Very proud to be part of American TV: Poorna Jagannathan

Indian actress Poorna Jagannathan, who will feature in HBO's TV show "The Night Of" as a series regular, says she is "very proud" to be part of American television.

Poorna, who has also played roles in popular international TV shows like "House of Cards", "Law & Order" and "The Game", among others, is optimistic about the progress on television.

Asked if she feels whether television could surpass cinema, Poorna told IANS from Los Angeles on phone: "Yes, I think so. I go to the movies now with my son. Whenever I am in a theatre, I would be wearing 3D glasses. I don't engage with cinema in theatres the way I used to. There has to be an exception.

"I am very proud to be a part of American television," she added.

"The Night Of" follows the journey of lawyer Jack Stone (John Turturro), who seeks to absolve a young Pakistani-American student Naz (Riz Ahmed) who is accused of brutally murdering a girl on the Upper West Side. As the drama unfolds, the audiences are let in on the pitfalls of the judicial system while they go through a whirlwind of different emotions ranging from empathy to utter outrage.

Poorna will be seen playing the role of Naz's mother Safar Khan on the show, which will premiere in India on Star World Premiere HD on July 13.

Talking about the show's storyline and its relevance in modern America, the "Delhi Belly" actress said: "We are a middle-class Muslim family in New York... It is a vital storyline. It couldn't be a more significant time for 'The Night Of' to drop, and it couldn't be politically a more relevant time (for it to air)."

--IANS

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