I don’t usually get crazy nervous when I interview sources for stories but tonight, my nerves took a crazy rollercoaster ride. I felt like a 10-year-old girl at a Spice Girls concert. I had the privilege of speaking with one of my favorite up and coming South Asian artists, Arjun. His debut single ‘Remember Tonight’, gained him the title as ‘Best Newcomer‘ at the Brit Asia Music Awards 2011. I was first introduced to Arjun’s music from one of my best friends and now I cannot stop listening. If you haven’t checked him out, you need to. He has gained whopping 3,696,331 views thus far for his version of the famous, “Why This Kolaveri Di” Tamil hit. Here’s how the Skype interview went:

BG: Some may say that you’re the next Jay Sean or Lomaticc, what do you think about the accuracy of that statement?

 A: I get that a lot really, I do love both artists and their work. Jay Sean has paved the way for Asian artists so thanks to him for that. I just don’t think our sound is the same since my work is guitar based and I also compose all of my own music. All three of us have our own kind of sound, which makes us unique.

BG: Of all the places you’ve performed at so far, which has been your favorite venue or audience?

A: I’ve done some big gigs in England recently, Diwali on the square at Trafalgar Square with an audience of about 30,000 people.  I’ve performed on beaches in Sri Lanka. However, my all time favorite has to be supporting Jagged Edge and Blackstreet at a club in London.

BG: Speaking of performances, are there any plans of you coming to the U.S…more optimistically, Texas?

A: I’m hoping to come to at least 4/5 cities in the US right now like L.A or New York. I’d love to come to Texas if something comes up so give me a shout out if something comes up!

BG: Not that anyone’s counting, but the last time I checked, your “Why This Kolaveri Di English R&B Mix” had a grand total of 3,313,830 views. How do you feel about that?

A: One day, for fun I was humming the tune and ended up adding English to it and then decided to produce it. I got online the next morning and saw the number of views it had and was shocked. I’m really glad I did it. I think it’s also in due part to Facebook and Twitter and becoming so viral online.

 BG: Who are some of your mentors or inspiration for your music?

 A: Craig David. He has a very similar guitar sound and in the late 90’s he was such a great inspiration to me. 112, Genuwine, Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz. I love all kinds of music and I hope that reflects in my own tracks.

 BG: If someone asked you what your favorite song on the radio is, what would your answer be?

 A: I like that Jay-Z and Kanye track, I can’t say the name but you know, “N” word in Paris.

 BG: When you’re not making music, what do you enjoy doing?

 A: I really enjoy playing cricket and just sports in general. I’m also into architecture and artsy things. Normal things, chilling with my mates and going clubbing.

 BG: If you could do a collaboration with any artist, who would it be and why?

A: From an R&B perspective obviously I’d love to do one with a rapper…so Jay-Z would be a privilege. Ryan Leslie would be great too. I really look up to him and respect what he does so one day hopefully I will get to work with him.

 Friend him, Tweet him,Youtube him!

Does anyone remember that little movie that came out way back when in 2001, called American Desi? It was a small independent film that sort of blew up in the Indian American community. It was the first of its kind that featured actual Indian kids, growing up in America, and walking the tightrope between Desi and American culture. It was the first movie to actually address the issue of being an ABCD and opened the door to much of the dialogue we see today. That movie is also significant because it was the debut performance of one very special guy, one that many of us Brown Girls have fallen in love with over the years: Kal Penn.

Yep, Kal Penn was that guy who was drunkenly peed on and acting like he was a thug from inner-city Detroit. He was epic in that role and it has rightfully led him to bigger roles and a place in Hollywood. Harold and Kumar, The Namesake, Superman Returns, and guest appearances on Star Trek and now on How I Met Your Mother is just the short list from his filmography. And lets not forget he was a guest professor at the University of Pennsylvania and worked for the Obama administration as the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison.

He’s a dreamboat all right.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of sitting in on a telephone interview with the one and only Kal Penn while he was promoting his third installment of Harold and Kumar. Due to scheduling, I didn’t get to ask him questions and this might have been a good thing because compared to the other reporters on the line my questions would have hovered around “Are you single?” “What type of girl would you date?” “Are you currently seeking your soul mate?”

