“Bend It Like Beckham” Star Parminder Nagra Co-Stars on NBC’s “The Blacklist”

Although Parminder Nagra began racking up TV and film credits since she was a teenager, it was 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham that gave the actress (who was 27 at the time) her major breakthrough. Now she can be seen weekly on NBC’s crime drama The Blacklist as FBI agent Meera Malik.

Hari Kondabolu Makes His First Appearance on Letterman

On the heels of the recent release of his new comedy album Waiting for 2042, Hari Kondabolu appeared on Late Show With David Letterman for his very first time. The comedian deployed his trademark quizzical-yet-deadpan take on American race relations.

Watch Vampire Weekend Perform “Unbelievers” on The Tonight Show

Earlier this week Vampire Weekend performed “Unbelievers” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The song is off the band’s self-titled album, which topped countless critics’ best of 2013 lists. Although at live shows group member Rostam Batmanglij (who is the son of Iranian immigrants) primarily sticks to keyboards and backing vocals, on Vampire Weekend’s albums he is a producer, arranger, composer, and programmer, among other things.  Click here to watch the performance.

Rappers Heems and Riz MC Team Up as Swet Shop Boys,” Release Debut Single

After dropping two mixtapes in 2012, Heems (a.k.a. Himanshu Suri, formerly of Das Racist) had a decidedly low profile last year.  Fortunately fans hungry for fresh bars from the rapper have a wealth of new material to look forward to.  In addition to finishing up his first proper solo album, Heems has teamed up with London-based actor and rapper Riz MC (a.k.a. Riz Ahmed) for a joint project under the moniker Swet Shop Boys.

The Disappearing Act of Enigmatic Psych Pop Producer/Singer Koushik

From around 2001 through 2009 Koushik Ghosh released a string of singles, EP’s, and albums on Stones Throw Records as Koushik.  His 2008 album Out My Window became the most celebrated example of his dreamy vocals and hip-hop inflected psych-pop arrangements.  The album positioned him on the brink of a breakthrough to much larger audience, appealing to fans of like-minded artists like RJD2, Four Tet, and Caribou (known as Manitoba at the time.)

Designer and Actor Waris Ahluwalia Appears in “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Waris Ahluwalia’s vision as a designer has won him high praise in the media everywhere from The New York Times to Vogue.  His brand House of Waris has illustrious standing amongst fashion institutions around the world.  However to the millions of fans of director Wes Anderson, Ahluwalia known for his brief but memorable roles in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu Releases Debut Album “Waiting for 2042” on Kill Rock Stars

This week comedian Hari Kondabolu releases Waiting for 2042, his debut album. For the past several years Kondabolu has been performing stand-up all over television – from late night talk shows to multiple appearances on Comedy Central, including his own half-hour special.  He also was a writer for the sadly cancelled FX series Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, alongside fellow Indian-American comedian Aparna Nancherla (kudos to W. Kamau Bell for what was one of the most diverse writing staffs on television.)

Fox Renews “The Mindy Project” for a Third Season

Fox recently became the first of the big five broadcast TV networks (yes the CW still counts) to make a major announcement regarding renewals for their primetime programs.  The Mindy Project is officially picked up for what will be its third season.  Fellow comedies Brooklyn-Nine-Nine and The New Girl were renewed as well, along with dramas The Following, Sleepy Hollow, and Bones.

Kumail Nanjiani Co-Stars in Upcoming HBO Comedy “Silicon Valley”

Kumail Nanjiani has amassed a couple dozen film and TV credits in just several years but he his upcoming role on HBO’s forthcoming half-hour comedy series Silicon Valley definitely his most prominent yet.  Nanjiani is one of the five leads – all of whom are talented comedic actors that deserve more exposure.  Check out the poster, which spoofs the iconic cover of Steve Jobs’ biography.

Former Das Racist Member Dapwell Blogs for VICE About Trip to India

When he was a member of the now defunct art-rap group Das Racist, Ashok Kondabolu, a.k.a. Dapwell, may not have done any actual rapping (he played hypeman to MC’s Heems and Kool A.D.) but the numerous interviews he did and multiple on-stage rants I experienced indicated that Dap had an endless stream of thoughts on any subject imaginable.