Even though Los Angeles is a long way from Philadelphia, Penn has a small claim to Hollywood fame in actor Kalpen Modi, who teaches as an adjunct professor in the Asian American Studies Department this semester.
Last night, the Asian American Studies Department, the South Asia Center and the South Asia Society co-hosted a question and answer session with Modi called "A Conversation with Kal Penn" in Houston Hall. At the well-attended open forum, Modi fielded questions ranging from his career to issues of racism in the film industry.
Regarding race, Modi has played roles ranging from extremely stereotypical, as Taj Mahal Badalandabad in Van Wilder, to those in which race is not a factor, as in his current role as Dr. Lawrence Kutner in the popular television series House.
Modi strongly believes in "the value of ethnic studies outside of academia."
"I didn't become an actor to be an Indian actor . yet [the role of minorities] is a struggle, discussion and debate faced every day in the film industry," he said.
The issue of race is often analyzed in the film Modi is perhaps best known for: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. In the film, Modi plays Kumar Patel-one of two friends desperate for a late-night meal at White Castle. Said Modi, "On one level, it's just a story abut two guys going to get hamburgers. But on another level, John Cho (Modi's co-lead) and I were very aware of the impact a film with two ethnic leads would have."
Some regard White Castle and its upcoming sequel Escape from Guantanamo Bay as reinforcing racial stereotypes, which Modi disagrees with. "The racial stereotyping in the trailer for [Guantanamo Bay] is a strongly satirical depiction of the post-9/11 attitude toward certain ethnic groups," he said.
Modi has a positive outlook on even the most negative responses to Harold and Kumar. He noted, "The fact that issues [of minority-profiling] are being raised is important. It's something that's been ignored for too long."
Despite its controversial nature, Modi's work primarily gains positive feedback. As College freshman Devanshi Jalan said, "[Modi] merges both his American and Indian identity without compromising the integrity of either one. To me, that's really admirable."
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