Is there such a thing as the “Slumdog Millionaire” effect? [THR]
Hollywood Reporter … ummmm…. reports on the revival of two new Indian-American themed comedies, “Nevermind Nirvana” on Fox and “Outsourced” on NBC.
The two comedies — “Nirvana” at Fox and “Outsourced” at NBC — have something else in common: They both are ensemble shows about Indians and Indian Americans.
A third project, a U.S. version of popular British comedy “The Kumars at No. 42,” about an immigrant Indian family, also is poised for revival. Eight years after NBC took a stab at the format, the show’s British producers are shopping it to U.S. networks, including FX.
Is it a coincidence or a delayed “Slumdog Millionaire” effect?
To equate everything India-related to the Slumdog lacks imagination, reeks of generalization and should be left to conservative talk show hosts who specialize in usage of the aforementioned to peddle their wares. However, in this particular case, the movie captured the imagination of Hollywood and to talk about it’s effect on the entertainment industry is certainly warranted. Over the past decade, shows featuring Indian-Americans have gone from pilot cancellations to major successes. At the same time Indian-American actors have gone on to play increasingly significant roles.
In 2004, when NBC shot two pilots of “Nirvana,” one starring then up-and-comer Kal Penn, and one starring creator Ajay Sahgal, there were only two Indian actors in primetime, Sahgal recalls: Ravi Kapoor on NBC’s “Crossing Jordan” and Parminder Nagra, who had just joined “ER.”
That is not the case anymore. Most successful shows launched in the past five years feature a prominent Indian actor: “The Office,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation” and three hot freshmen: “Community,” “Glee” and “The Good Wife.”
“24″ also has regularly featured Indian actors, including one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, “Slumdog’s” Anil Kapoor, who has a major role this season. Additionally, Penn co-starred on Fox’s “House” until he left to pursue a career in Washington.
So where does the “Slumdog Effect” come in? To quote a studio exec, the success of the Oscar winning blockbuster could be the tipping point for India/Indian-American themed shows and movies.
“I do think that ‘Slumdog’ had a lot to do with it,” a TV studio executive said of India’s rapid emergence on the U.S. pop culture scene. “It was boiling, hovering there, with the increasing popularity of Indian clothing, food and Bollywood movies, but with its mainstream acceptance and critical success, ‘Slumdog’ pushed it over the tipping point.”
In Hollywood, consciousness grew exponentially last year with Danny Boyle’s runaway hit and Oscar winner as well as the $1.2 billion deal between Indian conglomerate Reliance and DreamWorks.
Slumdog effect or not, the success of these new shows is far from guaranteed as displayed by the failure of other ethno-centric comedies in translation from the silver screen to the idiot box.
Cultural momentum notwithstanding, “Nirvana, ” “Outsourced” and “Farsi” all face long odds.
There been only a couple of successful ethnic comedies on American television, mostly with Mexican American characters, including the 1970s “Chico and the Man” and ABC’s “George Lopez.” Even with the phenomenal boxoffice success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the film’s Greek American-themed series offshoot on CBS lasted only seven episodes.
“American audience is very American-centered and not interested in other cultures for their own sakes,” Brooks said. “For a show such as these to succeed, it can’t be just about an (exotic) culture. Americans want things that they can relate to.”
Can these two comedies succeed where other ethno-centric comedies failed? Or can they maintain the momentum generated by the Slumdog effect? Is there even such a thing as the “Slumdog Millionaire” effect?
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