The suitable boy

He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here

- Karishma Kuenzang

Is Ishaan Khatter doing this on purpose? He's only 29. His acting career only goes back seven years. And yet, his resume packs more diversity than those who've been facing the camera for decades.

Khatter has worked with Karan Johar, Vishal Bhardwaj, legendary Iranian director Majid Majidi, and Hollywood actors Jennifer Lawrence and Nicole Kidman. He's been in a period drama (A Suitable Boy), a black comedy (Don't Look Up), a star-crossed romance (Dhadak), a masala blockbuster (Khaali Peeli) and a wartime biopic (Pippa). This year, with The Perfect Couple, he checked murder mystery series off his Bingo card - Oh, he definitely has one. Coming up next: The Royals, in which he plays a literal Prince Charming opposite Bhumi Pednekar.

The man refuses to be pigeonholed. "I try to pick roles that will keep me engaged and involved through the making,” he says. “My biggest fear is that if I am not excited, I will probably be bad at it.

Because I keep being told that whatever I feel shows on my face and in my eyes." It's made for exciting viewing, but it's also given him a view of the performing life that few actors anywhere in the world have. Here's a glimpse of what that's like.

The big Netflix show. The Perfect Couple (2024)

Khatter plays Shooter Dival, a rich family friend at a posh wedding in the US. The murder mystery series also stars Nicole Kidman and Dakota Fanning. He's Brown, but there's no Indian accent, no digs about curry or IT. "This was the first time I'd seen a role for an Indian character devoid of the stereotype," he says. "That's the part you want if you're looking to do work that is independent of your culture."

Khatter stood out more because he was a newcomer than because he was Indian. "Hollywood is extremely professional and systematic and that trickles into the way people work on set," he says. At lunch, the unit eats together - there's no hierarchy like there is on Indian sets.