He's now being called, India's next international export
after Aishwarya and is all set to debut on the small screen in America with one
of its most popular drama and action series, '24'.
With the eighth
season of '24' boasting of a loaded star cast, including the likes of Kiefer
Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Freddie Prinze Junior, Anil surely had all the
reasons to be latest addition to the show.
In his latest blog he
writes:
I met with producers of the FOX drama '24' and was brought aboard
to play the President of a foreign country who is actively pursuing peaceful
negotiations with the United States, much to the chagrin of my fellow
countrymen.
I had just finished filming the fifth episode, when I was
asked by FOX to attend Comic Con in San Diego, California with fellow '24' cast
members Kiefer Sutherland, Marylynn Rajskub, Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze
Jr. We were invited to participate as part of a panel with the writers and
producers of the hit show which just received 11 Emmy nominations.
I had
never heard of Comic Con before, it was pretty much a non-entity for someone
like me, coming from India, but apparently, it is a very big deal here in the
entertainment industry.
Every major Hollywood studio previews their
upcoming films and television shows for fans who come from all over the world to
meet the stars, hear them speak and more specifically, catch upcoming previews
of the blockbuster entertainment that Hollywood produces.
We were driven
down to San Diego, a beautiful coastal city south of Los Angeles and north of
the Mexican border. The studio put us up in fabulous hotels and then drove the
cast to the San Diego Convention Center.
Having no idea what to expect,
I was amazed at the size of the crowds! Thousands of fans, some booking their
hotels a year in advance, came from all over the world. Some were even dressed
as characters from their favourite shows.
While there, I was stunned to realise just how big an event it was. Top
stars like Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli), Cameron Diaz (The Box), Johnny
Depp and Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland) were all there to promote their
upcoming films.
Peter Jackson was there to promote his new Sci-Fi
thriller 'District 9' and the entire cast of 'Twilight' caused quite a commotion
as they appeared before a standing room only crowd to promote the next film
entitled 'New Moon' for fans.
The panel went well and the entire
experience was a phenomenal one. American fans were familiar with my work on
'Slumdog Millionaire' and I was asked questions about my role in '24'.
I
was not able to reveal much as the producers did not want too much information
released which could have spoiled the plot. Overall it was a fantastic
experience, much as the entire year for me has been here.
Wherever I go
to Beverly Hills, sitting in a cafe or walking along Rodeo Drive, fans of
'Slumdog Millionaire' stop me on the street, shake my hand, take a photo and
congratulate me on the work I have done and how it meant so much to
them.
I am truly humbled by their sincerity and greatly moved that this
little film has touched so many.
I even met Jermaine Jackson, the brother
of Michael Jackson, in the lobby of the hotel I am staying in. He and his lovely
wife Hamila came up to me, introduced themselves and shook my hand (the day
before Michael's memorial service) and told me that the entire Jackson family —
including Michael — had seen 'Slumdog Millionaire' three times!
He told
me that Michael and his children loved the film and invited me to the memorial
and to the family's private reception.
There I met Katherine Jackson, Tito, Marlon, Jackie, Janet and the
rest of the Jackson family. They were very welcoming and appreciative that I had
come to pay my respects to their brother.
I told them that Michael made
it possible for someone like me, an actor from India, to come to America and be
recognized and appreciated for my talent and work.
Michael Jackson was
not only one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, but more importantly,
he was a true humanitarian and trailblazer. Because of him, artists were given
opportunities that perhaps would not have been available before.
I
hugged his mother Katherine and told her that her son broke down barriers of
race for people of every creed and from every nation. I believe that I am now
here, in Los Angeles, watching my dreams come true because of it.
I hope
that now I can do the same for my fellow artists from India. It is a huge
responsibility and one that I hope to fulfill.
Courtesy: Itimes.com
http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=30813
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