Anand is of Gujarati Indian heritage and was born in Malawi, Africa. He moved to South Carolina with family when he was 10 years old. He is an actor, producer, and a software engineer. Anand recently appeared on the season finale of Divorce on HBO. He also appeared in a feature film, Prince of Bollywood, on Amazon. On the theater side he was the first South Asian in NYC to play lead, Dr. Frankenstein, in AlphaNYC Theater’s production of “Frankenstein: The Radio Play” at the Roebuck Theater, Times Square Arts Center. Outside of acting and producing, Anand’s other passion is building software. He received his Masters degree in bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins University and has dedicated his life to writing software for numerous companies. In his 18 years as a software engineer, Anand has worked with startups to Fortune 500 companies, and even had the honor to create code for government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and Center for Disease Control.
FMM: You were the first South Asian in NYC to play lead, Dr. Frankenstein, in AlphaNYC Theater’s production of “Frankenstein. Tell us about this experience.
Frankenstein was a great experience. To me, I would relate it to a roller coaster ride. I always felt like I was on a high. The part that I enjoyed the most was the rehearsal process. Dr. Frankenstein embodied 13 different sub- personalities, so on any given day, I was able to discover so much about myself and stretch my acting abilities. I constantly felt excited and rejuvenated, and having thi opportunity to work with a character so rich and complex is something I will always be grateful for.
FMM: As an Actor, what roles resonate with your soul?
This is a great question. I find myself constantly drawn to characters that have push-pull dynamics in their relationships. Let me elaborate on that more. One of my favorite characters is the one Matt Damon played in Good Will Hunting. Will had a troubled childhood and adulthood, but he had a genius level IQ. Another example is Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. Having schizophrenia while being a mathematical genius is a hard role to take on, and I believe that Crowe was successful in making the character come alive on screen. I would love to play a character who has a push-pull dynamic like Damon and Crowe were able to fulfill in their acting careers.
FMM: You were born in Malawi, Africa. How did your upbringing influence you to go into acting?
As a child growing up in Malawi, my family owned a restaurant in Blantyre a few blocks from a movie theater. Apollo Cinema was where I would visit with my family anytime a Bollywood or Hollywood movie premiered. I was fascinated by the entire film industry from an early age, but when it came to schooling, I focused more on the part of my brain that was into math and science. It wasn’t until my last 2 years of college that I really expressed an interest in theater and acting. From that point on, I knew I had to nurture and grow my skills in acting.
FMM: Tell us about your feature film, Prince of Bollywood. What did you enjoy most about this role?
Nidhi Kathuria is the director for the feature film, Prince of Bollywood. She gets all the credit for letting me unleash my dark side on set by playing Mafia Don. Mafia Don was interesting to play, as he had a tough exterior, but also was in love with a woman he could not get. I learned a lot about acting being on set, but as far as my favorite part, it would have to be bonding with my fellow castmates over Bollywood dancing. All film sets should end their days with Bollywood dancing!
FMM: You recently appeared on the season finale of Divorce on HBO. What intrigued you about this role?
Divorce intrigued me from the start because it was art imitating life. As someone who has gone through a divorce, the show instantly resonated with me. I loved the comedic approach to divorce, as laughter therapy is a must needed variable when going through such hard and trying times. Plus, who could say no to Sarah Jessica Parker?
FMM: If I were a Software Engineer writing code about your acting career, what would it look like?
I love this question. If you want me to write pseudocode for an ideal year in my acting career, it would equal 1 Broadway show + 1 TV Series Lead + 1 juicy role in a Oscar-nominated film. That would be in a continuous looping function for as long as possible 🙂
FMM: On the producing side, you were an Executive Producer of an award-winning comedy web series, Swiped to Death, that explores the messy realities of online dating. What led you to this project?
I was introduced to this project by a good friend of mine, Kabir Chopra. Four years ago, he asked me to take part in a reading of Swiped to Death. At first, the title sounded like a horror genre, but as I read more, this project was brilliant. Who hasn’t been on a bad date? I believe that this is a universal experience, especially when it comes to online dating. I have heard of people having finger fatigue just by swiping on every app that is out there. Swiped to Death is a story that many single people can relate to. We want everyone to see this, regardless of where they are from. I can proudly say that we have screened at 14 festivals around the world. The reactions have been positive, with lots of laughter from the audience.
Seven episodes are now available at www.swipedtodeath.com
FMM: What is next for you in 2021?
In 2019 and 2020, most of my energy was focused on TV. I am thrilled that audition rates are approaching pre-pandemic levels. I’ve already had the opportunity to audition for a few major primetime TV shows. New Amsterdam is my dream TV show, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get a call back.
In 2021, I would like to focus my energy also on films. Going back to my childhood in Malawi, I’d love to manifest my dream into a reality and end up on the big screen there one day in a feature film.
Another goal of mine in 2021 is to resume producing films. The most meaningful roles I will be in are the ones I end up producing on my own, so I would like to see this come to fruition. I am eager to collaborate with experienced storytellers, writers, and directors alike, who want to expand their horizons.
