🎬 Inside the Oscars with Mindy Kaling, Charithra Chandran, Manish Dayal, & the 'Deli Boys'
We spoke to Hollywood's best & brightest
“In my homeland of Bhutan, there is no word for ‘storytelling,’ so when you ask someone to tell you a story, you say, ‘Please untie this knot for me,’ because that is what stories do.” — Pawo Choyning Dorji, Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker & Photographer at South Asians at the Oscars
Hi! Simi Shah here. Welcome back to South Asian Trailblazers — a media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Today, we continue Season 8 with a special episode where I take you inside a celebration of South Asian excellence at the 2025 Academy Awards.
In case you forgot why this season is so special:
You can watch EVERY episode on YouTube and experience our conversations as if you’re in the room. Podcast-lovers — you can still catch episodes on audio only on Apple, Spotify, and SouthAsianTrailblazers.com.
More special episodes like this one and events where you can join us in person are on the way. So follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Season 8 Episode 3 🎤South Asian Trailblazers at The Oscars — Mindy Kaling, Charithra Chandran, Manish Dayal, Deli Boys
In this episode, I take you inside the annual celebration of South Asian excellence at the Academy Awards. Join me as I speak with trailblazers across generations and genres about their journeys to the hallowed halls of Hollywood at this Oscars Pre-Party! Catch the video teaser and excerpts below:
Charithra Chandran — Actor (Bridgerton, One Piece)
Simi: Many of us saw your work in Bridgerton, and now you're taking on new roles. How did it feel playing that character, and what are you most looking forward to next?
Charithra: A sign of a good actor—but also maybe a bit of a trap—is when people think you are your character. What excites me is showing versatility, keeping people guessing.
Simi Shah: What advice do you have for young, aspiring South Asians who want to chart a path like you have?
Charithra: Get an education first so your parents get off your back. and then don’t give up. There is a space for you, and no matter how hard it seems, there is a place here.
Saagar Shaikh — Actor (Deli Boys, Ms. Marvel)
Saagar plays “Raj” in a new Hulu comedy-drama — one of two Pakistani American brothers who inherit their late father's convenience store empire — only to discover it was a front for a massive drug-smuggling operation.
Simi: This project is close to your heart because you come from a gas station family business. What has it been like to play a character on TV where you have this shared story, but also to then layer on this added dimension?
Saagar: Yeah, that’s right! I’m a lot like my character in the sense that I'm the only one in my family that didn't want to work [in the family business]. I'm sure it annoyed the hell out of my dad and my brothers. They thought that I was just this lazy guy. But I had a vision. I had an idea of what I wanted to do. The only difference between me and my character Raj is that Raj wants to do drugs, and I just want to be an actor.
Manish Dayal — Actor (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Resident, 90210)
Simi: You’ve played a wide swath of characters, from Raj in 90210 to Dr. Pravesh in The Resident, to a character in the Walking Dead. There are so many young, aspirational South Asians who want to make it in this industry the way that you have. What advice do you have for them?
Manish: It's about persistence, not giving up, believing in yourself, and knowing why you're doing it.
Simi: What’s your ‘why?’
My 'why' encompasses so much and it evolves. In the beginning, my 'why' was illustrating what it means to be South Asian in America, because that’s not what we had when we were young. I'm 41 — when I was young, I never saw a brown person on TV. My children see brown people on TV every day.
Simi: They see you on TV!
Manish: Sure, they don’t like anything I do! [Laughs]. But the point is, yes, they’re seeing a South Asian identity on TV, but it’s also about how that identity is reflected. How are their lives interacting with the story and the show? Those things matter too. My purpose has always been to strengthen the idea that we can be a lot of different things — not just present in an ensemble, but active in an ensemble.
Mindy Kaling: Actor, Writer, Producer (Running Point, The Office, Never Have I Ever, The Mindy Project)
Host Mindy Kaling addresses the attendees of the Celebration of South Asian Excellence at the Oscars. She reflects on her career and pays tribute to 2025 Oscar-nominated filmmakers being honored at the convening: “Anuja,” for which she served as a producer. Other nominated films included “I am Ready, Warden” by Smriti Mundhra. David Taghioff was also recognized for his roles as Producer of “I’m Still Here” and Oscar-winning “Emilia Pérez.” Watch their speeches in the full episode.
Mindy: I am so honored to be here. This is one of my favorite events every year. I can't believe that just a few years ago, it didn’t exist. I am so grateful to my co-hosts who put this together.
I have to say that when I came out here in 2004, the industry looked a lot different. Every year, as I get older, I feel an even greater surge of pride seeing so many more people here doing so well. Tonight is about honoring them — artists I admire and learn from, who have been lifting others up with them. I just want to say that I’m incredibly grateful to everyone in this room, whether they are seasoned, aspiring, or somewhere in between. This is a beautiful event, and I feel incredibly honored to be here. Thank you for having me as a co-host.
Hooked on the Hollywood of it all yet? Tune in above and on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or our website!
That’s it for today, trailblazers. We’re back on a regular release schedule — catch our next episode in 2 weeks!
P.S. This episode features:
Interviews with:
Charithra Chandran, Actor | Bridgerton, One Piece
Saagar Shaikh, Actor | Deli Boys, Ms. Marvel
Manish Dayal, Actor | The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Resident, 90210
Swayam Bhatia, Actor | Succession, The Mighty Ducks
Iqbal Theba, Actor | Deli Boys, Glee
Sukki Menon, Writer, Director, Producer | I See Her, From Here
Speeches By:
Mindy Kaling, Actor, Writer, Producer | Running Point, The Office, Never Have I Ever, The Mindy Project
Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai, Director, Writer, Producer | Oscar-nominated Anuja
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Journalist & Filmmaker | Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Smriti Mundhra, Director & Producer | Oscar-nominated I Am Ready, Warden, Indian Matchmaking
David Taghioff, Associate Producer | Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez
Pawo Choyning Dorji, Filmmaker & Photographer | Oscar-nominated Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom