Adhir Kalyan Movies
South African-born actor Adhir Kalyan first caught the eye of stateside television viewers when cast in the as a Pakistani Muslim exchange student who came to live with a typical suburban American family in the CW sitcom Aliens in America. Though he had previously appeared in episodes of such U.K. television dramas as Spooks and Holby City, Kaylan's part on Aliens in America was his first regular small-screen role on either side of the pond. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen headline this teen comedy concerning two high-school football players who attempt to avoid another summer at football camp by becoming cheerleaders. Out on the gridiron, Gerald R. Ford High School students Shawn Colfax (D'Agosto) and Nick Brady (Olsen) are star players. But summer is drawing near, and this year neither Shawn nor Nick can stomach the prospect of spending their sun-soaked months lunging at tackling dummies and getting berated by their coach. Fortunately, Nick has a brilliant solution to their current dilemma: sign up for cheerleading camp and spend the summer surrounded by gorgeous women. But head cheerleader Carly (Sarah Roemer) can see right through them, and when Shawn falls head over heels for her, their genius plan hits an unexpected hitch. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas D'Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen, (more)
- 2007
This CW sitcom was set in Medora, Wisconsin, where dwelled the Tolchuck family: Father Gary (Scott Patterson), mother Franny (Amy Pietz), son Justin (Dan Byrd) and daughter Claire (Lindsay Shaw). Desperate to fit in with the cool kids at school, the nerdish Justin (who narrated the series, Malcolm in the Middle style) decided if he couldn't make friends, he'd "import" one. Thus, he talked his parents into being the sponsors for an exchange student from Pakistan, an amiable Muslin teenager named Raja (Adhir Kalyan). Though Justin and Raja formed an immediate bond, mom Claire was a bit frightened by her guest, her head filled with news reports of middle-east terrorism and such. Conversely, dad Gary was quite impressed by Raja's courtesy, loyalty, and strong work ethic--and besides, he was getting $500 a month for sponsoring the kid. As for Claire, she was too preoccupied with being the "dream girl" of every jock in school, and the actual girlfriend of classmate Jeffrey (Harlan Jackson), to concern herself with Raja. In case the reader hasn't caught on by now, the purpose of this series was to dispel viewers in the post-9/11 era of the idotic assumption that every Muslim posed an eminent threat to the American way of life: Indeed, Raja may have been the most lovable and nonthreatening TV alien since Robin Williams' Mork From Ork. Aliens in America debuted October 1, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Byrd, Adhir Kalyan, (more)