Nope, instead the call with other Asian American journalists revolved around more important matters – his career path, his impact on the Asian American community, and his future career plans.

One thing that impressed me the most about Kal Penn was how incredibly humble he is. He repeatedly thanked the Asian American community for embracing him and his co-star John Cho in the Harold and Kumar movies.

When a writer asked about how he felt about paving the way for other Asian American actors in the Hollywood, he answered “John and I are very privileged. The script, the directors, and Warner Brothers taking a chance on us has brought us here. And the fans that supported us has really been great for all of us.”

He brought up the fact that Warner Bros. took a huge risk by taking on a project like Harold and Kumar. Something I hadn’t really thought of before. Kal said, “ Before you had not seen a movie with two Asian leads. It was a great risk that Warner Bros. took and its an honor to play the character.”

In regards to the raunchiness of the Kumar movies, Kal mentioned, “I love that Kumar is so different from me in real life. I’m not a fan of the one-dimensional character. Every community has flaws and we are finally seeing well rounded characters.” He also added how much he loved Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari for creating more diverse and unique characters. Oh how wonderful life would be if they ever collaborated!

Kal also discussed the type of roles he took on initially in order to break into Hollywood. When Kal started, roles for a brown guy were limited. Through guidance from role models, he has not been timid to turn down stereotypical roles. “We all audition for things that are bit parts and you hope they launch into other things.”

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation revolved on his decision to put a temporary halt on his acting career to work for President Obama.

“My interest in public service is tied into values my grandparents left me.  They marched with Gandhi in India and this made me socially conscious. I’m not a political person – I am very much an independent. But I saw this guy doing amazing things that I could volunteer for and I could also serve my country,” said Kal.

His goal was to put in two years into public service. However, the shooting of the third Harold and Kumar prevented him in doing so. After shooting the movie, he decided to reapply for the position. He was awarded the opportunity to come back (why wouldn’t anyone want him back!?) to the post and finish the remainder of his two years.

Since his life in D.C. (where he was apparently robbed at gun point!), he has continued to pursue various roles. You might have seen his most recent gig on How I Met Your Mother. He’ll be completing a couple more episodes on the show.

Of having the opportunity to work with Neil Patrick Harris again and the HIMYM staff, Kal says, “We get a long real well which is a real treat. Neil is a great actor in his own right and a force to be reckoned with. The whole staff is great.”

And of course Kal talked about the third installment of Harold and Kumar,

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. Now I’m pretty skeptical of sequels, but after listening to Kal describe the movie, I’m actually excited to see it.

Kal explains the appeal of the third movie by saying, “It’s the same writers in this film as in the past. The writers are consistently funny. And its a Christmas movie which gave us a lot to play with. And there is a  great dichotomy with characters. Kumar is still smoking weed and his girlfriend just left him. Harold on the opposite spectrum is living with his beautiful wife in the suburbs. The movie opens up with Harold and Kumar not being friends anymore.”

Kal’s future projects seem pretty inspiring as well. He is currently working on developing a new video game that incorporates art into gaming technology (yeah, that was a random new fact to learn about him!). Kal is also writing a pilot for a new comedy series which we definitely hope that a network picks up.

Basically, by the end the phone call my crush had been reaffirmed. But, I also learned that Kal Penn is an amazing guy that’s doing great things as a fellow Indian American. We at BG wish him the best of luck and will be staying tuned!

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas opened in theaters November 4th and is currently running in a theater near you!

CORRECTION: Kal Penn’s character was peed on, not the one doing the peeing as previously stated!

I don’t know about any of you but I’ve been having terrible withdrawals because of the lack of Indian men on TV this summer. Only one show on TV right now has an Indian guy on it – and he’s got OCD and agoraphobia. That would be Pindar Singh from TNT’s Franklin & Bash in case you’re into that kind of thing.

Sure Bollywood keeps churning out films with new actors that have hot-guy potential, but what do we really have to tie us over until the big wigs start releasing their films? An image of a bruised up and unwashed Imran Khan from his new movie Delhi Belly.

So in honor of yet another incredibly hot summer, we at Brown Girl would like to present our very own hot Brown Boy guide for 2011.

