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After over 200 appearances in major television shows and Hollywood films, actor Kavi Raz is changing direction with ‘The Gold Bracelet,’ his first major directorial debut.

The film is about a Sikh man faced with the post 9/11 realities.

Raz arrived in Hollywood in the mid-seventies in pursuit of a career as an actor, tiffany jewelry an unheard of venture at a time when roles for South Asian actors in Hollywood television shows and films were limited. “People, especially friends and relatives scoffed at the idea of my becoming an actor. They thought it was a passing fancy and would soon be over. But no, I had a dream and take what it may I journeyed on to make my dream a reality,” Raz reminisces.

Raz’s perseverance paved the path and opened doors for many others to follow when he became the first ever South Asian actor to be signed on as a regular in a major television series ‘St. Elsewhere,’ an award winning show that appeared on NBC in the early-eighties. Standing out among the other cast members for his looks and talent, Raz became very popular with the viewers. That landmark appearance opened the doors to Hollywood for many others.

It also led to appearances on other shows such as ‘The A Team,’ ‘Hardcastle and McCormick,’ ‘Hunter,’ ‘Mash’ and many others. Raz starred in the feature films — ‘Night Train to Katmandu,’ ‘Warning Signs,’ ‘Terror Squad,’ — among others.

When Raz first arrived in Hollywood, he took a very pragmatic approach to acting, enrolling at The Lee Strasberg Institute where he embellished himself in the love of his life for four years, training with some of the finest acting coaches in the world.

In line with that training and hard work, Raz furthered his education at UCLA and CSULA, money clips pursuing his post-graduate studies in theater.

In the late 70s, he started a professional theater company, naming it The Wandering Players Theater Company. A befitting name for a company that staged plays throughout Southern California.

The company staged several world and U.S. premieres of plays from India. The works of Rabindranath Tagore were exposed to Western audiences for the first time as well as plays like Sakharam Binder and Shakuntla.

It was the first professional South Asian theatre company in the U.S.

Presently, Raz is busy on all fronts of the film industry, writing, producing, directing and acting.

He recently wrapped playing the lead role in ‘Big River,’ a feature film that was shot in the pendants deserts of Arizona.

Raz will be seen in Albert Brook’s yet untitled film released later this year by Warner Brothers. He is also busy in completion of ‘Rising Shores’ a feature film that he recently shot and is in the midst of casting his next venture ‘Saints No Angels,’ shooting in Arizona.

Article copyright News India-Times.

Photograph (Kavi Raz)