Ravi Patel: Bollywood does not want me

A still from Bhaag Beanie Bhaag. All pictures credit/Storm Santos

After featuring in Scrubs, Master of None, Grandfathered and the widely popular Meet The Patels, Ravi Patel is finally India-bound. The actor is set to make his debut in Indian showbiz with the Netflix series, Bhaag Beanie Bhaag. Patel, who has doubled up as the creator, says he was thrilled to team up with Swara Bhasker as it promised the opportunity of pushing the envelope. "She's a badass woman and a talented actor. Swara doesn't seek conflict; she uses her platform to speak up for people who don't have a voice. I was initially worried that she might be difficult [to work with] going by the amount of hate she gets on social media, but I was thoroughly impressed by her," he says.

In the current social climate, comedy couldn't get any more challenging. Admitting that it is an unfunny business in the current social climate, Patel adds, "It's never been tougher to be funny because of the level of political correctness. But I also think all that political correctness is the result of social and political progress. Ironically, comedy plays a huge role in popularising social movements. In my opinion, comedians are modern day philosophers. Funny or not, we will always need them."

Incidentally, his upcoming docu-series, How to Tell a Joke in India, is inspired by his experiences in the country while shooting for the show. "When I headed to India to film Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, I thought, 'Why not try stand-up while I'm there?' So, the series follows me as I try to make it in the fastest growing comedy scene in the world. I met some of the comedians and went to their favourite places in Bandra. I have come to deduce that the greatest offence is not being funny, which I often was."

Ravi Patel

With an Indian series ticked off his to-do list, one wonders if Bollywood is on the anvil. "Bollywood doesn't want me. My parents would love it if I made my Bollywood debut; dad would probably post about it on Facebook every day. But, maybe I don't want it."

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