Sir Kingsley now portrays Sikh cabbie in post-9/11 US

New York, August 16 

Three decades after his Oscar-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the eponymous classic, Sir Ben Kingsley will now be seen as a soft-spoken Sikh New York cab driver in a forthcoming film that touches upon the issue of bias the community faced in post-9/11 America.

Kingsley plays Darwan Singh Tur in the movie 'Learning to Drive' that is to be released this week. It also features Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Clarkson and 'Mississippi Masala' actress Sarita Choudhury. 

The 71-year-old actor plays a righteous cab driver, proud of his Sikh identity, who settles in New York after getting political asylum in the country. Apart from working as a driver, Tur is also a driving instructor. The movie touches upon the issue of bias and racial profiling faced by members of the Sikh community in America, particularly after 9/11.

Appearing on the Jimmy Fallon talk show, Kingsley praised the Sikh community, particularly voicing appreciation for the help extended by them to New Yorkers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. 

"I hope after the film that the wonderful Sikh community or the next Sikh that you 

see with those great turbans and everything, you just may be give them a second look and think about the past, his exile and where he has come from," Kingsley said.  — PTI