Desi at heart: Riz Ahmed's family thinks his Oscar nomination isn't a big deal

The reaction of his cousins is the most hilarious thing you'll read today


Entertainment Desk March 24, 2021

Familial jibes usually ring louder than the Sound of Metal, and Riz Ahmed’s family has proven just that. It seems the star’s loved ones weren’t too impressed by his Oscar nod, and the reason hits too close to home.

One week after Ahmed's role as a hearing-impaired drummer earned him his first Oscar nod – which also made him the first Muslim actor to have nabbed a nomination in a leading category at the Acadmey Awards – the 38-year-old shared a comical exchange he had with his cousins over his latest feat.

"My cousin Adnan legit didn't know what the Oscars were," Ahmed tweeted Tuesday. "[He said] 'Why all the gas? I won best client engagement award for the financial quarter.'"

The British-Pakistani star had earned the nomination for his work in Darius Marder's moving Best Picture contender. And mind you, his nomination has been making headlines since quite a while now. So contrary to the reaction of the world, the actor and rapper was naturally taken aback by the reaction of his own family.

Another cousin, Ahmed said, confirmed that the nomination wasn't cause for celebration: "[He told me] 'Na, it's not as big as that, cause he didn't win anything. It's more like getting an email from your boss.' Thanks, boss."

But irrespective of his family’s take on his monumental achievement, the Night Of actor's presence on the current awards trail continues to be a notable one. It is however funny to note, that no matter how far from home, no desi can rid themselves of their desi-ness. To be fair, many felt the same way on the micro-blogging website.

“Why do all Adnans have this energy?” questioned a user. “We have an Adnan like this in sales at my company. The absolute energy of a potato in regards to everything,” quipped another.

“I texted my mum a pic of me holding the Emmy I won and she replied ‘damn that suit fits you so well,’” chimed in a writer and director. “You can win a fricking Nobel Prize but somehow Sharma jee ka ladka will always be the OG overachiever,” complained another exhausted desi. “This is the most desi tweet I have ever seen with my own two eyes,” rang in the echo chamber.

Nevertheless, in addition to becoming the first Muslim to nab a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars, Ahmed and Minari star Steven Yeun became the first two actors of Asian descent to compete for Best Actor in the same year when nominations were announced on March 15.

Sound of Metal — which earned six Oscar nominations in total — is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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