Interview: Aerial Roots Theatre Company of A NICE INDIAN BOY at Asia Society Texas Center

After selling out its original run, A Nice Indian Boy by Madhuri Shekar returns in a new production from Aerial Roots Theatre Company. BroadwayWorld's Brett Cullum sat down with director Anjana R. Menon and actors Taher Lokhandwala and Chad Fontenot to discuss reviving the production, the new venue, the evolving cast dynamic, and why this story continues to resonate. 

Brett Cullum: Okay, so right off the bat, I have to ask, why resurrect this one? You had the hit, right? So now you're gonna resurrect it.

Anjana R. Menon: We felt very, very much at the end of the last run that we were not done telling the story. For one, we had rehearsed this for so long, and to just do the 5 shows over 3-4 days. It was not enough for the cast and the creative team, and it was not enough for audiences either, because many people shared how deeply this touched them and how much more they wanted to see. A lot of people, because we were sold out, at Match 1, we had so many people who couldn't actually make it to the show. When we performed it in 2025, and so… yes. Long story short, this is why.

Brett Cullum: Well, it's a new company, right? And you're founded by, tell me who else is involved in creating this Ariel Roots Theatre Company.

Anjana R. Menon: Myself, Taher, and our co-founder, Nidhi Vargis, who was also our assistant director and stage manager, of the first installment of this play.

Brett Cullum: So, a lot of familiar faces. Well, what's gonna be different this time around? What are you kind of adding to the mix?

Anjana R. Menon: First of all, the venue is so much bigger; it's at the Brown theater at Asia Society, and it's very different. This is a proscenium. We performed this in a thrust last time, so we have a different set. This time, our set is designed by Afsaneh Aayani, Houston's favorite set designer. And of course, our lead is different. We have Chad Fotenot playing Keshav, and that… you'd be surprised how much that changes the actual dynamic of the entire cast, in a good way.

Brett Cullum: Yeah, Chad, how does it feel to be the new kid on the block?

Chad Fontenot: I will say that there does seem to be a ghost in the room sometimes, because everyone will turn and be like, well, not in a bad way, necessarily, but it is, it's not a roadblock, but it's definitely interesting, a first-time experience to go into a production. where everyone has done it before, they have made that familial bond. So I guess there's a little bit of method acting in that way, to sort of be a stranger in somebody else's house, you know? So it's very interesting how that parallel can, you know. I have a well, you know, essentially, that these people are all laughing about the last time we did this, ha ha ha, and I'm like, you know? It's endearing, it really is. It's a very unique experience.

Brett Cullum: Well, it kind of fits the character, though, doesn't it? I mean, it's this guy that's coming into a family, you know, they all know each other, and they've known each other for years, and you're the outsider, so hey. Does that change anything for you, Taher? Having a new leading man? John Dunn was committed to Tamarie Cooper this summer, so she stole your first husband! 

Taher Lokhandwala: Oh, yes, I think absolutely! The two main characters' relationships are very informed by their interactions with each other. Chad brings a different energy, a new energy, to Keshav’s character, a different cadence of speech and movement, and so how we move on stage, how we interact even in scenes where we're more intimate, and perhaps when we're with the broader cast, all of those dynamics are just very different between us, and so… I… I'm truly kind of enjoying exploring a different way of being for Naveen, right? Because I feel like I've inhabited Naveen before, and this is sort of a new case of in Naveen's life, but in many ways, it's like, it's been so fun to kind of revisit that.

Brett Cullum: Yeah, it's like his second marriage.

Taher Lokhandwala: Same person!

Brett Cullum: With the same name. You have a type, okay?

Taher Lokhandwala: There you go.

Brett Cullum: Much like that. Well, how did you find Chad?

Anjana R. Menon: Chad and I have actually worked together on the Honeycomb Trilogy. Then we recently were in Zoom Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Chad and I had a scene together, with him as Mercutio and me as the nurse; we loved that little banter and the energy. It was… it was different every night, and it was always enjoyable.

Brett Cullum:  Well, and this time around, you're doing A NICE INDIAN BOY in the Asia Society, Texas's theater, which is a spectacular space. It doesn't seem to get used as much as I would like, so I'm glad to see you in there. How does that change your dynamic?

Anjana R. Menon: So much, because, at Match 1, with the setting being really intimate, there were moments between the cast that we were able to, or rather, that we… that I choreographed in a certain sense to play up that intimacy, and I think we're going to lose a lot of that on the scale of this stage, but at the same time. Along with Afsaneh Aayani's wonderful set, there's a story happening on this backdrop. It's like we're zooming out to see a larger level of the story.  It is the same script, but it's a different look at it. If that makes sense. 

Taher Lokhandwala: We love that we get to do this with Asia Society, and it aligns so well with our missions. Also, shout-out to Matt Fuller, Megan Sham, and Chelsea D'Souza, who've been awesome to work with. And we're very excited to be collaborating with them.

Brett Cullum: I did see the production prior that you did in April of 2025; it felt like a family. The character of Keshav just became part of that family, and it all worked. It was a great commentary on that. It's a great love story in many ways. I mean, it's not just the love story between Naveen and Keshav; it's the love story between the whole family. The sister, the older sister, she's so funny. All of the things that happen are everything that you want out of a family comedy. So I definitely encourage people to see it,

Okay, so, back to Aerial Roots Theatre Company. This is your inaugural production, and you mentioned an idea for what you want to move forward with. Is there anything planned at this point, or are you getting through A NICE INDIAN BOY, July… 31st through August 9th?

Taher Lokhandwala: We do have a plan. Our next show is in March of next year. We will announce it shortly. Our focus is knocking out this first shot out of the park, and then we obviously would love to continue to engage with our supporters and our audiences, in between August and March, so be on the lookout for events. Follow us on Instagram at “AerialRootsHTX!” We'll put a bunch of stuff up there that's hopefully fun and exciting  for everyone.

Anjana R. Menon: Yep, stay tuned.

Brett Cullum: I want to encourage you to include food.

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