Girlfriends, take a seat: word just got in that our fave Bollywood boutique actor has been called back for the third season of the ace TV show The Americans. And that’s not it, this time, his character — that of a suave, Oxford-educated Pakistani intelligence officer named Yousaf Rana — will have a proper arc. If his last appearance on the show — in episode 10 of season 2 — is anything to go by, we’re in for one racy ride 😉
This is what he has to say on being asked to rejoin the stellar cast:
I had an amazing time working on season 2 of The Americans and I’m cracking open a bottle of vodka to celebrate being invited back for another round of espionage and adventure with the KGB!
A period drama created and produced by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, The Americans revolves around the complex marriage of two Soviet KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected president. The series, which sometimes incorporates real-life events into the narrative, is bit of a slow burn but is highly recommended (okay, it’s yet to reach Mad Men levels of greatness).
And how does Rahul fit in the scheme of things?
Well, whilst the Soviet Union was at loggerheads with the US, its relationship with Pakistan was a bit touch-and-go over Afghanistan. The Soviet KGB spies thought it would be easy to extract information of their interest from R’s character, Yousaf, so they covertly engineered to have him promoted as the head of the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Was it a beneficial move for the KGB, we find out in season 3. Saying we’re excited would be an understatement — break a leg, R!
FYI, the third season of The Americans goes on air in the US from early next year on the FX channel.
And, of course, I trust you all have saved October 31 for his film Fireflies. Unfortunately, he’s missing from its promotions (he’s in LA to iron out bits and bobs for The Americans gig) and is doing the best he can for the film from afar.
Fireflies is a film that’s very close to my heart and has turned out beautifully. I’m doing my best to promote it from long-distance and I feel absolutely terrible that I won’t be in India for its release. But, when the KGB calls, you can’t say no!