Kal Parekh
Encyclopedia
Kal Parekh is an Indian-American film and television actor best known for his starring role in the 2010 independent feature film, Karma Road and his current role as Sanjeev in the ABC television series Pan Am
.
where Parekh attended Verona High School. Following high school graduation, he went on to graduate from the School of Visual Arts
(SVA) in New York City
. While at SVA, he produced an animated short that was screened at various film festivals. During his time at SVA, Parekh also learned to dance by watching music videos. Even though he lacks formal training, his talent for dancing allowed him to become part of dance troupes on both the west and east coasts of the United States. According to Parekh, "Dancing liberated me, I was no longer an introverted individual, which I had been my whole life. Dancing came very naturally to me. I never took classes. It's something I just picked up and ended up being good at." He went on to teach for four years at Arya Dance Academy
. Parekh is quoted as saying that dancing helped him to open up to the possibility of acting.
(NYFA). It was shortly after his time at NYFA that he landed his first major role, as Shareesh in the Bollywood
Hindi
-language film Khel Shuru, learning Hindi for the part. Following Khel Shuru, Parekh was cast in several small roles in television series, including House
, Entourage
, Medium
, and Royal Pains
. Also a professional dancer, the 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) Parekh was cast as a featured dancer in the 2002 Bollywood film Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar
. In 2007, Parekh landed another Bollywood role in the feature film Ta Ra Rum Pum as the character Nilesh. In 2010, Parekh had a lead role in the independent film Karma Road as the character Ronick. Directed by Mihir Pathak, the film won the Silver Award for Best Feature Film at the 2010 Philadelphia Film Festival
and the Gold Level Award for a feature film at the 2010 California Film Awards. In early 2011, he was cast as Sanjeev in the ABC prime-time period drama Pan Am.
When not commuting to New York City to tape episodes for Pan Am, Parekh currently resides in Los Angeles
.
Pan Am (TV series)
Pan Am is an American period drama television series created by writer Jack Orman. Named for the iconic Pan American World Airways, the series focuses on the pilots and stewardesses of the airline as it operated in the early 1960s at the beginning of the commercial jet age.Sony licensed the rights...
.
Biography
Parekh was born in India. In the late 1980s, Parekh's father moved his family to the United States, settling in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where Parekh attended Verona High School. Following high school graduation, he went on to graduate from the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
(SVA) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. While at SVA, he produced an animated short that was screened at various film festivals. During his time at SVA, Parekh also learned to dance by watching music videos. Even though he lacks formal training, his talent for dancing allowed him to become part of dance troupes on both the west and east coasts of the United States. According to Parekh, "Dancing liberated me, I was no longer an introverted individual, which I had been my whole life. Dancing came very naturally to me. I never took classes. It's something I just picked up and ended up being good at." He went on to teach for four years at Arya Dance Academy
Arya Dance Academy
Arya Dance Academy was established in 1998 by Rupal Patel.Arya's teachers are well groomed under the tutelages of pioneering dance gurus such as Birju Maharaj, Kumudini Lakhia, Mrilani Sarabhai, and Sarmishtha Sarkar....
. Parekh is quoted as saying that dancing helped him to open up to the possibility of acting.
Career
After graduating from SVA, Parekh took classes in live-action film at the New York Film AcademyNew York Film Academy
New York Film Academy - School of Film and Acting is a film school andacting school based in New York City, Universal City, California, USA and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. NYFA offers short-term film-making and acting courses, as well as one- and two-year conservatory and Master of Fine Arts...
(NYFA). It was shortly after his time at NYFA that he landed his first major role, as Shareesh in the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
-language film Khel Shuru, learning Hindi for the part. Following Khel Shuru, Parekh was cast in several small roles in television series, including House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, Medium
Medium (TV series)
Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
, and Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
. Also a professional dancer, the 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) Parekh was cast as a featured dancer in the 2002 Bollywood film Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar
Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar
Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar is a 2002 Indian Bollywood film directed by Rahul Dholakia and stars Jimmy Shergill, Kim Sharma, Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles.-Cast:* Jimmy Shergill... Sunder Kapoor* Kim Sharma... Ritu Patel...
. In 2007, Parekh landed another Bollywood role in the feature film Ta Ra Rum Pum as the character Nilesh. In 2010, Parekh had a lead role in the independent film Karma Road as the character Ronick. Directed by Mihir Pathak, the film won the Silver Award for Best Feature Film at the 2010 Philadelphia Film Festival
Philadelphia Film Festival
The Philadelphia Film Festival is held annually in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Until 2009 it was generally held during the first weeks of April....
and the Gold Level Award for a feature film at the 2010 California Film Awards. In early 2011, he was cast as Sanjeev in the ABC prime-time period drama Pan Am.
When not commuting to New York City to tape episodes for Pan Am, Parekh currently resides in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.