I am dying to do a Bollywood movie: Kunal Nayyar of 'The Big Bang Theory'

Kunal Nayyar is possibly India's best export to the world of American sitcoms. As the relatable Raj Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, the 34-year-old Delhi boy has won hearts across generations and believes he has paved the way for more Indians to be on American TV.

Nayyar, born in London and brought up in Delhi, moved to the US to pursue a degree in business in 1999. There, he enrolled in theatre to make up for the loss of friends and soon landed roles on sitcoms and plays before being signed up for Raj Koothrappali, the painfully-shy astrophysicist on The Big Bang Theory. The show, now in its ninth season, saw Nayyar being applauded for his portrayal of the character around the third season itself. Reports speculate that the next season could be the show's last.

He went to St Columba's in Delhi and played badminton for his school, his upbringing being as Indian as it comes. "I remember eating orange and lime chew at school, and eating chana bhatura and choley on Sunday afternoons," he says. "I miss playing badminton at Friends Club and swimming on pool days. I lived in a little bubble. I miss that."

Nayyar is in India to promote his new book, Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You, and he is thankful for the new crop of Indian faces on US TV shows. So, when did that change happen? "With me," he laughs. But he's quick to correct, "This will not translate well in print."

"Honestly, I think the change came when Indians became prevalent in American society. Every time I go to Caltech, NASA or visit a doctor, I meet an Indian," he adds. "That helps in bringing our culture on screen. I'm Indian and very proud of being one."

As we speak, news comes in of Nayyar being signed as the potential husband of Mindy Lahiri (played by Indian-American actor Mindy Kaling) on her show, The Mindy Project. "Her show is one of the most popular ones there and I'm glad to be in it," he says.

Nayyar says that after nine-and-a-half years of struggle, he's still loving the feeling of landing Koothrappali's role. "Like a kid in a candy shop, I feel like the luckiest boy in the world. I worked hard to get here and am simply thankful that I'm being paid to do what I love," he says.

His struggle was not as rosy, he writes in the book, about how he had to wait tables and even scrub toilets. But none of those experiences bogged him down. And this should serve as a lesson for those aspiring for better things. "All I'd say is don't waste time thinking about doing it. When I was going through those times, serving tables, etc., I loved it. I was lonely, but I could interact with people. I wasn't thinking, 'Oh my god, this is such a s****y job.' I was thinking: 'Now I have the money to buy Christmas presents for the people I love.'"

Nayyar's is a memoir that hinges on his accent. Did he ever experience racism? "Racism exists in every country. There are idiots everywhere who will always be narrow-minded," he says. "Whenever I saw it, I just ignored it. It never pissed me off as much because I never gave in. I think it pisses you off when you really give it credibility. When you dismiss it, you don't face it as much."

He's a huge fan of Aamir Khan, and says he grew up watching his movies. "He was the actor I looked up to while growing up. I was blown when I saw Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Then I saw Sarfarosh and thought there was nothing better than this," he says.

And does he want to be a part of the big, bad Bollywood bandwagon? "Definitely. I'm a huge Bollywood buff and am dying to do a movie," he says. Are there any offers yet? "I've had some opportunities, but the scripts were not what I wanted to be part of yet," he shares. "For me, it starts with the writing. In India, we need to nurture better writing. Some of the scripts I read recently were phenomenal and hopefully, one of them will work out," he signs off.