Now this is also going to be an interactive piece. We have pictures of our top hot Indian men and we encourage you all to post who you think should be added to the coveted list. These men don’t have to just be actors by the way. We’re talking any cute Indian guy you’ve ever heard of… preferably someone who can be found via Google (or Bing depending on preference). Trust me, it’s been a hot summer, and we’d love new suggestions of men to gawk at. It also gives us a reason to sift through more photos of attractive men that most Indian mothers would thank Krishna for.

I’m going to start this list off with some Men of the Screen:

Abhishek Bachchan

This movie royalty has had a semi-tough year in film. His first release of 2011 was not received well by critics and his second one was not received well by audiences. Thankfully, Lil ‘B has at least one more release this year so there’s more of him to look forward to.

Hrithik Roshan

This choice is obvious. He is the reigning champion of hot men (arguably of course). With an eagerly anticipated release, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Hrithik shows he’s not going anywhere for a while.

Farhan Akhtar

Speaking of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, there are three main guys in the film and they are all quite attractive. Farhan Akhtar is known for his directorial skills (see Dil Chahta Hai), but after his acting debut, he can’t be stopped in Bollywood (see Rock On! and Luck By Chance). Looks like he’ll head back to the director’s chair for a Don sequel. Good looks and multi-talented? Definitely worth a spot on our Summer Hotness List.

Abhay Deol

Now we can’t leave out the third man in our Zindagi film trio. Abhay is the cousin to both Sunny and Bobby Deol and, no offense to them, but he is the best looking Deol of the bunch. Abhay’s not lacking in the acting department either. His films and performances have reached universal acclaim like DevD and Road, Movie. Deol has at least three more films coming up in the next year- he’s unstoppable.

Shahid Kapoor

The man with the looks of a pretty boy and the muscles of a juiced-up body builder is having a quiet year; he’s been silently filming a new movie directed by his father called Mausam. While Shahid has had his film ups (Jab We Met, Kaminey) and his film downs (Chance Pe Dance, Milenge Milenge), it always seems as though he’s the shining star on the screen.

Prateik Babbar

He started as the anti-social, artsy brother in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and now he’s one of the hottest and most requested actor in Bollywood (He’ll end the year with at least four releases). Who knew the weird-looking kid from Imran Khan’s first movie would turn out to be so good looking?

Imran Khan

The nephew of Aamir Khan. I’m sure that’s not his favorite way of being introduced but that’s exactly how he became famous. But luckily for us, his acting is almost as good as his boyish good looks. Never fear, he’ll be around for a while.

Ranbir Kapoor

I always thought Ranbir Kapoor looked weird. But after seeing him in some great films (Wake Up Sid, Rajneeti, etc.) I’m starting to get the appeal. Yes he has a great body, but he’s got an air about him that makes him seem humble, kind, and funny. I’d give him a spot on the list just for one of those qualities.

Next, I have the American/European Indian Men. Everyone has their favorites so we decided to add a couple of ours.

Sendhil Ramamurthy

This guy is the epitome of someone who can bounce back. After Heroes tanked in it’s third and fourth seasons, Sendhil switched networks to USA and joined Covert Affairs. The show turned out to be a giant success, Sendhil is now a regular on the show and yet he still found the time to do a Bollywood movie that was actually pretty well received (see Shor in the City). Not a bad job for the guy who played one of the only characters on Heroes who didn’t start out with a power.

Naveen Andrews

He was in Lost. Just having that credit alone should be enough. But Naveen Andrews was not just on Lost- he was one of the emotional centers on Lost. Naveen has two new projects for 2012 so thankfully, Lost won’t mark an end to his career- though he may always be Sayid Jarrah to me.

Dev Patel

Yes, starring in a terrible M. Night Shyamalan movie definitely brings him several steps closer to being kicked off this list, but I like to hold on to the good times of Slumdog Millionaire and hope that Dev can find more projects like the Oscar-winning film that made him a star. He’s still got youthful charm which will never go away with a bad movie.

Sacha Dhawan

Here’s one that’s less recognizable. Sacha was just on the recently- cancelled show Outsourced on NBC. While the show may not have been all that funny, Sacha was and he also brought a nerdy yet sexy charm to his character. His talent is undeniable as well; he was in the Tony-award winning play The History Boys. Let’s hope we get to see much more of this British newbie.

