Aasif Mandvi To Star In “Halal In The Family” Web Series
TV News | Jan 22nd, 2015
Aasif Mandvi is going to star in a 4 episode sitcom parody web series called Halal In The Family. Also starring or guest starring will be fellow Daily Show cast members Samantha Bee and Jordan Klepper, as well as Sakina Jaffrey (House of Cards) and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter. Aasif is currently doing a Indiegogo campaign to get the show funded, which you can visit here.
When Hollywood wants to expose Americans to a misrepresented minority group, it gives them a sitcom! In 2011 The Daily Show created and aired a single episode parody sitcom starring Aasif Mandvi as part of a segment on anti-Muslim bias.
Mandvi and his manager, Lillian LaSalle and her company Sweet 180 thought to expand on this idea. In partnership with Moore + Associates, a communications and campaign firm and a coalition of organizations, they’ve produced, “Halal in the Family.”
The four-episode web-series uses humor to puncture some of the prevailing myths about Muslims, while exploring many of the real challenges American Muslims confront living amid growing hostility and bias.
“Working on The Daily Show I saw firsthand the depth of the challenges facing American Muslims,” said Mandvi. “I also saw how effective satire could be to open people up to thinking differently about this issue, while providing a balm to those suffering anti-Muslim bias.”The web series will explore surveillance and spying in Muslim communities, online bullying and hate networks, media bias, and the cynical use of anti-Muslim prejudice for political gain. The themes were chosen in consultation with prominent Muslim and civil rights organizations on the project’s Advisory Board, including Center for New Community, ACCESS/National Network for Arab American Communities and SAALT.
The Halal in the Family cast includes Sakina Jaffrey (House of Cards) and notable special guests such as Samantha Bee, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Jordan Klepper. The crowdfunding campaign can be found at bit.ly/halal-indiegogo
