Kunal Nayyar, the Indian-origin actor who found fame playing the nerdy and socially-awkward Dr Raj Koothrappali in smash-hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, has narrated and produced the documentary Beyond All Boundaries, that releases in select theatres in India on Friday. Directed by Sushrut Jain, the documentary explores the magical powers of cricket that unify the country. “During the 2011 World Cup, the crew followed three Indians — a superfan, a prodigy and a girl who plays cricket — to understand how the sport impacts their lives,” says Kunal, during an early morning (for him) phone conversation from his home in LA.

How did you come across Beyond All Boundaries?

I was introduced to Sushrut by common friends. They told me there is this cool film about cricket and you have to get involved. Everyone who knows me knows that I love cricket. Initially, Sushrut just wanted me to voice the documentary, but I loved what he had in mind for the film so I offered to get more involved.

 

And it quickly turned into a passion project?

Absolutely! I don’t do anything that I am not deeply passionate about. And cricket and passion go hand-in-hand. Not many know that I grew up in Delhi. I have been a huge cricket fan… I have grown up watching the likes of Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly) and (Virender) Sehwag.

You turned to the funding platform Kickstarter to raise money for the film?

We needed help finishing the film. There was post-production, some editing and music… all this stuff costs money. I think one of the biggest advantages of Kickstarter is also that it raises awareness about the film. People who invest do so because they are excited about the project. I think crowd-funding is great.

You’ve spent a number of years in Hollywood now. Did you also reach out to your celebrity friends and the cast members of The Big Bang Theory?

Look, we reached out to a lot of people. I am thankful for all the help that I’ve got from everyone, whether it was someone tweeting about the film or someone else putting me in touch with the right technician who could work on the film. The documentary market is very difficult and competitive and we are lucky to have got all the help that we did.

Talking about the documentary market, in India, there has been some movement in the genre with Katiyabaaz, Gulabi Gang and The World Before Her getting theatrical releases.

Really? That’s good to hear. I have to confess I am not very educated about the documentary market in India. But I do know that Bollywood is moving towards being open to newer things. People are expanding their horizons. About 15 years ago, we didn’t have Anurag Kashyap, Queen or Gangs of Wasseypur. Young kids are exposed to more than just regular Bollywood today.

Let’s talk about The Big Bang Theory. Season 8 started with 18 million tuning in… congratulations!

(Laughs) Thank you.

Despite all the success mainstream, the American media still seems to be struggling to understand what makes the show so successful. What do you think makes The Big Bang Theory so popular?

It all starts with the writing. It’s been consistently smart and funny with genuine LOL moments. The writers didn’t set out to make fun of nerds, but to celebrate the culture. There has always been this perception of nerds and with The Big Bang Theory, you see that nerds aren’t really what people think they are. They are like regular people who you or I would want to hang out with. Also, the writers have never dumbed down the language on the show. Very often, even I don’t understand what I am saying! (Laughs) The show makes being smart sexy again. The characters you see are very real... their lives are real. They, like all of us, are dealing with love and friendships. Also, everyone at some point of their lives has felt like an underdog… and that’s what The Big Bang Theory is about. It’s a true underdog story.

At the end of last season, Raj seems to finally be in a healthy relationship. What’s happening with him in this season?

He is still with Emily (Laura Spencer). In this season, he starts to introduce her to the group. Maybe she gets along with some and doesn’t get along with others… you’ll have to wait and watch!

A hit TV series and your first People magazine cover with the cast... when you moved to the US to pursue acting, did you imagine this kind of success?

I had dreamt about it. I dreamt about it all the time when I was in graduate school and studying acting, trying to perfect my craft. When I decided to become an actor, I wanted to be successful.

You recently worked in Dr Cabbie, a film produced by Salman Khan.

Yes... and the film has done well in Canada where it released. I play a dirty, over-sexed cab driver with zero inhibitions... it was interesting to go from playing Raj Koothrappali who has so many hang-ups. It was nice to meet Salman. He is a true movie star. He is so humble and nice.

And, you are also writing a book?

(Laughs) Yes. It’s about my journey from Delhi to LA. Like I said, I don’t think most people know my story. I thought it might be a tool to inspire young kids. It’s about a lot of shit that doesn’t go your way and about things that do. It’s funny and heartbreaking. I am done with the first draft, so….

Will you have the time to fit Bollywood into what seems like an incredibly packed schedule?

A 100 per cent! Doing a film in Hindi is a priority for me. I am very clued into Bollywood and lots of amazing things are happening there. I am looking at shooting next summer in India. That’s the goal and hopefully it’ll happen.

You did spend this summer in India…

Yes, I was shooting in Hyderabad for Aditya Bhattacharya’s film Momentary Lapse of Reason, which is a remake of the ’80s Aamir Khan film Raakh. It’s a mafia, mob-style film which was again an interesting experience. We are going to shoot again over Christmas in LA.

Karishma Upadhyay
Why do you love The Big Bang Theory? Tell t2@abp.in