On that note, we’ll turn it over to you guys.  Who would you like to see on our hottie Brown Guy list? We hope this gives you a suitable reason to look at pictures of attractive Indian men if anyone asks. Happy hunting!

‘Suitable Boy’ Checklist: Educated? Check. Good family? Check. Wealthy? Tall?  Fair?  Hot AKA Jay Sean? (Ahh, wishful thinking). Appropriate caste? Che…wait..WHAT?

I’m at a loss for words 99.9 % of the time when I sit down and think of exactly what is important to parents when it comes time to send their bonny lasses out to get wedded. I’m reminded of the absurd demands of Jane and Michael Banks from ‘Mary Poppins’ when they were asking their father for a new nanny:

“You must be kind, you must be witty

Very Sweet and fairly pretty.

Take us on outings, give us treats

Sing songs, bring sweets.”

I understand the importance of wanting the best for your child, but I truly cannot comprehend or even begin to WANT to comprehend some of the items on their checklists. A good education is something both parents and girls look for in prospective partners. That is nothing new, nor is it something wholly rare as most people strive for a good education and pride themselves on having a solid background. Although, I have met people that have an advanced formal education, but are lazy and unmotivated. I have also met people without an advanced formal education that are incredibly successful and content.  In both scenarios, the wrong thing is being scrutinized. An education, or the lack of, isn’t the answer; ambition, motivation and determination is.  Just because one has the tools necessary does not mean they know how to wield those tools and build a future out of them.

A good family is also important, but it is not necessarily the only thing that creates a good person; many people have overcome familial hardships and have conquered their lives and the world. Just look at Oprah! She came from ‘the hood’ and now she is arguably one of the most influential and powerful women in the entire world.  There are also many people that have had the world given to them on a golden platter (because silver is for sissies) and choose to indulge in sloth, greed, and lust rather than take on any responsibilities. We are not by-products of our surroundings; we have choices, and it’s those choices that make us who we are.

Wealth. Ah, booty…how seductive thee are. I think sometimes parents forget that their daughters have to live FOREVER with someone. Just because the suitable boy in question may have wealth at that moment in time, does not under any circumstances, mean it will be there forever. Money comes and goes, and basing a life decision of that magnitude on something so transient is silly, naive, and wholly unoriginal. “I ain’t sayin’ she a golddigger, but ain’t messin’ with no broke [people]…” Who wants to be THAT girl? I recognize everyone wants to live comfortably and indulge in luxuries, but is it so important that it becomes a deciding factor in someone’s worth?

Physical attributes are also subjective, unless we’re going to discuss Jay Sean… in which case it is a rule of life that he was, is, and always will be supercalifragilisitcacebealidocious hot. Physical beauty is fleeting and it is one’s personality that is forever. A person is not good or bad because they’re tall, fair, or hot (Jay Sean is the exception to every rule ever). People are good or bad based on their actions. It breaks my heart when I see wonderful people putting up with things they would normally abhor simply because their partner is good looking. Being attractive does not give someone a free pass to treat people badly. Looking past one’s physical appearances and truly seeing someone for who they are is a beautiful quality to have and one that should be cherished.  I identify with wanting a partner that is easy on the eyes, but let me reiterate something: is it so important that it becomes a deciding factor in someone’s worth?

I am truly befuddled every time I hear parents casually conversing about castes and ‘appropriate’ places and families their daughters can get married into.  My biggest gripe with this is the fact that the ideology is dated. Albeit, I realize the importance of making sure your darling child is married into a family that will love and treat her the way you have for  ‘X’ amount of years, but what does caste have to do with that?  If we were living in India and were subject to the societal rules and regulations of the castes in question, I would not be voicing my concerns here. HOW is it possible to deem someone acceptable or not based on the geographical location of their gaam or where they stand on the caste system? We live in a time where people are judged based on their actions rather than their family ancestory; our society thrives on the respect gained from actions. How can we then go backwards and cling to dated forms of worth when it comes to finding a suitable boy?

