Don't feel responsibility to be voice of Muslim Americans: Nanjiani

Stand-up comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, whose roots trace back to Pakistan, says he doesnt feel any responsibility to be a voice for Muslim Americans.

Nanjiani uses his Twitter handle to post his thoughts on politics, religion and racial justice with a mix of comedy. He says his posts reflect his state of mind, reports rollingstone.com.

Asked if he feels a responsibility to be a voice for Muslim Americans in particular, he said: "I don't think I feel a responsibility. I just do it because it's what's on my mind. That's what my Twitter has always been. It used to be video games and movies and stupid jokes. Now, I (tweet about politics) because it's all I can think about."

Does he envision his work getting more political?

"I don't know. With my comedy and acting, I just want to tell good stories and do stuff that I can connect with. So if I did more political stuff, it wouldn't be because I felt like I needed to do political stuff. It would be because it was just where my head was at," he said.

Nanjiani's latest release in the US is "The Big Sick".

Directed by Michael Showalter, the film is based on the real life of Nanjiani, who has co-written it with wife Emily V. Gordon. It narrates the story of Nanjiani, who connects with graduation student Emily (Kazan) after one of his standup sets. It shows all the ups and downs the couple faced including a medical crisis.

The romantic comedy is being brought to India by MVP Entertainment, and will release on Friday. The film also marks the 500th movie of veteran Indian actor Anupam Kher.

--IANS

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