On my pinboard - Nicholas Brown

Indian-Australian actor

Nicholas Brown wears many hats with aplomb. An actor, singer and writer, he is best remembered for his role opposite Hrithik Roshan in ‘Kites’ and alongside Brett Lee and Tannishtha Chatterjee in ‘Unindian’. He has also played the character of Lumière in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and effectively portrayed the role of Jesus Christ in Alyque Padamsee’s legendary musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.

Nicholas, who is currently shooting for a Bollywood project called ‘Parchaee’ in Manali, recently released a single album titled ‘I Spent My Rent On A Record’ with his music band ‘Luck Now’. His first play ‘Lighten Up’, to be produced by Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney, is a multicultural comedy about skin bleaching. Nicholas shares the many inspirations that he draws from the various facets of life.

1  |  Movies
Ben Kingsley

Ben Kingsley inspires me. He was in his late 30s when he was cast as Gandhi. Before that, he was a theatre actor who worked in the Royal Shakespeare Company. Ben’s characterisations transcend his ethnicity and he is able to play people from all sorts of backgrounds and has not been typecast by Hollywood at all. He has an incredible way of portraying every character he plays. I hope to be like him one day.

2  |  Travel
Iceland

I have travelled extensively to several places across India and Europe. My dream holiday would be to Peru and definitely Iceland. Last year, I spent some time in Mexico and it was truly an unforgettable holiday. I am quite the gypsy boy and I like it that way.

3  |  Music
Olafur Arnalds

I am quite obsessed with Icelandic music, bands and artistes. My favourite at the moment is Olafur Arnalds, a modern classical composer. He plays the violin and makes electronic classical music. His dance music project called ‘Kiasmos’ is amazing, to say the least. I also can’t get enough of Bjork’s ‘Vulnicura Strings’ album. Cellos and violins really get me going during the mornings and evenings. Interestingly enough, Indian composer Talvin Singh produced much of Bjork’s first album. I must find a way to bring India and Iceland closer together.

4  |  Cuisine
Goan Prawn Balchao

My favourite food is Goan food. I am in love with ‘Goan Prawn Balchao’. I want to eat it all the time.
I have a favourite restaurant in Palolem in Goa that serves the best ‘prawn balchao’. I love the Portuguese influence in Goan cooking.
When I have guests in Mumbai, I buy Goan sausages, chop them and serve them with cheese and ‘paratha’.
It always impresses them. It has such a strong overpowering taste and I really love overwhelming tastes. That's why I love Indian food so much. I don’t want blandness both in my food and life.

5  |  Books
Salman Rushdie

I am currently reading Salman Rushdie’s book ‘Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights’. It’s incredible and I love its magical realism. Salman is truly a genius. The central character Geronimo Menezes, a Mumbai-born gardener living in New York, realises that he is able to levitate. It’s almost impossible to summarise the plot of this complex book because there are so many sub-
storylines and metaphors but it really is a modern
allegorical masterpiece and it inspires me.

6  |  Philosophy
Alejandro Jodorowsky

I am loving Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ‘psychomagic’ philosophies at the moment. It combines art and Eastern philosophies such as Zen and Buddhism to heal. I would love to go to Paris and have a healing session with him to see what it’s all about. 

7  |  Theatre
Andrew Thomas Huang

There’s a filmmaker and artiste called Andrew Thomas Huang who lives in Los Angeles. He’s also an installation artist. His art is surreal, absurd and incredibly moving. His trademark motifs are bodies and non-physical objects, breaking down and reintegrating, as well as inanimate objects from the natural world coming to life. I find his short films and images awe-inspiring.

(As told to Nina C George)