The conflict here lies in the generation gap; a lot of our parents are the first generation out of South Asia and have had struggled most of their adult lives to blend into American culture, while defiantly keeping their South Asian identity alive. We, on the other hand, have assimilated beautifully into American culture and have struggled to find our South Asian balance. The result? A shift in important values in a life partner; most of our parents were arranged by their parents whom they assumed knew best. This meant that the above items were not only acceptable, they were necessary because they fit in with the time period and societal ways. On the other hand, most of us now have grown up more independent and feel WE know best when it comes to choosing a life partner; this includes finding someone that is ambitious, motivated, determined, confident, funny, loving, trusting, and honest. The difference? The ‘suitable boy’ checklist went from tangible items to characteristics. We see worth in people for their potential and their actions, our parents deem worthiness by verifiable evidence.

If our parents stepped away from the black and white world of their checklists for just one moment, they would notice that there is a whole spectrum of colors waiting across the threshold . If they did, maybe then daughters wouldn’t be terrified of letting their parents down if they dared to fall in love with an ‘unsuitable boy’. We girls could also cut our parents some slack, if we just appreciated the reason for their ideology more, we could see that in between the black and white of the ‘suitable boy’ checklist, there are glimmers of vibrant colors; we just need to hold out our hand and learn to walk beside our parents instead of ahead or behind them.

Photo credit: www.manicksorcar.com/spices.php

by Farah Mithani –

Back in the 90s, I rocked out to George Michael and Prince, watched soaps like All My Children and Beverly Hills, 90210.   I fell in love with whatever my mom enjoyed. Nothing has really changed since then.  Mama and I still jam to George and watch the new 90210 show that was given an extreme makeover.

If you go back and watch old episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, the problems the rich kids had in high school seemed kind of… well, cheesy.  Now the new and modern 90210, is just dramatically wild, from one extreme to the next.  To be honest, I think I prefer the cheesy, lame episodes.  I’ll admit, when the new season started, I was pretty excited, but now that we have seen what the new rich kids are capable of, it’s just overwhelming.  From bipolar disorders, overdosing/drug abuse, coming out of the closet, stealing, cheating, and so much more I cannot even get into right now, it makes me realize how much things have changed since the 90s.

Okay, I know, your probably thinking…then why the hell are you still watching it?  I can’t help it! I guess it’s become a guilty pleasure. Plus, there’s a new hot desi guy, Manish Dayal.  Oh boy, is he dreamy.  They recently added him to the show some episodes back.  His name is Raj, (so typical, right?) and he’s dating the hippie surfer chick named Ivy.

Source

Manish Dayal, was born June 17 1983, in South Carolina. He graduated from George Washington University then moved to New York to pursue an acting career.  Currently he lives in Los Angeles, and is the character in 90210 that pushes one to start a bucket list.  He has leukemia, (in the show of course), and it’s not getting any better.  Now, if you haven’t seen the latest episode, do not read the next sentence!  Since he’s about to die and wants to spend the rest of his life with the girlfriend, he asks Ivy to marry him, and she says yes!

Source

He has been a guest star in one of the newest desi comedies, Outsourced, which coincidentally also had a wedding in this week’s episode.  He appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Rubicon, which I personally have never seen and probably never will.  Manish has been in some movies, but the only one that sounds familiar to me is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. In my opinion, he is an up and coming desi star.  So far, I like him.

Side image from Tumblr

I’ve been open about my love for guilty pleasure Jersey Shore before. But given the show’s reputation for debauchery, I was surprised when a major plot point this season revolved around a twenty-six year old Indian-American “guido” named Arvin Lal. Lal stirred up conflict between on and off again couple Ronnie and Sam, when it was revealed Sam contacted her old friend Arvin during one of the couple’s breakups.

I spoke to East Brunswick, NJ native Lal to set the record straight on his involvement in the show and his future endeavors.

So how are you connected to the Jersey Shore cast?

Mike is a friend of mine. I was with the cast when they shot the pilot. I’m also good friends with Samantha.

What exactly happened between you and Sam, and how did you become involved in the couple’s relationship drama?

After seeing the Miami season, I assumed Ronnie and Sam were not together [based on Ronnie cheating on Sam]. When Sam contacted me, I thought she just wanted to hang out. But when I saw Snooki and Jenni and everyone’s face when they saw me, I knew something was up.  Sam was portrayed badly on the show, when really I was just being a friend. I never thought our past would be brought up.

