Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani takes a dig at Donald Trump's 'racist' comment

Trump denied he was a racist after he was criticised over his description of African countries


Entertainment Desk/ IANS January 16, 2018
PHOTO: FILE

Stand-up comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, whose roots trace back to Pakistan, has taken a dig at US President Donald Trump's "I'm not a racist" comment.

"You know how you can tell you're racist? You have to say 'I'm not racist!' a lot," Nanjiani of The Big Sick fame tweeted.

Trump denied he was a racist after he was criticised over his description of African countries.

PHOTO: REUTERS PHOTO: REUTERS

"Nah, I'm not a racist. I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you," a report in the Washington Post quoted Trump as saying.

Nanjiani previously hosted Saturday Night Live in which he delivered a powerful monologue, tackling Islamophobia and racism he faced over the years.

PHOTO: VULTURE PHOTO: VULTURE


His film The Big Sick was a big hit this summer. The movie was inspired by the true story of his real-life wife.

In his monologue, Nanjiani explained how he is the “second person in my family to leave Pakistan.”

“I came to America, fell in love with a white woman and made a movie about it,” he said in his monologue, before detailing the racist reviews he received.

PHOTO: VANITY FAIR PHOTO: VANITY FAIR


Nanjiani said some of the reviewers disliked the film’s “race-mixing” — in a film about an interracial relationship. “First of all, nobody good ever uses the phrase ‘race-mixing,” he remarked. “Even if someone was like, ‘I’m pro-race-mixing,’ I’d be like, ‘Why are you talking like that?'”

His monologue also detailed his negative Twitter mentions about The Big Sick that dealt with his race. “A lot of people were like, ‘Go back to India,'” he told the audience.

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“I’ve never been to India. Are you just hoping I’ll have an awesome vacation soon?” Nanjiani told the audience that it’s remarks like that bug him the most. “My problem with most racism is the inaccuracy,” he asserted.

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