Omi Vaidya (born January 10, 1982) is an American actor in Hindi cinema. He is best known for his performance as Chatur Ramalingam or "Silencer" in the 2009 comedy-drama film, 3 Idiots. In addition, Vaidya has played roles on The Office and Arrested Development. Omi has directed many short films and worked as a feature film editor. He has also appeared in a number of commercials and works as a producer.
Background Vaidya was raised in Joshua Tree in Yucca Valley, California. He graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and later attended the University of California, Santa Cruz for two years. He then transferred to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and graduated with honors.
Vaidya commented on his background in an interview:
Career After college, Vaidya began to work as an editor for horror and South Asian feature films. He continued to act as well and received small roles in television programs and commercials. After receiving a small role in Arrested Development, he was asked to audition for the role of Sadiq for The Office by the same casting director. He portrayed Sadiq in two episodes: "E-mail Surveillance" and "Fun Run." He was also seen in Bones.
3 Idiots Vaidya's most notable performance is in a supporting role in the 2009 Bollywood film, 3 Idiots as Chatur Ramalingam (or "The Silencer"). He received strong reviews for his performance. Vaidya auditioned for the role of Chatur while on a trip to Mumbai. After passing the first audition, he was asked during the second to read dialogue from Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Vaidya states that he "just rattled it off without exactly understanding the words, almost like the speech scene in 3 Idiots." After being signed for the part of Chatur, he was told not to study Hindi, not to watch Hindi films, and to gain weight.
Of his success in the film, Vaidya credits the atmosphere of the cast and crew stating that in Mumbai there is "a personal touch, unlike Hollywood. Even if they don't pay you by the hour and there is no extra time, there is warmth and care. I basically saw my Bollywood innings as a challenge. A lot of credit also goes to Raju and Abhijat Joshi for the way the character came across on screen." He was also discouraged from providing interviews before the release. Vaidya states: "Before the film released, I asked director Rajkumar Hirani if I could give a couple of interviews. He stopped me saying nobody knew me and I should wait till the film is released. My role was a surprise they had planned for the audience."Idiot on the roll Vaidya later recalled that, "When I was at the premiere of 3 Idiots, no one recognized me. I was a bit depressed but when it got over, it was difficult for me to even get out of the theater. I have been enamored by the love and appreciation I have received from the audience. Today, when I go out on streets, people come and shake hands with me. It feels nice."
Big in Bollywood Big in Bollywood (2011) is a documentary film about American actor Omi Vaidya's journey from a struggling Hollywood actor to a successful Bollywood breakthrough with 3 Idiots. It was sold to Netflix and is now available on YouTube.
Awards 2010 Screen Awards Won: Best Comedian – 3 Idiots Won: Most Promising Newcomer – Male – 3 IdiotsWinners for Nokia 16th Annual Star Screen Awards 2010 2010 IIFA Awards Nominated: Best Performance in a Comic Role – 3 Idiots Won: Star Debut of the Year – Male – 3 Idiots 2008 The Valley Film Festival Won: Best Short Film – The Desert Rose 2008 Port Townsend Film Festival Won: Best Film with Diversity Theme – The Desert Rose 2008 The Valley Film Festival Won: Best Student Film – Out of Time
Selected filmography
Films Year Film Role NotesRef. 2007Rolling Assar 20093 Idiots Chatur Ramalingam a.k.a. "The Silencer" 2011Big in Bollywood Himself DocumentaryDil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji Milind Kelkar Desi Boyz Ajay 2012Players Sunny Mehra Jodi BreakersNainsukhbhai Chamanlal Patel a.k.a. Nano 2015For Here or to GoLakshmiIndian-American film 2017Mirror Game Vikram 2018Blackmail Boss DK AstroDr. Ramesh 2023MR-9 : Do or DieFaisal American-Bangladeshi film2024Aaichya Gavat Marathi BolAlso director; Marathi film
Television series Year TV Show Role Notes 2005–2007The OfficeSadiqEpisodes: "E-mail Surveillance""Fun Run" 2008Life Vairam Bones Hamid Hirani Episode: The Crank in the Shaft 2009Kath & Kim Prakash Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Fish 2014Growing Up Fisher Elliot 2016Brown Nation Balan Sree Ramakrishnan 2019—present Metro Park (web series) Kannan
As director Year Film Notes 2007 Out of Time Short Film The Desert Rose
As editor Year Film Notes 2003 Out of Time Short Film 2004 Delusion 2005 Bloodshed 2006 The Gold Bracelet 2007 Remember the Days 2008 Blind Ambition
Personal life Vaidya married Minal Patel on August 22, 2009. In 2015, Minal gave birth to their first child. Their second child was born in 2018. He is of Marathi descent.
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