How did people react to your appearance?

I didn’t know how much I would be in the show. I had some friends over to watch and afterwards, they said [of my appearance in the show] ‘that’s huge.’ (Arvin’s plot line was extended over three episodes.) Everybody started to ask me questions, I received a lot of publicity.

Have your parents seen the show?

Everyone assumes that because my parents are Indian, they are really strict. But they saw me on the show and liked it.  People are surprised to even find out I am Indian-American, but I want to show people how big the Indian community is and how there is so much more to it than the stereotypes.

What are your next moves?

I can’t talk too much about it, but I am in talks with some production companies. I will keep my website updated. When I was younger, people always said I should be in Bollywood movies, but I never thought about anything like that until now. I feel like American TV has only seen a piece of me. I have a lot to offer.

The guys on the show are famous for the personal grooming habits. What are yours like?

I go to the gym five times a week…My favorite part of my body is my chest and abs. You definitely have to have the clothes and nice hair.

Visit Arvin’s website to learn more!

Follow him on facebook or Twitter.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had my “perfect guy” all figured out. He was tall, handsome, brave, romantic, hilarious, mischievous, and would whisk me away through the cornfield and into the sunset. In short, my perfect guy was Raj from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Oh Raj and his artfully messy hair, his dazzling musicality, and his ability to make me go weak at the knees with just one glance. I held on to that fantasy through my adolescence, never giving a guy a chance because I assumed that they would be nothing compared to Raj. As I’ve gotten older and have met different people, I’ve come to realize how unrealistic I was. Every girl has, at one point or another, had the same fantasy. It’s this fantasy that disables us from giving real life guys a chance. A chance that isn’t biased and won’t be the cause of excruciating comparison on the “perfect guy” checklist.

These real life guys deserve the opportunity to have a fighting chance against the legend that is the “perfect guy”; I’m going to give it to them. I asked six guys for their perspective on girls, dating, and what matters most. What you’ll notice is that, unlike us, they don’t have a mental checklist for their ideal woman. These guys are blunt and raw, but they know what they want. They understand that it’s important to have realistic expectations instead of holding on to unrealistic fantasies. Something some of us, myself included at times, would do well to learn from. So without further ado, I give you the Brown Guys!

When asked what qualities they look for in a girl, the guys had this to say:

“Personality before looks always, however I do definitely need to be physically attracted to the girl…humble is also a must.” -Nikhil P.

“…The absolute most important thing in a woman is how smart she is. Not necessarily book smart, but [she] has common sense, can hold a conversation, is aware of the world around her, has her own opinions, basically the confidence of knowing who she is.”-Afzal F.

“She should have passion for something; something she’ll think is even more important to her than I am.”-Sanil P.

“A girl who likes cheesy Indian love stories…a girl that can be not only my girlfriend, but my best friend. Someone who will talk things through with me and hold my hand.”-Nihar S.

“If she’s the same type of sign as me I think that helps a lot…I’m a fire sign, and over the years I’ve noticed I get along amazingly well with girls that are also fire signs.”-Arnand G.

“Physically, a good healthy body does it…and that doesn’t necessarily mean she has to have a slender body either. If she hits up the gym, she’s considered fit to me, at least she’s on the right track to being healthy.”-Hemesh P.

I questioned the guys about the qualities that turn them off in a girl and here’s what they had to say:

“Dishonesty in a girl. She needs to be honest with me no matter what, even if I don’t like it because the little lies hurt just as much as the big ones.”-Sanil P.

“Girls who are incredibly stubborn and do not want to compromise.”-Afzal F.

“It’s a huge turn off if they make the guy do everything: pay for everything and take the blame for everything.”-Hemesh P.

“Gossipers and spoiled girls that think the world revolves around them.”-Arnand G.

“Even the most physically attractive girl looks ugly in my eyes when she acts like she’s above everyone else.”-Nikhil P.

“A girl who doesn’t trust me and gets jealous.”-Nihar S.

I was curious to find out of culture and religion really matter to guys the way they matter to us girls and I was surprised by the overwhelming response:

“When dating a girl, culture and religion don’t matter that much to me because dating is more about learning about relationships and yourself. For marriage I think it’s important, because I want my kids to be raised in a culturally cohesive household.”-Nihar S.

