Squid Game has become a phenomenon. The riveting Korean drama has become somewhat like a renaissance for the genre&nbsp;that has a fanbase all over the world. Well yes, BTS and Psy have been making major waves in&nbsp;music but Korean drama still commanded a niche audience.

Squid Game has changed that. The weird, at times whimsical series shocks you, keeps you on the edge of the seat and even makes you cry at times.

Amid all this, viewers have been able to pinpoint an aspect which, though not a dampner, may put Squid Game in the list of series depicting South Asians in a stereotypical light.

The character in question is Abdul Ali (A&nbsp;Pakistani played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi).

Ali has a dishevelled appearance. Works in a factory. Has migrated to Korea to earn more money. He is not a man who you would call confident. He bows to other Korean characters again and again. Though this appears to be out of respect, it has hints of subservience.

To his credit, several characters tell him to stop calling them 'Sir' and to just use their actual names to address them. But Ali faces questions from another character that in effect enquires 'Do you even have a Korean visa?'

Ali's presence is a delight for a South Asian eye (and ear) as he occasionally breaks into Urdu/Hindi, that too in a Korean series. This may be a temporary relief for viewers who don't prefer subtitle-heavy viewing.

But Ali is expendable, he can be easily manipulated. He can be tricked easily. He is poor, heavily in debt and sight of money makes him bow repeatedly to other Korean characters.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-squid-games-anupam-tripathi-on-series-success-i-was-not-prepared-419548">Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi on series success: I was not prepared</a>

It cannot be denied that there may be people fitting this description across Indian subcontinent. But continued representation of this ethnicity in such a light remains a persistent issue. This, even when South Asians or people with such a heritage have conquered heights globally. US Vice-President Kamala Harris is the latest example.

After all these years,&nbsp;depiction of South Asians in popular media is still far from reality.

Such a representation is not new.

Take Apu from The Simpsons

<img alt="Apu The Simpsons" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1ce97a6a-6003-46c4-897b-232ab6d8f68e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Apu.JPG" />

(Image: Twitter)

The convenience store owner (voice by Hank Azaria himself) has a thick Indian accent. Has a habit of saying "Thank you. Come again" even in normal conversations outside his store. He and his wife have 'octuplets', eight children, apparently a dig at India's population crisis. The character has been in the cartoon series that has gone on for decades and assumed an iconic status.

Hank Azaria recently apologised for depicting Apu in such a way.

Raj from The Big Bang Theory

<img alt="The Big Bang Theory Raj Kunal Nayyar" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="67f47e30-d97b-4f14-8210-0b05c32188a6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8T9TD.jpg" />

(Actor Kunal Nayyar who played Raj in The Big Bang Theory)

The genius astrophysicist cannot talk to women without drinking alcohol. He is too too shy. He definitely is part of the main cast but focus is often on other characters. Raj is almost never a main player in the scheme of things. Raj is rich, is a master of his own life. But still faces a comment about him being from 'whichever third world country' in an episode.

Kingo from the Eternals

<img alt="Kumail Nanjiani Kingo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c2fae692-94ff-47ed-a80a-ae586c685e75" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1IL74I.jpg" />

Kumail Nanjiani hit headlines again when he was roped in to play Kingo in Marvel's Eternals. Yes, he is a cosmic being with incredible power at his disposal. But what is his day job? A Bollywood actor, who appears to take part in run-of-the-mill song-and-dance routing that 'Bollywood' has left behind decades ago.

Asok (From comic strip Dilbert)

<img alt="Asok. Dilbert" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfb117a6-9d64-4afd-a9f3-8c86ebeb6f52" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/asok.JPG" />

(Image: Instagram)

Dilbert has a massive fan base among those who appreciate subtle, dry, office humour. Asok is a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology. His IQ far exceeds that of his co-workers. He has a weird power of incinerating anyone just by thinking about it.

But he is robotic. Has a flat expression.

Time to quickly move on to wrestling

Jinder Mahal

<img alt="Jinder Mahal WWE" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="de1bed58-7b17-4171-adc9-5e91942050d9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Jinder%20Mahal.JPG" />

(Image: Instagram)

Name of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star itself begs the question, do Indians really have such&nbsp;names? Or this has been a&nbsp;manufactured one just to sound&nbsp;recognisable to Americans who associate India only with the Taj Mahal?

