Single Papa Actor Ankur Rathee Says Hollywood Stereotypes Indians, Pakistanis And Bangladeshis: 'We’re Seen Not Cool' | Exclusive

Ankur Rathee has quietly but steadily made a name for himself in the showbiz industry. He is best recognized for his subtle roles in Four More Shots Please!, Undekhi, and the 2023 movie Shehzada. The actor most recently appeared in Netflix's satirical comedy Single Papa. Ankur Rathee portrays Goldie, Gaurav Gehlot's brother-in-law, in the six-part series. And now he is currently preparing for his eagerly awaited Hollywood debut.

Ankur Rathee, who is celebrating an eventful Decemeber, discussed the ongoing stereotyping of Indians in Hollywood in an exclusive conversation with The Daily Jagran.

Ankur Rathee disclosed that he would play a significant part in the upcoming Netflix original dance movie Best of the Best, which will be his Hollywood debut. Working with international talent like Hasan Minhaj, Lilly Singh, and Maitri Ramakrishnan was another highlight, according to Rathee. He emphasized representation, saying that the movie honours South Asian culture in a colorful, joyous, and heroic manner—something he feels is uncommon in Hollywood and will make viewers feel proud. Ankur Rathee shared, "A lot of people will watch it, I think, and feel proud to see South Asian representation in a Hollywood film like this."

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Talking about the project further, he said, "Anytime you see South Asians on screen in Hollywood, it's often seen not in this very heroic, amazing fashion. But this is a film where we get to celebrate how vibrant and colorful our culture is. How much joy and happiness there is in India and in our culture, in Indian culture. And that's a first, I think, for Hollywood, to see South Asians in that light."

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Ankur Rathee Says Sterotype Exits In Hollywood

Ankur Rathee acknowledged that Indians in Hollywood have long been confined to limited stereotypes, pointing out that they are frequently shown as computer experts or nerds. He acknowledged, "The stereotype is still there. 100% it's there. Indians, South Asians. I won't just say Indians. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalis. It's the whole South Asian subcontinent. We are seen as not cool. You know, we're seen as intelligent, hardworking. But we're not represented in Hollywood cinema or in U.S. media as being these culturally cool members of society. And it's crazy because we're such an important part of that cultural fabric."

"With films like Best of the Best, and like Dave Patel did this film called Monkey Man. I went to the premiere for his film and met him. I met Riz Ahmed there as well, another great South Asian artist. You know, there are people that are doing cinema that is changing that perception, " he added.

Ankur Rathee continued, "We've never had a South Asian action star in Hollywood. That changes things. If you're a little white boy, you know, who lives in the middle of America. And you don't have many Indians in your own life. You only see them on TV. If you're only seeing Indians as 'nerds, or computer engineers', then that becomes what you think about Indians. But if you start seeing Ankur Rathee being this dance hero, this kind of charisma on screen. Or if you start seeing Dave Patel being this action star. Then you start to think, oh, Indians are cool. And so, we will make them see us differently."