Anjali Bhimani was seen on Broadway in Bombay Dreams and Metamorphoses (also at Second Stage Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Off Broadway appearances include The American Pilot (Manhattan Theatre Club); Brundibàr and But the Giraffe (The New Victory Theatre); The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Second Stage Theatre); Pentecost (The Barrow Group); and Portraits (Union Square Theatre). Regional credits include A Widow of No Importance (East West Players); The Existents (Open Fist Theatre Company); As You Like It (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Kirk Douglas Theatre); Comedy on the Bridge and Brundibar (Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre); Mirror of the Invisible World (Goodman Theatre); The Odyssey (Goodman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and McCarter Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); The Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre Company and BAM). Television appearances include "Modern Family," "Necessary Roughness," "Flight of the Conchords," "Law & Order: SVU," "Shark," and "The Sopranos." anjalibhimani.com.

A graduate from Northwestern University Anjali talked to Lokvani about her career as a successful Indian American actress and her role in Mary Zimmerman’s version of the Jungle Book. More about this play about www.huntingtontheatre.org/junglebook.

Acting is a very unusual career choice for an Indian American. How did you make the choice? What was your parents' reaction to this choice?

My parents are doctors but also have a great love for theater. They actually met acting in an intercollegiate dramatics troupe in medical school.  I am very lucky that from an early age they encouraged me to pursue my passion. My interest in theater really blossomed during my high school years, and they provided opportunities for me to explore this passion. When I was growing up, they took me to the Ahmanson Theater often to make sure I was exposed to some of the best theatre around.

While they truly made me believe that I could do anything that I wanted to do, they were insistent that I go about it in a rational way. While I was doing community theatre and after-school plays,  I was still expected to keep up my grades in high school. That helped me gain admission to Northwestern University where I got the opportunity to study at one of the finest theater programs in the country.

As I made a career choice to become an actress, I was equally focused on the business aspect of theater as I was on the artistic aspect. I worked hard to get auditions and plan my career. It is now almost twenty years in this profession, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Why did you decide to be part of the Jungle Book production?

The biggest draw to the production for me was the amazing Mary Zimmerman. My first audition out of college was for Mary, and ever since then we have had a special bond.  Mary is not just a director. She is a writer-director who, while staying true to the original work she is adapting, transforms the piece and really makes it her own.

Another unique thing about Mary is that when she does a theatrical production, it is unique to the theater and makes perfect use of theater as a medium.

Why did Mary Zimmerman decide to cast you as the Mother Wolf role in The Jungle Book? What excites you about the role?

I hope she cast me in that role because she thought I was a perfect fit.  This role was smaller in the original film, and Mary decided to expand it. Since Mary writes the script throughout the rehearsal process, she often also has the person she has cast in that role in mind as she writes.

The role of the Mother Wolf is a powerful one since it balances the ferocity in a mother as she protects her young with the nurturing instinct in a unique way. There is a beautiful lullaby she sings that I absolutely love that Mary has added to the production. It will be new to anyone who only knows the music from the Disney movie.

Why would you recommend Jungle Book to our audience?

I would recommend it because it is a grand and unique production that offers something for every age.  The sets are lush and beautiful.  The production is unique to theater and it will surely enthrall you. Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation is absolutely brilliant. Whether you have seen The Jungle Book a million times or are new to the movie or the book, you will be enchanted by the newness of this work while sensing the familiarity of the tale.  For South Asians, it will hopefully feel like a celebration of their culture and history in many ways as well.

Have you trained to sing and dance as well as doing theater?

 Most of my more formal training came in college, although I took drama classes in school and did community theatre, where my natural aptitude was enhanced by the advice and teaching of other artists. I’ve had many teachers along the way who have greatly inspired me, and their support and advice has been as invaluable as what they’ve specifically taught me about the disciplines they teach.

Have you found your Indian heritage to be an asset or a liability in your profession?

I do not consider it an asset or liability.  It is just part of who I am. It is one more attribute just like my height or my voice range. There are certain parts that perhaps I would not be suited for due to my ethnicity and yet others where my heritage could win me a role.  There are many roles that are not tied to a particular ethnicity in which case this attribute does not play a role at all.

What advice would you give aspiring Indian American actors?

Not just for Indian American actors, but ALL actors: Be yourself. Always. Do not ever try to be what you think someone else wants you to be. If acting is your passion, to make it a career you must treat it like a business. Work hard and find opportunities just as you would in any profession.  Learning a variety of things…everything you can… is also wonderful. It really broadens you as a person and that certainly embellishes your acting. For example, there are times when my experiences as a rock climber have been as useful in a role as my studies in theatre, and that just speaks to the importance of being a well-rounded person, not just a good performer.

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