About the Event

 Why the title “Humerican Xpress”? 

“Hum” in Hindi means “we.” The word “Humerican,” therefore, signifies the collective diaspora of people from the Indian subcontinent who have immigrated to America. 

“Xpress” can be perceived in many different contexts, as in an expression of thoughts; an immigrant’s journey; a jolly, fun, scenic train ride; and much more—interpretations could be numerous! 

Not Really Indian (NRI) is a group of professionals (one entrepreneur and the rest physicians) with varied interests, theatre being one of them (although some did not know they could actually act!).  Countless hours of time and physical and emotional energies have gone into bringing NRI’s second production to life. The cast are theatre fans turned actors who are propelled with a common purpose of giving back to their community while exploring the fringes of their creative potential. For this second presentation, NRI hopes the effort is accepted by the audience with support, chuckles, and smiles! 

This two-act play is an exaggerated satirical attempt at showcasing a slice of life of first-generation immigrants. The play weaves through human insecurities, relationships, and interactions on the broader canvas of the reality of living, working, and raising a family in America. It is a dramatized version of life and a spoof on the stereotypical behaviors of people from different regions of the subcontinent. As the story unfolds, it is interspersed with some hard-hitting truths (the audience absolutely has a choice to accept them or not) and subtle messages. Not so subtle of a message is that of mental health awareness and reducing the associated stigma. 

Enjoy the ride into NRI’s “Naan- American” lives!  

NRI Productions 

Dr. Rajeev Agarwal (Playwright/Director) is the writer and director for Humerican Xpress and the pediatrician founder of Agave Pediatrics. Agarwal has exceptional talent and prowess with words, thoughts, and expression. Human stories and interactions fascinate him. Apparently, a severe introvert in his earlier days (hard to imagine!), he used writing/directing plays as an avenue to give expression to his creativity and communicate his thoughts to the audience. He is also fond of traveling and spiritual reading. His strengths are his physician wife and two grown children, whom he never fails to embarrass.  

Dr. Padma Aking (Production Manager for NRI Productions) moved from an onstage to a behind-the-scenes role, instrumental in making NRI stage projects happen. Aking is a practicing psychiatrist/owner at Trinity Integrated Medicine. Her passion for psychiatry/destigmatization of mental health issues is woven into most of her creative art projects. She enjoys travel and sharing gastronomic pleasures with her Trinidadian husband and two fun sons. The spectacular cosmos, avid gardening, saris, cooking, and Indian classical dance remain her main interests, as does her conviction that she is allergic to indoor exercise.  

Agarwal and Aking created NRI Productions to bring their combined strengths of artistic expression, organization, and community commitment to conceptualize this presentation. The writing happened by Agarwal, and Aking did what it took with various stage and production logistics to make it come to fruition on stage. Under Agarwal’s direction, the characters have been brought to life by a vibrant cast. 

 Cast (in order of appearance)  

 Dr. Sandhya Ravi is Sushma Kohli, a Gujarati wife, struggling with trying to balance her family situation with a sensitive daughter and an emotionally distant but a socially active Punjabi businessman husband. Ravi is a pediatrician, founder of Pleasant Pediatrics with her husband, a proud daughter of Indian Airforce parents, and a mom to triplet boys. She enjoys nature hikes and spending time with friends and family. 

 Dr. Amol Rakkar is Ashok Kohli, a penniless immigrant who made it up the business ladder to acquire wealth and status in society. He is the economic provider for the family but lacks in providing emotional support to the family. Rakkar, an oncologist, lives in the West Valley with four women (his wife and three daughters). He likes to dabble in everything from sports to music to theatre.  

Dr. Perminder Sanghera is Paaji, whose narrative is the conscience of the play. Sanghera is a practicing internal medicine physician. He is married to Dr. Hitpreet Sanghera (also in the cast), and feels blessed to have his daughter, son-in-law, and son as his children. He is enjoying theatre and singing as his newfound hobbies. 

 Dr. Hitpreet (Simpy) Sanghera is Pammi Rao, a naive, homey Punjabi woman married to a disgruntled doctor. Sanghera, an internist, is married to an internist who is also a cast member. She enjoys all forms of art, and doing theatre gives her much pleasure. She feels blessed to have three beautiful children: her daughter, son, and son-in-law. 

Dr. Sumeet Mittal is Dr. Rao from Guntur, a begrudging, bored physician, eager to experience attractive distractions from his mundane life and wife. Mittal is the director of esophageal and gastric surgery at the Norton Thoracic Institute. He is married and is the father of two daughters. Besides work and research, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. 

Dr. Rekha Agarwal is Usha, the suspecting wife, and a “wannabe” socialite with an attitude to impress, compensating for her inner insecurities. Agarwal is a consultant endocrinologist and is married to Dr. Pradeep Agarwal, an interventional cardiologist. She is a proud mother of two beautiful boys. She enjoys yoga, Bollywood, movies, music, and fashion. 

Dr. Shantanu Saraswat is Satish, a quietened husband of Usha, a computer engineer, who prefers a relaxed/nonconfrontational approach to life. Saraswat is a pulmonary critical care physician at Banner Health. He is married with three children, and his favorite hobbies include traveling, singing, and spending time with his family. 

Raj Menon is Bunty, the hilly billy colorful   brother (bhaiya) of Usha, who is visiting from the state of Bihar, India. Menon is a Valley-based serial entrepreneur. He is co-founder and CMO of Amreeki Talkiz, a Dallas-based media firm that co-produces movies and shows. Menon lives in Glendale with his wife, Bindu, and two children, Amulya and Aakarsh. 

Dr. Nandini Sharma is Najma, the enigma. Sharma is a nephrologist and partner at the Southwest Kidney Institute. She describes herself as an “Indian army brat.” She likes to dabble in the arts and is supported in her endeavors by her loving parents, her two kind children, and her better half, Amit. 

Dr. Amrita Dhanjal-Reddy (Light, Sound, and Action) is instrumental in coordinating the stage sound/light aspects of the play. Dhanjal-Reddy works at the Phoenix VA with a focus on evidence-based chronic pain management and treatment for opioid use disorder. She is married with two sons and enjoys Bollywood, singing, time with family and friends, and traveling as her hobbies. 

Raj Menon (Marketing Anchor) 

Assistance from Tara Fedder, Aakarsh Menon, Kamal Makarla, Manish Bothra, and Tarun Aking is well appreciated with slogans, poster/s creations and marketing aspects of this project. 

Malika Bhargava, NRI’s proficient backstage manager, a physician herself, uses her theatre experience and amazing organizational skills to make scenes happen!  

NRI Productions thanks all the volunteers and the family members of the Humerican Express team. 

The Humerican Express team is honored to donate net proceeds to three main beneficiaries this year:  

1. Punjabi Seva: Works toward improving mental health and well-being of families with domestic abuse situations. To learn more, visit Punjabiseva.com. 

1. AZINA: Arizona Mental Health Initiative for Youth creates a safe space for youth and families to address mental health challenges. To learn more, visit AZINA.org. 

1. PADMA: Positive Actions to Develop and Mentor Adolescents Foundation, Arizona, is dedicated to helping kids/youth realize their full potential through support and mentorship. To learn more, visit RunForPadma.org. 

NRI Productions thanks all those who support them and the greater community causes.