5 Indian artists silently making a global mark
When one thinks of Indian artists making a global mark, the names that first come to mind are actors like Irrfan Khan and Priyanka Chopra or music maestros like A R Rahman, Zakir Hussain and others. However, there are several other artists across different fields of entertainment, who with their hard work, talent and determination have carved a niche for themselves in the global arena in the fields of acting, comedy, music et all. They are conquering the Western world in their own ways.
We take a look at some of these artists and the incredible work which they are doing globally.
Ali Fazal
From doing films like Fukrey to Happy Bhag Jayegi, this dashing actor has not only made his presence in Bollywood but has done substantial work in Hollywood as well. He started his Hollywood career by doing a cameo in the film Furious 7. He then went on to playing the lead in a full length Indo-American production For Here Or To Go? The film released in US to a packed house since it deals with the problems faced by immigrants in the country. The biggest opportunity came to Ali in the form of Victoria and Abdul, his upcoming film where he plays the titular character of Abdul opposite veteran Hollywood actress Judi Dench. The film is a British period drama and is slated to release globally in September 2017.
Vir Das
Actor and comedian Vir Das became the first ever Indian to have his own original show on Netflix. Called ‘Abroad Understanding’, the show is still trending on Netflix since its launch in April. Vir Das is also making a mark by being the first person to go on a Comedy World Tour. The Boarding Das World Tour, in which Vir is expected to travel across 6 continents and over 20 + countries has already completed its US leg and Vir is geared up to slay the European countries with his no holds barred show. All his shows in the past, under his company Weirdass, have been massive successes globally too.
Richa Chadha
Actress Richa Chadha recently turned producer with her first maiden production Khoon Aali Chithi. The Punjabi short film that was released recently received critical acclaim across international film festivals. Richa is also working on an Indo – American film called Love Sonia, directed by Tabrez Nooani and produced by David Womark. The film that deals with the brutal realities of human trafficking has an ensemble cast including the likes of Demi Moore, Mark Duplass, Frieda Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee and Anupam Kher amongst others. It’s slated to release by the end of this year.
Ritesh Batra
For Mumbai-born director Batra, directing an English-language film, let alone two, wasn’t necessarily a goal. Ritesh Batra created a world sensation in 2013 with his wonderful film The Lunchbox. It was after the success of his Hindi debut, which premiered in the Critics’ Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, that offers started to pour in. The Indian director recently released his British film called ‘The Sense of an Ending’ and is currently working on ‘Our Souls at Night’, a Netflix production that stars Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. With an Indian, British and American film in his kitty, the director is definitely going places across the globe!
Niladri Kumar
Sitar maestro Niladri Kumar has revolutionized the way the sitar was played by creating his own instrument called the ‘zitar’. He has collaborated with Grammy Award winner Mickey Hart for his concert tour in the US. Niladri has performed at many prestigious festivals and concerts, both solo and together with international musicians such as Jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin and others.