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Star Trek opening where a billion people could watch.

Jeri said:
(Memory Alpha) Persis Khambatta (2 October 1950 – 18 August 1998; age 47) was an Indian model and actress who is perhaps best known for portraying Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Born in Bombay, India, she was of Parsi ethnicity.

Also, in Voyage Home, there is a captain of a ship that's been drained by the probe who sends a message that he's trying to rig a solar sail to get the ship underway. (oops, jinx with Captain Fine)

And in Next Gen, season 1, in one episode there is an engineer.
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I love India! I lived there for a year (1992-1993) and just had a great time; great food! I hope to go back and visit some friends later this year (after monsoon season)...

Most of my Indian friends love Star Trek, so XI should do well over there. If any of them can see it 25 times like Jeri, I would be shocked...but you never know.

Rob
Scorpio
 
well, several of my cousins have already seen it twice. they loved it. now it depends on WoM.

btw, it's subtitled in hindi in the North. I am not sure about the South. I know that where I come from (West Bengal), most people in the urban areas know English well and some of the foreign-movie theaters don't bother with subtitling.

I think georgy on this board is originally from the South. he should know.

cakes, there was this one character in Season 1 -- I think her name was Lt. Radha. She was a substitute helmsman or navigator, I'm not sure which. but I don't know if the actor was Indian. they might have just given her the dark make-up treatment.
 
^^^ Lame-o me is doing a TOS database and this can be another one of my "fields".... ---- Ethnic composition of the crew featured within the episode.

I'm just sure I've seen (more) Indian people in the backround of TOS...maybe not a lot...but I'm sure I remember it.
 
indranee said:
well, several of my cousins have already seen it twice. they loved it. now it depends on WoM.

btw, it's subtitled in hindi in the North. I am not sure about the South. I know that where I come from (West Bengal), most people in the urban areas know English well and some of the foreign-movie theaters don't bother with subtitling.

I think georgy on this board is originally from the South. he should know.

cakes, there was this one character in Season 1 -- I think her name was Lt. Radha. She was a substitute helmsman or navigator, I'm not sure which. but I don't know if the actor was Indian. they might have just given her the dark make-up treatment.
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What about the episode SPACE SEED. I think there is an Indian in place of SULU that episode. I just watched it last night by the way.

Rob
 
Isn't Khan's character Indian, or does he not count? (One because of the actor, two because he was a genetic superman with no homeland?)
 
Base_Delta_Zero said:
Isn't Khan's character Indian, or does he not count? (One because of the actor, two because he was a genetic superman with no homeland?)
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I think we're looking for Indian/S. Asian actors or crew in Trek. a la Faran Tahir (Robau) or Persis Khambatta (Ilia).
 
RobertScorpio said:
indranee said:
well, several of my cousins have already seen it twice. they loved it. now it depends on WoM.

btw, it's subtitled in hindi in the North. I am not sure about the South. I know that where I come from (West Bengal), most people in the urban areas know English well and some of the foreign-movie theaters don't bother with subtitling.

I think georgy on this board is originally from the South. he should know.

cakes, there was this one character in Season 1 -- I think her name was Lt. Radha. She was a substitute helmsman or navigator, I'm not sure which. but I don't know if the actor was Indian. they might have just given her the dark make-up treatment.
Click to expand...

What about the episode SPACE SEED. I think there is an Indian in place of SULU that episode. I just watched it last night by the way.

Rob
Click to expand...

really? hmm. I'll have to re-watch. so where in India did you go, Rob?
 
Jeri said:
(Memory Alpha) Persis Khambatta was an Indian model and actress who is perhaps best known for portraying Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Born in Bombay, India, she was of Parsi ethnicity.
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So she was Persian. Cool.
 
indranee said:
no, she was Indian.
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My comment wasn't really meant to be taken seriously (forgot to put the smiley there). And SonicRanger is right , she was both. Parsi means Persian in Persian language. She was a descendant of Persians who migrated to India long ago to preserve their Zoroastrian religion.

She was a beatiful lady, gone way too soon.
 
No, she was Indian.

she was of Parsi descent but in her family there were a lot of people of non-Parsi descent as well. so, calling her a "Persian as well" is not quite correct.

She was Indian, by birth and nationality. anything else in incorrect.

she identified herself that way, as well. I met her and I know this from having done so.
 
indranee said:
no, she was Indian.
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If she was Parsi, then, yes, in terms of national and historical affiliation, she was Indian. But Parsi cultural and religious practices derive from their Persian lineage, and Parsis have maintained their heritage after their emigration from Persia by largely avoiding intermarriage. For instance, Persis Khambatta was Zoroastrian.

Edit: indranee and Cyrus beat me to the points I was trying to make -- sounds like we're saying much the same thing with some semantic differences about ethnicity and identity.
 
indranee said:
read my post above yours.
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You replied faster than I could construct a coherent reply (and fact-check it)! :)

We've stumbled into that hazzy area of identity, ethnicity, and nationality.

But I think we've covered this topic for now. :techman:

Cyrus said:
OK, whatever. It's not really worth arguing.
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Compared to the fights we get into in academic anthropology, this is nothing!
 
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