Indian-American actor Vandit Bhatt's goal is to work with Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan.
The 33-year-old actor, originally from Hyderabad, grew up watching Bollywood's Khans on the silver screen and presented with an opportunity, he would love to be a part of Bollywood. “I grew up watching Indian cinema. I am very well aware of it. I would love to do if the right opportunity arose and right vehicle came,” Vandit told IANS. “Before I could even try to go in that direction, I left India to come to the US and since then I have been concentrating in the US.”
Vandit, who is known for his works in Mercy, 42 Seconds of Happiness, Ripped and Quantico, is keen to work with Indian director Anurag Kashyap sometime in the future.
“I love Anurag Kashyap. I love his work so much. It is fantastic. There are some actors who I love. I grew up with the three Khans — Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh. I respect them so much. They are pillars of the entertainment industry. Working with them is kind of goal of my career. I would love to explore some opportunities,” he added.
Apu controversy
Vandit also touched upon the Apu controversy, saying things are gradually changing in the US entertainment field. Apu is a south Asian character from The Simpsons, and perpetuates a stereotype that has haunted a whole lot of brown kids in the US.
"I will be honest with you. I feel like things are changing for the better and this is from my personal experience. When I started acting, there were far more misrepresentations," said the actor, pointing out that he been in the industry for the past 15 years and he has never had to play a stereotype like Apu.
"I have been acting professionally in the States for the last 10-15 years. In this time span, I feel like it has changed so much. I have had so many more opportunities. I am grateful that I never had to kind of play someone stereotypical like that (Apu). I have always had an opportunity to play human being versus stereotype. I feel very lucky about that," said Vandit.