Tamil Nadu origin comedian bags gold at TV awards

Aziz Ansari, an American comedian, born to Tamil Muslim parents, who shot to fame with his role in the TV series Parks and Recreation, has bagged one more prestigious honour. On Sunday night, Ansari, the creator, writer and star of the Netflix show Master of None won Best Comedy Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

Ansari’s mother, Fatima, works in a medical office, while his father, Shoukath, is a gastroenterologist. His parents immigrated from India in the early 80s. Shoukath graduated from the Tirunelveli Medical School before pursuing his residency in the US. 

The show Master of None made its debut on Netflix in November 2015. Audiences lauded the series for its diversity — in terms of the choice of cast members to storytelling, particularly in the series’ second episode, which dives into the complex relationships between immigrant parents and their children. Ansari’s father and mother were cast as his onscreen parents in the show on two episodes. 

The show surged ahead of network series like Black-ish and Jane the Virgin, two Amazon series (Catastrophe and Transparent), and FX Networks’ You’re the Worst.

Although Ansari confessed that he needed more time to figure out what a second season of Master of None would look like, the demand for more of his popular show is only rising. 

“I really go to these things assuming I’m going to lose and eat these weird treats they give us, like the tiny hot dogs and sweet potatoes, so it’s definitely better to get this in addition to that,” said Ansari, during his acceptance speech. 

The comedian was also nominated in the categories of Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Actor Kelvin Yu, who plays Ansari’s best buddy in the show, had said previously, “It feels like people are being validated in their experiences as the children of immigrants, and that’s just invaluable.”