LGBTQ lives being reflected on screen: Nik Dodani

By Sugandha Rawal

New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Nik Dodani is openly gay, and now wants the world of entertainment to open doors for the LGBTQ community as well.

"The queer community is full of so many different kinds of people and it's exciting to see that (being) reflected on screen," Nik told IANS in an exclusive interview over an email.

He is happy that people from the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community are finding a place in the narrative. But there's still a long way forward.

"I'd love to see more queer sex on TV and in movies. It's not scary, I promise," added the actor, whose roots trace back to India.

Nik, 25, started as a stand-up comic in his early 20s, and caught everyone's attention when he picked his own experience of coming out about his sexuality to his parents as a set in 2016.

On the professional front, Nik has gained momentum with projects like Netflix film "Alex Strangelove" and series "Atypical".

He has secured a deal for a lead role in "Murphy Brown" reboot. He got his major Hollywood break with "Escape Room". It was released in India by Sony Pictures India on February 1.

"Escape Room" is about six strangers who travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room and to win $10,000. It shows how the game turns into a nightmare with the four men and two women finding ways to escape death. It also stars Logan Miller, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis and Deborah Ann Woll.

"Shooting 'Escape Room' was definitely demanding, physically and mentally. But everyone on set, from the cast to the crew, were excellent, so it made it a lot easier and more fun," Nik said.

At the moment, he is busy writing a script for movie adaptation of "Blue Boy", based on Rakesh Satyal's coming of age story.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)