Kumar Pallana
Indian-American character actor and vaudevillian (1918-2013)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kumar Valavhadas Pallana (23 December 1918 – 10 October 2013) was an Indian-American character actor.[1] He performed on television on the Mickey Mouse Club, The Ed Sullivan Show, and You Asked for It as a plate spinner and juggler.[2] He is best known for playing significant characters in Wes Anderson's first three movies: Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). He also acted in Steven Spielberg's The Terminal (2004).
23 December 1918
Kumar Pallana | |
|---|---|
Kumar Pallana in 2006 | |
| Born | Kumar Valavhadas Pallana 23 December 1918 |
| Died | 10 October 2013 (aged 94) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–2013 |
Career
Pallana moved to the United States in 1946 and spent 20 years performing around the country before settling down in Texas at his wife's insistence, and started a yoga studio.[3]
Pallana was married to Ranjana Jethwa and had two children, son Dipak and daughter Sandhya. His son Dipak created, owned, and operated a cafe called the Cosmic Cup (now Cosmic Cafe)[4] in Dallas, where Kumar met director Wes Anderson and actor Owen Wilson. Anderson subsequently cast Pallana in his films Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Darjeeling Limited. Pallana also appeared in the Bollywood movie Anjaana Anjaani (2010) and the acclaimed independent film Another Earth (2011). A short documentary, KUMAR:MKE, about Pallana's connection to the Milwaukee film scene, was released in 2015.[5]
Death
Pallana died on 10 October 2013 at his home in California at age 94.[3]
Personal life
Pallana's daughter Sandhya Pallana worked with him on The Terminal and other productions. His son Dipak, also an actor, appeared in films such as Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | Viva Zapata! | Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1996 | Bottle Rocket | Kumar | |
| 1998 | Rushmore | Mr. Littlejeans | |
| 2001 | The Royal Tenenbaums | Pagoda | |
| 2002 | Bomb the System | Kumar Baba | |
| 2003 | Duplex | Indian Restaurant Owner | |
| 2004 | The Terminal | Gupta Rajan | |
| 2005 | Romance & Cigarettes | Da Da Kumar | |
| 2006 | The Gold Bracelet | Dhinubhai | |
| 2006 | RevoLOUtion | Kumar | |
| 2006 | 10 Items or Less | Lee | |
| 2007 | The Darjeeling Limited | Old man on train | |
| 2009 | Karma Aur Holi | DJ Rav | |
| 2009 | Today's Special | Shah | |
| 2010 | Anjaana Anjaani | Coast guard | |
| 2011 | Another Earth | Purdeep | |
| 2011 | Hollywood Whores | Magic Man | |
| 2011 | Campus Radio | Yogi | |
| 2012 | Heavy Hands | The Clerk | |
| 2014 | Hamlet A.D.D. | Kumar | Posthumous |
| 2019 | Black Licorice | Kumar | Posthumous; Final film role |
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