Maybe, just maybe, Priyanka Chopra is the only exception to all this. Though she can't be called a Hollywood A-lister yet, roles offered to her till now have not conformed to 'typical' image of an Indian woman prevalent in American minds.

Communities surely have peculiarities and even eccentricities. Problem arises when one is constantly depicted based on decades-old, worn out views no longer reflecting reality to its fullest extent. Things are not all bad, the perception is changing. But everyone is too tired to repeatedly point out that more needs to be done.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Squid Game has become a phenomenon. The riveting Korean drama has become somewhat like a renaissance for the genre that has a fanbase all over the world. Well yes, BTS and Psy have been making major waves in music but Korean drama still commanded a niche audience.

Squid Game has become a phenomenon. The riveting Korean drama has become somewhat like a renaissance for the genre that has a fanbase all over the world. Well yes, BTS and Psy have been making major waves in music but Korean drama still commanded a niche audience. Squid Game has changed that. The weird, at times whimsical series shocks you, keeps you on the edge of the seat and even makes you cry at times. Amid all this, viewers have been able to pinpoint an aspect which, though not a dampner, may put Squid Game in the list of series depicting South Asians in a stereotypical light. The character in question is Abdul Ali (A Pakistani played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi). Ali has a dishevelled appearance. Works in a factory. Has migrated to Korea to earn more money. He is not a man who you would call confident. He bows to other Korean characters again and again. Though this appears to be out of respect, it has hints of subservience. To his credit, several characters tell him to stop calling them 'Sir' and to just use their actual names to address them. But Ali faces questions from another character that in effect enquires 'Do you even have a Korean visa?' Ali's presence is a delight for a South Asian eye (and ear) as he occasionally breaks into Urdu/Hindi, that too in a Korean series. This may be a temporary relief for viewers who don't prefer subtitle-heavy viewing. But Ali is expendable, he can be easily manipulated. He can be tricked easily. He is poor, heavily in debt and sight of money makes him bow repeatedly to other Korean characters. Also Read | Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi on series success: I was not prepared It cannot be denied that there may be people fitting this description across Indian subcontinent. But continued representation of this ethnicity in such a light remains a persistent issue. This, even when South Asians or people with such a heritage have conquered heights globally. US Vice-President Kamala Harris is the latest example. After all these years, depiction of South Asians in popular media is still far from reality. Such a representation is not new. Take Apu from The Simpsons (Image: Twitter) The convenience store owner (voice by Hank Azaria himself) has a thick Indian accent. Has a habit of saying "Thank you. Come again" even in normal conversations outside his store. He and his wife have 'octuplets', eight children, apparently a dig at India's population crisis. The character has been in the cartoon series that has gone on for decades and assumed an iconic status. Hank Azaria recently apologised for depicting Apu in such a way. Raj from The Big Bang Theory (Actor Kunal Nayyar who played Raj in The Big Bang Theory) The genius astrophysicist cannot talk to women without drinking alcohol. He is too too shy. He definitely is part of the main cast but focus is often on other characters. Raj is almost never a main player in the scheme of things. Raj is rich, is a master of his own life. But still faces a comment about him being from 'whichever third world country' in an episode. Kingo from the Eternals Kumail Nanjiani hit headlines again when he was roped in to play Kingo in Marvel's Eternals. Yes, he is a cosmic being with incredible power at his disposal. But what is his day job? A Bollywood actor, who appears to take part in run-of-the-mill song-and-dance routing that 'Bollywood' has left behind decades ago. Asok (From comic strip Dilbert) (Image: Instagram) Dilbert has a massive fan base among those who appreciate subtle, dry, office humour. Asok is a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology. His IQ far exceeds that of his co-workers. He has a weird power of incinerating anyone just by thinking about it. But he is robotic. Has a flat expression. Time to quickly move on to wrestling Jinder Mahal (Image: Instagram) Name of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star itself begs the question, do Indians really have such names? Or this has been a manufactured one just to sound recognisable to Americans who associate India only with the Taj Mahal? Maybe, just maybe, Priyanka Chopra is the only exception to all this. Though she can't be called a Hollywood A-lister yet, roles offered to her till now have not conformed to 'typical' image of an Indian woman prevalent in American minds. Communities surely have peculiarities and even eccentricities. Problem arises when one is constantly depicted based on decades-old, worn out views no longer reflecting reality to its fullest extent. Things are not all bad, the perception is changing. But everyone is too tired to repeatedly point out that more needs to be done. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion | Squid Game reignites debate on stereotypical representation of South Asians

Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor of Netflix's global series 'Squid Game'&nbsp;recently shared that he was not prepared for the series to become a global sensation. 
 
Tripathi plays Ali Abdul, a Pakistani economic migrant to South Korea who is one of the hundreds of deep-in-debt people roped into a deadly contest based on Korean playground games."We felt that it will be received well, but when it became a phenomenon and sensation, it was not expected - I was not prepared," Tripathi told Variety.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/squid-games-anupam-tripathi-to-life-of-pis-suraj-sharma-indian-origin-actors-and-global-tv-cinema-419423" hreflang="en">Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi to Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma: Indian-origin actors and global TV &amp; cinema</a>

"I still remember, September 17, 2021, 4 pm, my life was OK, but after 5 pm, it became huge, humongous -- suddenly everyone was messaging me and it was 'Ali', 'Ali'," Tripathi said. 
 
Tripathi grew up in New Delhi, India, where his primary interest was music until he chanced upon a stage production of 'Spartacus'. He was hooked and played a slave in the production. 
 
From 2006 through 2010, Tripathi was part of the Behroop theatre group, mentored by the late playwright Shahid Anwar."I enjoyed every bit of it because in going in front of the audience and expressing myself -- it was so fascinating to become somebody and then again become myself," said Tripathi.

J<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-jimmy-fallon-makes-squid-game-cast-play-games-as-they-appear-on-the-tonight-show-419015" hreflang="en">immy Fallon makes 'Squid Game' cast play games as they appear on The Tonight Show</a> 
 
The budding actor intended to apply to India`s prestigious National School of Drama, the institution that has produced some of the country`s finest actors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, but South Korea came calling. A friend informed him that there was an Arts Major Asian scholarship available to study acting at the Korea National University of the Arts. Tripathi passed the required exam, won a scholarship and joined as an undergraduate in 2010. The language was initially an issue, but the actor mastered Korean in less than two years. 
 
Upon graduation, Tripathi appeared in several films and series for three years including hit film 'Ode to My Father', series success `Descendants of the Sun` and 2021 film `Space Sweepers`.In January 2020, after returning to South Korea from a brief trip home, Tripathi was contacted by a Korean casting agency specialising in foreign characters. The actor sent in a tape and then progressed to an audition with the casting director.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/subtitles-of-squid-game-change-the-meaning-of-the-show-fans-are-divided-on-this-418717" hreflang="en">Subtitles of 'Squid Game' change the meaning of the show? Fans are divided on this</a> 
 
The language was no longer a barrier. The part was that of Ali in 'Squid Game'. The next stage was a meeting with director Hwang Dong-Hyuk. Tripathi was familiar with his previous work, the 2017 multiple award-winning period action drama `The Fortress`.Once selected, the next stage was to prep playing a Pakistani character. Tripathi got into this by watching BBC documentaries, YouTube videos about Pakistani migrants and spending time with Pakistani friends in South Korea to learn the nuances of Urdu-language diction."I tried to go as close as I could to the character," said Tripathi."I kept on thinking it`s going to be released in 190 countries, so how can I connect with the audience as a character. That was my internal quest all the way the day from the day they said yes to me to the day it ended," he added. 
 
Tripathi talked about the shooting process and the "majestic" sets. "The sets are majestic, magical -- you go there, you become the character. That`s the kind of stage they have created. It helped everybody to evolve better. It was not that easy a process. But everybody was together. Ali came out from there and now everybody`s talking about it. I feel happy," he continued.The actor refuses to be drawn about a further season for the show."I can`t say anything on that because that depends on the director and the writer and the production team, I hope, because everybody`s loving it," Tripathi said with a laugh. 
 
