Amir is a professional heartbreaker. Literally. As a “Relationship Termination Specialist” he spends his working hours delivering bad news to daters whose other halves want them banished from their lives. He then snaps their devastated and shattered Polaroid portraits – taken at the scene of the jilting – and catalogs them in a photo album, as a personal archive of love gone bad. His friends are all married and successfully coupled up, but Amir has as much of a chance of being in a relationship as the Happily Unmarried Ever After girl would have of finding a husband on Shaadi.com – the matrimonial site! So, when his cousin Zara comes to town and begins introducing herself as Amir’s “girlfriend” – a charming gesture to help him secure a date – then shows the bachelor a way to improve on his work ethics by being more gentle with his “victims”, Amir’s life is turned upside down.

“Kissing Cousins” is a wonderfully funny yet poignant film, directed by Amyn Kaderali and starring Samrat Chakrabarti and Rebecca Hazlewood as Amir and Zara respectively. It will be showcased at the South Asian International Film Festival in NYC, starting with a screening this Thursday, October 23rd, at 9 pm.

I recently had a chance to chat with the multi-talented Samrat Chakrabarti – about this film and his career in general. In the process, I discovered a witty, charming and unassumingly handsome man.

CHIC TODAY: You play Amir in the film “Kissing Cousins” which will be featured in the SAIFF festival later this week. He is a professional heartbreaker, paid to break up with people by their partners. What part of this character did you find most similar to you and what was most unlike Samrat in real life?

SAMRAT CHAKRABARTI: Well first of all, I have never kissed my cousin! In that way, I am quite UNLIKE the character I play. I think, however, that I relate to the character because of where Amir is in his life. He’s 30 years old, still a bachelor and is constantly surrounded by his friends who have all “coupled” up. So when Amir hangs out with his friends, he is often the 3rd wheel. Let’s just say I can relate to that. Enough said.

CT: Can you talk about the film “Kissing Cousins” and what first drew you to the part of Amir?

SC: First off, the script is hilarious. I remember reading it in one sitting and being amused by how funny and yet human it was. Secondly, being a South Asian actor in America, I am often cast in stereotypical “Indian” roles that are underwritten or are one dimensional. I have played everything from medical assistant to a terrorist, to medical terrorists. “Kissing Cousins”, however, gave me a rare opportunity to play a “real”, human character. There needs to be more films like this out there in the world. I hope writers like Amyn Kaderali continue to write three dimensional South Asian characters and producers in Hollywood start thinking out of the box when it comes to casting.

CT: Without even getting into the various and varied cultures that you bridge personally, you also are equally at home as a theater actor, a film and TV actor, a musician and a music producer. Which is your favorite art form and why?

SC: Tough question. The truth is I feel extremely lucky that I have had opportunities to create art in so many mediums. Acting and Music may sound like very different art forms, but for me they are actually quite similar. Films are about story telling and a well constructed song accomplishes the same thing. I think creative storytelling is one of the most effective way to communicate human truths. And at the essence, whether it be through a film or a song, I am trying to achieve just that: communicate and remind human truths. Bottomline is: I don’t have a favorite art form, I just hope I get to continue to create and tell stories.

CT: You have been quoted as saying “A brown man in a white industry, I’m not involved in politics, politics is involved in me.” What are your own personal politics of life? No need to divulge any names, of course!

SC: The politics I’m talking about are the racial politics of America. We are living in very interesting times, where TV and media play a big part in politics. If places in America that are less cosmopolitan and less diverse (like the Midwest) only see Indian/brown characters playing negative stereotypes like terrorists on TV, then their view of Indian/brown people may become distorted and one-sided. We must raise awareness and remind them that WE are also human beings. So anytime films like “Kissing Cousins” show an Indian/brown guy playing just a regular “American” guy in a human and a somewhat positive way, then America – as a society – is taking a step towards demolishing one-sided negative stereotypes. Therefore, while I may not be involved in government politics directly, with every role I choose I would like to think that I am creating some sort of ripple in the politics of Greater America.

CT: Lets end with a quick “Rapid Fire Round”. Your favorite city on earth?

SC: Favorite city: NYC. Favorite location: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India.

CT: The one personal indulgence you could not live without?

SC: Chocolate chip cookies… eating one right now.

CT: Your favorite actor or actress – the one person you will always go to see, even if the film has gotten bad reviews!

SC: Amitabh Bachchan. Started watching him when I was 7 years old, back in his hey day. Over 20 years later, I still make it a point to see his work whenever I can.

CT: What do you consider your biggest asset?

SC: I’m a good listener and therefore a great collaborator.

CT: Your least favorite aspect of being an actor?

SC: Doing interviews… Just kidding… Kind of…

CT: And your favorite book?

SC: “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse.