A Hollywood Agent Goes Bollywood As interest in Bollywood continues to grow in the United States, American talent agencies are taking note. Jai Khanna, a manager with Brillstein Entertainment Partners, is targeting talent from India, hoping to bring them into the American mainstream. Beverly Hills-based Brillstein's client list, which already included heavyweights like Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler and Bill Maher, now boasts Irrfan Khan and Hrithik Roshan, and could soon welcome many more Bollywood names, if Mr. Khanna has his way. Mr. Khanna's client Mr.Khan has landed roles in Hollywood hits such as "Slumdog Millionaire," and upcoming films "Life of Pi" and "The Amazing Spiderman." Mr. Khanna, 41, who was born and raised in the San Francisco area, spoke to India Ink recently about his firm's Bollywood plans, and the opportunities for Indian actors today. At what level do you think Bollywood actors can succeed in Hollywood? As lead roles? Playing ethnic roles? Times have changed- these days, audiences want to see a great actor playing a convincing role in a compelling story. They don't care about the ethnicity of the actor, and the industry has recognized this reality. Indian actors have already experienced success in a variety of roles including lead, supporting, and bit roles. Of course, Irrfan Khan is no longer limited to ethnic roles, but others have also found success, especially in television. In television, some of the Indian talent has been cast in Caucasian roles, and have even been given non-ethnic names, such as [Indian-American actor] Aziz Ansari who plays a character named Tom on "Parks and Recreation" and Maulik Pancholy in "30 Rock" whose character name is Jonathan. Also, Parvesh Cheena from "Outsourced" booked a CBS pilot recently called "Friend Me" and his character's name is Mike. Do you think Bollywood actors will have an easier time becoming successful in Hollywood than Indian-American actors have? Several years ago, I think that Indian-American actors did struggle, but that has really changed. They are successful and talented today. But I really think that regardless of where they come from, great actors will always be appreciated by audiences. Everything else is secondary. How did Brillstein's interest in Bollywood begin? I have always loved Indian movies, and I have visited India often, both before and after coming to Hollywood. On one such trip a few years ago, I began to realize that although they were very successful, there were tremendous opportunities to develop Indian talent in the same way that was done here in the United States. This led to a series of discussions within the company about how Brillstein's model could be applied in India. So it was your idea? It was very much a mutual feeling between Brillstein and I. Though Hollywood garners the most revenue, we're all keenly aware that Indian studios are the most prolific in the world, producing upwards of 800 feature films per year. As we discussed the Indian film industry, we felt strongly that there was an opportunity to combine forces. Can you talk about what your company hopes to accomplish with talent from India? There are some amazing actors working in India today who now command a global audience. One of our goals is to help narrow down the projects that they are offered, focusing on those they feel truly passionate about, and which have the ability to find a global audience. We see an opportunity for Indian talent to become truly international players for the first time. Besides Irrfan Khan, which Indian actors do you represent? Our client list is confidential, but since it's been written about before, I can say Hrithik Roshan. We have sent him a number of offers including lead roles in movies, but Bollywood has kept him busy, and he has had scheduling conflicts when there have been opportunities, but we will keep trying. There has been very strong interest in him after "Kites,"[2010] and everyone in the Hollywood industry very much knows who he is. How often do you get to India and meet with actors and producers there? I go at least twice a year and spend a week or so in Bombay, but a lot of Bollywood actors come to Los Angeles frequently as well, so I meet with many of them here.