“Culture and religion matter in marriage, but not so much in dating. I’ve dated two Muslim girls and they were my longest relationships….I like the qualities they had.”-Arnand G.

“To me, it does not fully matter… ‘In love’, culture and religion do help in sharing common experiences and forging a life long bond.”-Nikhil P.

“I don’t date a girl unless I see long-term potential, so culture and religion are important. My family has to like and get along with the girl I marry, so her being the same culture and religion makes sense to me.”-Sanil P.

“I think culture matters, it’s great to be rooted in something. Religion wise, I don’t care as long as they can keep it separate from me. I would never convert just to be with someone..they have to be able to accept me for who I am, not what I believe in.”-Hemesh P.

“…They do say love is blind, so if you happen to understand the other person and are willing to be patient and accepting, then no, it doesn’t matter.”-Afzal F.

I asked the Brown Guys their thoughts on their traditional roles as pursuers, and was pleasantly pleased by the answers I received:

“I like to be pursued a little and like to do the pursuing when I really like a girl.”-Arnand G.

“Plain and simple, I like to be pursued. I hate how society has always had it so the guy should make all the moves. I like the idea that a girl can make the moves too!”-Hemesh P.

“I like to pursue a girl, but I also like it when she makes an effort back so that I know that she cares and wants to be with me also.”-Nihar S.

“I like to pursue for the most part, but being pursued a little doesn’t hurt either…I like working for it. Makes it all worth while for me.”-Nikhil P.

“I love to be pursued. It’s about time we got some of the attention!”-Afzal F.

“I like to pursue a girl. If she pursues me, it turns me away because it makes it seem shes more interested than I am.”-Sanil P.

Last, but definitely not least, I asked these lovely Brown Guys if they had any advice for the readers of Brown Girl who are still fantasizing about their “perfect guy” and disregarding real life guys. Here’s what they had to say:

“To be honest, if there is one thing to remember ladies it’s this: we’re more afraid of you than you are of us, don’t play too hard to get, and be patient with your men. Sometimes we’re not very bright and need things spelled out to us very slowly.”-Afzal F.

“Be realistic about what you want and be willing to compromise. Accept the guy for who he is and don’t try to change him, because in the long run, you’ll just hurt yourself and him.”-Nihar S.

“Too often brown girls feel outside pressure to get married so they settle for a guy that doesn’t make them happy. Take your time finding the one…don’t hold back just because your ancestors wouldn’t have done it. This is America, and eventually everyone is going to be part of a mixed race, might as well start with someone you love and makes you happy.”-Arnand G.

“Don’t go for the quick fling, wait for someone that has potential.”-Sanil P.

“First and foremost, don’t ever try to be someone you’re not! Don’t be too picky, not every guy is going to be able to receive a check next to every box on your list of the perfect guy. I think that girls should roll the  dice and take chances…”-Hemesh P.

I always thought that we girls were more sensible, accepting, and compromising, but the Brown Guys have completely proved me wrong. I believe that as time has gone on, girls that have hardened their hearts and become more materialistic and shallow (for lack of better words) to keep up with the guys. The guys on the other hand, have become more responsible and nurturing. We’re a judgmental gender that prided ourselves on the “personality before looks” concept, but I fear some of us have lost sight of that. The Brown Guys, as well as other guys I know, all look for substance in a girl over everything else. I, for one, am done dreaming about Raj, I think I’ll take a Brown Guy instead.

expert from Simerjeet’s blog fashion rehab.

First and foremost I’d like to take the time to apologize for not posting in like two weeks, but I got really caught up in the 50th anniversary of JFK‘s inaugural address.  No, not really.  I just haven’t had anything to write about.  Seriously – crazy writer’s block over here.  But thankfully, either as a cause of or result of the subzero temperature, I had a brilliant idea to cover men’s fashion week…..kinda.

I wasn’t really going to cover men’s fashion week.  I was actually going to just let it slide by because honestly, I don’t really care what boys should be wearing.  Men have literally two options I feel like: suits (yay!) and not suits which includes jeans, kakhis, sweatpants.  And all the non-suits get the woman’s fashion treatment – i.e. men’s fashion tends to mirror woman’s fashion which really doesn’t ever translate to real life (See: tucking boots into jeans, giant man bags, neckerchifs-sp?)

