Simply beautiful. My compliments to you.

btw here‘s the link to the previous SM entry about her that I mentioned.

these are huge accomplishments for any 1st generation ethnic person or for any actor–so we should simply recognize that she is making strides–thats all

honestly, if i don’t like how someone represents me or my community, i don’t see why i should recognize/celebrate the strides he or she is making. now i’m not saying i don’t like noureen (haven’t read anything that made me think she’s totally lame a la lucy liu and how the asian-american community feels about her being a ‘sellout’), but based on that interview excerpt with a non-south asian-oriented magazine, i felt like she was taking the term ‘fob’ too lightly. of course other people may not have seen it that way, and will admire her because she’s out there and she is doing something, and that’s totally fine, but what i’m saying is that i don’t see why i should have to celebrate her achievements simply because she is brown when i may not like how i think she represents or talks about brown people.

also, is dewulf her family name, and not simply a stage name?

She is half-brown (by way of Pakistan) and half-white so calling her Indian is simply incorrect, as is referring to her as desi (without mentioning that she is half white).

Nirali claims:

DeWulf can draw on her own experiences … “I speak Hindi and Gujarati in addition to Spanish and French,” she points out. DeWulf, whose family is originally from Pune, India, is often questioned about her last name that hardly sounds South Asian. She shrugs it off. “I’m full Indian, and I have a full connection to who I am.” [Link]

At the very least, Dewulf claims that she is Indian. I don’t know the rest of the story.

1. why on earth would you assume anyone thinks this movie is to ‘educate’ people? its a comedy and slapstick spoof at that. it will probably be just like scary movie–mediocre. i was simply pointing out the fact that DeWulf is an indian hollywood actress– one of the few consistently working in big Studio films, who is also the star of a film that won an oscar and on Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100 List– these are huge accomplishments for any 1st generation ethnic person or for any actor–so we should simply recognize that she is making strides–thats all

2. she is full indian. both her parents are from india. google it !!

i work in the music biz and i met her– 1. Noureen DeWulf is the only desi who has EVER STARRED in an OSCAR winning film (West Bank Story), so cut her some slack, she is a pretty damn good actress, you can see her in American Dreamz acting with Hugh Grant as well–would not be surprised if she is the first indian to win an actual oscar for herself 2. She is one of the first and only Indian people to make Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100 List (checkout maxim.com)–this year she was number 100 3. She is RAD and the nicest person one will ever meet 4. She is beyond talented–if you dont believe me, just watch her in some of her films or tv shows. 5. This movie is a parody which means it is a spoof, they are making fun of the fact that alot of people dont know how to differentiate between types of ‘indians’– thats all–i only met her once but i can tell you she is a STAR and the real deal, she was super nice to me respectful and yet i could tell she was a movie star by her aura

She is half-brown (by way of Pakistan) and half-white so calling her Indian is simply incorrect, as is referring to her as desi (without mentioning that she is half white). Plus, I was browsing through older posts and there was one about an interview with her around the time that National Lampoon’s Pledge This! (starring Paris Hilton) came out, and she played the same sort of stereotypical ‘fobby’ Indian character (and basically insinuated that FOB=ignorant in the interview). sigh I feel for her; it’s hard to get good roles as a woman, let alone as a nonwhite woman. But no matter how good of an actress she apparently is in other films or how nice she is in person, I do not take kindly to people exploiting stereotypes of people who look like me for their work and then turning around and making fun of those same people who look like me. It seems pretty obvious to me that The Comebacks isn’t gonna have the subtle type of humor, where they make fun of the ignorant; rather, it will just continue that same brand of ignorant, and more importantly, UNFUNNY, humor. That said… I in no way expect Noureen Dewulf or this movie to ‘educate’ people–they go to the movies to be entertained, after all. But please, let’s not act like this movie is a huge step forward for us brown folk in America or like we should look up to this actress as a role model just cuz she’s out there and has some brown connection.

Except for Ben Kingsley.

Other examples are:

IS Johar in Lawrence of Arabia The whole Indian cast in Gandhi movie Victor Banerjee and others in Passage to India

There are probably more if one went with a fine comb and searched Oscar winning movies in all categories.

Except for Ben Kingsley.