Regarding the future, Tripathi told Variety, "This was just the starting point for me. Let`s see how far I can move on in a better way as an actor or on my craft."The actor is looking at doing more work in South Korea including in different dialects of the language. He is also fluent in English and Hindi.

Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor of Netflix's global series 'Squid Game' recently shared that he was not prepared for the series to become a global sensation.

Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor of Netflix's global series 'Squid Game' recently shared that he was not prepared for the series to become a global sensation. Tripathi plays Ali Abdul, a Pakistani economic migrant to South Korea who is one of the hundreds of deep-in-debt people roped into a deadly contest based on Korean playground games."We felt that it will be received well, but when it became a phenomenon and sensation, it was not expected - I was not prepared," Tripathi told Variety. Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi to Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma: Indian-origin actors and global TV & cinema "I still remember, September 17, 2021, 4 pm, my life was OK, but after 5 pm, it became huge, humongous -- suddenly everyone was messaging me and it was 'Ali', 'Ali'," Tripathi said. Tripathi grew up in New Delhi, India, where his primary interest was music until he chanced upon a stage production of 'Spartacus'. He was hooked and played a slave in the production. From 2006 through 2010, Tripathi was part of the Behroop theatre group, mentored by the late playwright Shahid Anwar."I enjoyed every bit of it because in going in front of the audience and expressing myself -- it was so fascinating to become somebody and then again become myself," said Tripathi. Jimmy Fallon makes 'Squid Game' cast play games as they appear on The Tonight Show The budding actor intended to apply to India`s prestigious National School of Drama, the institution that has produced some of the country`s finest actors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, but South Korea came calling. A friend informed him that there was an Arts Major Asian scholarship available to study acting at the Korea National University of the Arts. Tripathi passed the required exam, won a scholarship and joined as an undergraduate in 2010. The language was initially an issue, but the actor mastered Korean in less than two years. Upon graduation, Tripathi appeared in several films and series for three years including hit film 'Ode to My Father', series success `Descendants of the Sun` and 2021 film `Space Sweepers`.In January 2020, after returning to South Korea from a brief trip home, Tripathi was contacted by a Korean casting agency specialising in foreign characters. The actor sent in a tape and then progressed to an audition with the casting director. Subtitles of 'Squid Game' change the meaning of the show? Fans are divided on this The language was no longer a barrier. The part was that of Ali in 'Squid Game'. The next stage was a meeting with director Hwang Dong-Hyuk. Tripathi was familiar with his previous work, the 2017 multiple award-winning period action drama `The Fortress`.Once selected, the next stage was to prep playing a Pakistani character. Tripathi got into this by watching BBC documentaries, YouTube videos about Pakistani migrants and spending time with Pakistani friends in South Korea to learn the nuances of Urdu-language diction."I tried to go as close as I could to the character," said Tripathi."I kept on thinking it`s going to be released in 190 countries, so how can I connect with the audience as a character. That was my internal quest all the way the day from the day they said yes to me to the day it ended," he added. Tripathi talked about the shooting process and the "majestic" sets. "The sets are majestic, magical -- you go there, you become the character. That`s the kind of stage they have created. It helped everybody to evolve better. It was not that easy a process. But everybody was together. Ali came out from there and now everybody`s talking about it. I feel happy," he continued.The actor refuses to be drawn about a further season for the show."I can`t say anything on that because that depends on the director and the writer and the production team, I hope, because everybody`s loving it," Tripathi said with a laugh. Regarding the future, Tripathi told Variety, "This was just the starting point for me. Let`s see how far I can move on in a better way as an actor or on my craft."The actor is looking at doing more work in South Korea including in different dialects of the language. He is also fluent in English and Hindi.

Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi on series success: I was not prepared

squid-game-actor-anupam-tripathi

Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi, News on Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi, stories on Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi, articles on Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi, Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi stories at Wion, Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi news, Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi latest news

squid game-actor-anupam-tripathi

Opinion | Squid Game reignites debate on stereotypical representation of South Asians

Squid Game's Anupam Tripathi on series success: I was not prepared