But then I thought two things: 1: I Iove wearing men inspired outfits (reading that last bit over just doesn’t sound right but, you know, I’ve already typed it….) and 2: why not take some inspiration from the boys? Then I thought holly hell it’s cold and finally, I thought, am I only excited about this post because I can’t get Jessie J’s (who?) “Do it like a dude song” out of my head (why God why do I love horrible music)?  While I get my life together, click through the pictures.  And don’t forget to check out more collections on style.com.

Burberry Prorsum Thoughts: (None because its Burberry Prorsum. My mind is instantly blank when I see anything from this label because yeah, I'm in love) Then I thought, holy man bag, batman. Conclusion: Color is great! Orange and green are totally balenced out by the grey. And holy hell I want those pants.

Jean Paul Gaultier Thoughts: Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me? Oh...it's a gun. Conclusion: Um its suit? A FANTASTIC one. No conclusion statement necessary.

Lanvin Thoughts: I really like hats! Conclusion: I've been seeing this slow retreat from the skinny style of pants in both men's and women's fashion. The skinny jean will always have its moment but could baggy be back? (Cue that music. You know - dun dun dun. That one)

Balmain Thoughts: He looks like a pirate Conclusion: Remove the belt scarf (points for creativity) and actually this a great lesson on layering. I don't even mind the jeans in boots here. It's kinda manly.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/02/because-sometimes-boys-dont-always-suck/feed/ 0 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/aziz-ansari-dangerously-delicious/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/aziz-ansari-dangerously-delicious/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:17:55 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=2337 by Aditi Mehta – University of Texas Graduate

For my birthday this past year, I was given an amazing gift. Front row tickets, to go see Aziz Ansari  at the House of Blues in Houston. Now, the show was originally supposed to be held in July, and to my dismay was pushed back all the way to October! Ack! But, he was completely well worth the wait. As my boyfriend says, Aziz is the other brown guy who can make me laugh so much.

I guess I didn’t truly understand the concept of front row tickets until I walked up to our row looked down, then look up that stage, and let out a little scream. Holy moly, I could practically touch Aziz. My *high quality* camera pictures stand as proof.

For those of you who watch Parks and Recreation or have seen his routines on Comedy Central, you know Aziz is a bag full of laughs. The best thing I like about him is that he has mastered the perfect level of self-deprecation and outlandishness. Unlike Russell Peters, and other South Asian comedians, he makes you laugh not just at your culture or other people’s culture, but at people and situations in general. He’s brown, and he knows it, but he doesn’t use that as a gimmick like the others.

Whether its about his silly cousins Darwish and Harris, Kanye, or his life in LA nightlife you got to love Aziz. He was surprisingly cute too! My favorite joke of the night was when he referenced how his tour is so different from other rock bands. Girls go into their dressing room after the show and perform special acts. For Aziz, “Girls come into my dressing room after the show and ask ‘Can you take a picture with me and my boyfriend?””.

Yep, maybe it was his jokes, maybe it was his outfit, maybe it was just that he was that close to me, but I was impressed. So, girls get on it!

You can find out more about Aziz, his tour, his comedy, and his life at his blog. My favorite appearance of his was on Jimmy Kimmel.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/aziz-ansari-dangerously-delicious/feed/ 4 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/07/mr-july/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/07/mr-july/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:23:22 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=1902 by Reshma Jae - Georgia State University

If you’ve never heard of Dev Patel, you must live under a rock. Seriously. He first broke through to American cinema with his award winning role in Slumdog Millionaire but actually was in the British show Skins prior to his Slumdog fame.

While perusing through GQ this month I was delightfully surprised to see Dev looking suave and chic in a six page editorial promoting his upcoming movie The Last Airbender. In the movie Dev plays Prince Zuko, the 16 year old prince of the Fire Nation. The film, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, opened on July 1st, 2010.

Fun Facts:
Currently dating Slumdog co-star Frieda Pinto
Has a black belt in tae kwon do
Won a bronze medal at world AIMAA championship
Won 11 awards for his role in Slumdog Millionaire and was nominated for another 11

Here are images from the shoot, enjoy!