Nothing in the decade that the British-American comedian Aasif Mandvi spent on “The Daily Show” will prepare you for his astonishing performance in “Sakina’s Restaurant,” the one-man show that opened Sunday at Off Broadway’s Audible Theater at Minetta Lane Theatre.
Over the course of 90 intermissionless minutes, the Mumbai-born performer seamlessly transitions into a half dozen different Indian American characters before our eyes, giving each a unique posture and vocal inflection that summons their individual personalities before our eyes.
We meet Azgi, a waiter in a Lower East Side restaurant newly arrived from his native India; Hakim, the restaurant’s owner and Azgi’s sponsor; Farrida, Hakim’s patient and loving wife; their two children, the teenage Sakina and her Game Boy-loving younger brother, Samir; and Ali, a medical student long betrothed to Sakina by their devout Muslim families.
Mandvi summons these different characters with a minimum of costume changes or props (a hairband for Sakina, glasses for Ali) but the transformation is nonetheless recognizably complete with each new persona.
It’s tour-de-force acting made all the more astonishing for the intimacy of Off Broadway’s tiny Minetta Lane Theatre, where every raised eyebrow or splay of fingers across the chest registers.
It’s a pity that Mandvi’s script, which he developed with original director Kimberley Hughes, doesn’t quite match the depth and dramatic power of his performance. The best sequence is Sakina’s, seen when she is an awkward teenager in one-sided conversation with a recent ex who dumped her after two months for a decidedly less ethnic girlfriend named Julie Montgomery and who mistakenly believes she’s Iranian.
That scene captures the universal contradictions and insecurities of adolescence as well as the particularities of the experience of a girl straddling her traditional Indian upbringing at home and her desire to find a place in a more secular American culture.
Like a later scene in which Ali debates whether to go through with an encounter with a prostitute despite his misgivings as an upright Muslim man, the sequence also contains just enough internal conflict to make up for the evening’s general indifference to plot.
Too often, though, Mandvi’s monologues are diverting-enough character sketches that fail to build to anything dramatic. And they are connected with interstitials, mostly in Azgi’s voice, that strain a bit too heavy-handedly for the poetic or the profound.
Not every bite of a curry needs to pack a wallop, of course. And since Mandvi’s confident performance smooths over many of the rough edges of his script, “Sakina’s Restaurant” delivers a mostly satisfying meal.
15 Stars You Probably Didn't Know Were Muslim (Photos)
Friday, May 26 marked the start of Ramadan, a month of fasting in the Islamic religion to mark the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. Here are 15 celebrities you might not have known were Muslim.
Zayn Malik The former One Direction singer hasn't been too vocal about his religion. He garnered a worldwide trending topic #respectforZayn when Bill Maher compared him to the Boston Marathon bomber.
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Ice Cube The former N.W.A rapper has said, "What I call myself is a natural Muslim, because it’s just me and God. You know, going to the mosque, the ritual and the tradition, it’s just not in me to do. So I don’t do it."
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Ellen Burstyn Burstyn was raised Catholic and then began her journey to Islam by practicing Sufi Islam. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore."
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Mehmet Oz Better known as Dr. Oz, the TV personality hosts a talk show that discusses popular health concerns. Oz was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in 2009 by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, a leading Muslim group.
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Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid The Somali supermodel (and widow of the late David Bowie) most commonly known as Iman is Muslim. Her name means "faith" in Arabic. She's said she considers herself Muslim even though she doesn't practice.
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DJ Khaled In an interview with Larry King, Khaled described himself as a Muslim and then said "I practice it, but I could do a better job.”
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Aasif Mandvi The actor-comedian, best known as a former correspondent on "The Daily Show," has openly criticized the fact that he has to spend so much time defending his religion instead of engaging in open dialogue about it: "I have a complicated relationship with my own faith."
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Lupe Fiasco The Chicago native isn't one to be quiet about his beliefs, but the fact that he's Muslim is something many might not be aware of. In an interview with Katie Couric in 2014, he addressed the struggles of being Muslim while in the entertainment industry.
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Mike Tyson Muhammad Ali wasn't the only boxer who is Muslim. In an interview with Fox News, Tyson says "I'm very grateful to be a Muslim." He has also said "Praise be to Allah," in an interview following a fight.
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Dave Chappelle One of the most well-known comedians, Chappelle told Time Magazine in 2005, "I don't normally talk about my religion publicly because I don't want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is a beautiful religion if you learn it the right way."
Fareed Zakaria The host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" says he is neither a practicing Muslim nor is he very religious, but he self-identifies as Muslim nonetheless.
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Zinedane Zidane The legendary soccer star most known for exiting his career with an infamous headbutt heard around the world, is Muslim.
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Busta Rhymes The Grammy-nominated artist is probably best known for rapping a mile a minute on some tracks. He has stated "I live my life by Islam and at the end of the day I think that's pretty much what grounds me."
Cat Stevens Better known now as Yusuf Islam, converted to Islam in the 1970s. Islam went on a pretty long musical hiatus after his conversion.
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Omar Sy The French actor, best known for his role as Bishop in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," is Muslim. He was also listed in the World's 500 Most Influential Muslims publication in 2016.
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A pop star, an Oscar winner and several rappers all identify with the religion
Friday, May 26 marked the start of Ramadan, a month of fasting in the Islamic religion to mark the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. Here are 15 celebrities you might not have known were Muslim.