@mom sorry

He’s the only full-blooded Indian actor to EVER be nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category.

The other two mentioned above are Ben Kingsly, who’s half Indian, and Merle Oberon, who denied her desi and mauri heritage her entire life and was never recognized as such until after her death. 

I want you ALL to recognize that in 89 years, with Bollywood being the biggest film industry on planet earth, a full-blooded Indian actor has NEVER BEEN NOMINATED FOR ACTING BEFORE. And really, that isn’t the Academy’s fault. Indian Actors are almost NEVER recognized in western media, and they’re almost never given roles. Just last weekend, Aziz Ansari became the first Indian person to ever host SNL. 

As someone with desi heritage who wants to work in the western film business one day, this is such a big fucking deal. I’m really excited about all the black talent nominated this year, but I really don’t want this huge, important milestone to get swept under the rug. 

me:

for sale: thing feet, never worn