Had I not done Van Wilder, I would not have had the chance to do Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. And the reason for that is that there was no shortage of Indian-origin actors to play Kumar. They auditioned people in L.A., New York, London, Toronto, Miami. One of the reasons that I got that part, ultimately, was I think I was the only one on the shortlist who had a credit, a studio film credit, on his resume, because I had done Van Wilder.' Express Adda is a series of informal yet thought-provoking conversations hosted by The Indian Express Group, bringing together public figures from diverse fields. Past guests have included Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, philanthropist Bill Gates, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, among others.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Kal Penn defends Priyanka Chopra for choosing hot dogs over vada pav, recalls being told to cook Indian food during a celebrity cook off: ‘Can't Indians like other things?'
The internet was divided when actor Priyanka Chopra chose hot dogs over vada pav during a recent red carpet interview. On Friday, actor, author, TV show host, producer and former White House staffer Kal Penn weighed in on the debate surrounding how Indians living abroad adapt to new cultures, and the identity struggles they face in Hollywood. Kal was in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group at the latest edition of Express Adda held in Mumbai. Right out of the bat, Kal Penn admitted that he wasn't completely aware of what Priyanka said, but he decided to give an example from his own life to prove that it is quite possible for Indians to like things belonging to different cultures. He said, 'I am very grateful for having been one of the first South Asian actors in certain positions in Hollywood. A few years ago, my manager at the time called and asked me if I wanted to be on MasterChef. I said, 'Cook on television? No.' But then they told me it's a charity and they will go over the recipe with me beforehand. So in one of the pre-interviews, they asked me what my favourite food was, and I said, 'Tacos.' They were clearly disappointed, and then they asked me whether I could cook something like chicken tikka masala or something Indian. I told them straight away no, and they asked me, 'Do you not like Indian food?' I told them I loved Indian food, and I had even planned on cooking one of my mother's recipes on the show, but now I am definitely not going to do it. For me, it's just the silliness of the fact that are people not allowed to like other things? I think people just project their own likes and dislikes, so I just laugh it off.' ALSO READ: 'Humour is a way to make difficult conversations easier': Actor Kal Penn on his memoir, Hollywood, and the White House When asked whether actors from the South Asian background feel more pressured to assimilate to their new surroundings and whether Priyanka Chopra is doing too much to look or sound American, Kal Penn said, 'I couldn't possibly weigh in on somebody else's experiences. I know and love Priyanka, and I find her to be completely authentic and wonderful, and unapologetically so, which is very refreshing. I get this question a lot: 'What does my authenticity mean?' People have a very different idea of what it means to be Indian overseas. I mean a lot of people told me that I couldn't pursue acting because I was Indian. I was called a sellout by a lot of people for pursuing the arts. Why does my major have anything to do with my being an Indian? People just have their own insecurities and a chip on their shoulder.' The Express Adda is a series of informal interactions organised by The Indian Express Group and features those at the centre of change. Previous guests at the Adda include Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, philanthropist Bill Gates, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
News18
17 hours ago
- News18
The Wedding That Wasn't: Inside Gen Z's Playful Reimagining Of Tradition
If these events become occasions for real connection, cultural appreciation, or even joyful experimentation, they have value Last week in Dubai, a friend hosted me for lunch at The Arts Club. As we discussed the evolving landscape of society and culture, she shared a video-cum-advertisement that left quite an impression. It was a video with eye-popping colours, choreography, and an unmistakable shaadi dazzle. Young people in exquisite ethnic ensembles twirling to Bollywood beats, grinning through varmala ceremonies, throwing petals with perfect cinematic timing. It looked like a wedding. It felt like a wedding. Except, there was no bride or groom. No priest. No sacred fire. Just a curated performance of what a wedding is supposed to feel like. Welcome to the world of fake weddings. A rapidly growing trend among Gen Z across India's metros—and now increasingly across global campuses and expat communities—these shaadi-style parties have all the makings of a big fat Indian wedding minus the actual marriage. There's a mehendi counter. There's a sangeet. There may even be a baraat, a mock phera, and a buffet that rivals real wedding spreads. But what binds it together isn't commitment—it's content. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of it. As someone who has spent a lifetime celebrating and chronicling Indian culture—from classical forms to crafts, from cuisine to couture—I carry a deep reverence for the Indian wedding. In our country, a wedding is not just a private promise; it is a public sacrament. A convergence of tradition and modernity, of generations and values, of ritual and joy. So when I saw these ceremonies unmoored from meaning, I felt a curious discomfort. But the more I read, watched, and listened, a layered story began to emerge. One that is less about parody and more about performance. Less about derision and perhaps more about desire. Less rebellion, more participation Let's begin with the facts. These events are not one-offs. They are a flourishing genre. Event companies in Delhi now regularly host fake weddings, with entry passes ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000. Guests dress in ethnic finery, sip cocktails, play shaadi games, and create content for social media. Some of these are on college campuses; others are in rooftop bars or curated lounges. The catch? No real couple, no commitment, and absolutely no family drama. It's not just India. At Cornell University in the US, a two-day fake wedding drew scores of students. In Dubai, South Asian millennials recently attended a full-blown 'farzi sangeet", complete with gajras and DJ sets. Luxury hotel chains have taken note too—when the Shangri-La Group launched Bandhan, its wedding service vertical, the press event itself was a mock wedding, starring models in Tarun Tahiliani couture and live Sufi musicians. So, why now? Why fake weddings, and why this generation? Part of it is simple enough: the Indian wedding, with all its rituals and excesses, is irresistible. The clothes, the food, the music, the emotion—it's a high-voltage celebration of life. For many Gen Zers—especially young professionals far from home, NRIs, or foreigners who've grown up hearing about Indian weddings but never been invited—the idea of a fake wedding is less rebellion, more participation. It's a way to access the magic, without the pressure. But there's something deeper, too. Not a mockery—but a mirror Today's young adults are navigating a landscape of shifting values. They have grown up watching the sanctity of marriage challenged by increasing divorce rates, gender conflicts, and intergenerational disillusionment. For many, the idea of getting married feels loaded, even fraught. But the performance of a wedding? That still retains allure. It's theatre. It's fantasy. It's the one Indian party where everyone knows the choreography. Perhaps the fake wedding, then, is not a mockery—but a mirror. A mirror reflecting the tensions of a generation that yearns for connection but fears permanence. That craves celebration, but shrinks from commitment. That seeks the symbols of tradition, while rewriting its substance. There is, of course, an entire ecosystem that makes this possible. Event companies promise curated experiences with flowers, food, mehendi artists, and classic shaadi games. Some venues even offer free cocktails if you show up in ethnic wear. And for Instagram-native attendees, it's a dream—what better occasion to wear that lehenga you've kept for your cousin's wedding, or those kundan earrings you've only worn once? I spoke recently to someone who attended a 'shaadi rave" in Noida. 'It was the most fun I've had in ages," she said. 'There were dhol players, a fake bride and groom, a haldi station with marigolds, and even a choreographed sangeet. No relatives asking about your job or love life, no melodrama. Just fun." Her joy was sincere. And even contagious. What makes reinvention meaningful is intention But I cannot help but wonder what's lost when we detach ritual from meaning. There was a time when a wedding was not just a private milestone but a communal memory. A grandmother's lullaby during the mehendi. A father's quiet tears at the vidaai. A cousin teaching you the steps to a garba. A wedding was a story handed down, not a script improvised for a reel. What happens when we commodify that emotion? When commitment becomes cosplay? There is also the question of sustainability. The fake wedding economy may generate business for bartenders and DJs, but will it sustain traditional artisans, mehfil singers, or the handloom weavers of Chanderi and Banarasi? Will a party that lives and dies on Instagram support the quiet dignity of those who bring poetry to the phera? That said, I don't wish to play the moralist. Culture is not static. It flows. It morphs. It reinvents. And Indian culture—vast, inclusive, irrepressibly alive—has always accommodated reinvention. From hybrid cuisines to destination weddings, from eco-friendly rituals to gender-neutral pheras, we have never been afraid to play with form. But what makes reinvention meaningful is intention. When we perform a ritual, we owe it at least some sincerity. Otherwise, what anchors our joy? What deepens our celebration? Am I against fake weddings? I am against shallow mimicry. If these events become occasions for real connection, cultural appreciation, or even joyful experimentation, they have value. But if they reduce centuries of emotion into hashtags and headpieces, then perhaps we must pause and ask: what are we celebrating? And why? Or is this spectacle simply a reflection of our collective state of mind? A columnist and author, Sundeep Bhutoria is passionate about the environment, education, and wildlife conservation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : culture marriage wedding view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 01, 2025, 05:03 IST News opinion Opinion | The Wedding That Wasn't: Inside Gen Z's Playful Reimagining Of Tradition Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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