Kumar Pallana could make a small part funny with an untroubled expression and exact physical timing. We value that restraint, particularly in Wes Anderson’s early films, even when the writing gives him little room.
Fi1m perspective
Kumar Pallana does not need to change his expression much to be funny. In Bottle Rocket (1996), playing Kumar, he gets his effects through timing and the small amount he lets his face disclose. We rate the economy of that performance, though Wes Anderson’s crime comedy does not give all its supporting players equally generous writing. The film can drift, but Pallana rewards attention even in a modest part. His deadpan manner gives us a reason to watch someone who has relatively little to say.
He had worked as a juggler, acrobat and plate-spinner, and the physical control is useful to an actor whose roles often depend on so little dialogue. Bottle Rocket was his first substantial screen role, written for him. Mr. Littlejeans in Rushmore (1998) followed, establishing him as a recurring presence in Anderson’s early films. There is a risk in such casting: an unusual supporting performer can become another familiar detail the audience is pleased to recognise. Pallana has enough command of expression and timing to make those returns welcome.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) gives him his most prominent Anderson role as Pagoda, alongside Gene Hackman. We laughed at Pagoda’s deadpan delivery; Pallana’s barely changing expression makes the comedy seem to cost him no effort. Hackman gives the family comedy its welcome bad manners, and Pallana’s quieter presence works well beside him. The caveat belongs to the film: a few supporting characters deserve more space, and we would happily have spent longer with him.
He also played Gupta Rajan in Spielberg’s The Terminal (2004), before a final Anderson appearance as an old man on a train in The Darjeeling Limited (2007). We should be wary of treating his small parts as proof that he could only work on that scale; the films give us too little evidence for that. Begin with The Royal Tenenbaums, then try Bottle Rocket if its less disciplined storytelling sounds a tolerable price for more of his company.
Biography
Kumar Pallana (23 December 1918 – 10 October 2013) was an Indian-American actor. Born in Indore, British India, he moved to the United States in 1946. He began performing as a juggler and plate spinner, appearing on television programmes including the Mickey Mouse Club, The Ed Sullivan Show and You Asked for It. He later taught yoga in Texas.
Pallana met director Wes Anderson and actor Owen Wilson at a Dallas café owned by his son Dipak. Anderson cast him in his early films. He played Kumar in Bottle Rocket (1996), Mr Littlejeans in Rushmore (1998), Pagoda in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and an old man on the train in The Darjeeling Limited (2007). He also appeared as Gupta Rajan in Steven Spielberg's The Terminal (2004) and in other films including Another Earth (2011). His son Dipak appeared in several of the same Anderson productions.
