He's now being called, India's next international export after Aishwarya and is all set to debut on the small screen in America with one of its most popular drama and action series, ‘24'.

With the eighth season of ‘24' boasting of a loaded star cast, including the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Freddie Prinze Junior, Anil surely had all the reasons to be latest addition to the show.

In his latest blog he writes:

I met with producers of the FOX drama ‘24' and was brought aboard to play the President of a foreign country who is actively pursuing peaceful negotiations with the United States, much to the chagrin of my fellow countrymen.

I had just finished filming the fifth episode, when I was asked by FOX to attend Comic Con in San Diego, California with fellow ‘24' cast members Kiefer Sutherland, Marylynn Rajskub, Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze Jr. We were invited to participate as part of a panel with the writers and producers of the hit show which just received 11 Emmy nominations.

I had never heard of Comic Con before, it was pretty much a non-entity for someone like me, coming from India, but apparently, it is a very big deal here in the entertainment industry.

Every major Hollywood studio previews their upcoming films and television shows for fans who come from all over the world to meet the stars, hear them speak and more specifically, catch upcoming previews of the blockbuster entertainment that Hollywood produces.

We were driven down to San Diego, a beautiful coastal city south of Los Angeles and north of the Mexican border. The studio put us up in fabulous hotels and then drove the cast to the San Diego Convention Center.

Having no idea what to expect, I was amazed at the size of the crowds! Thousands of fans, some booking their hotels a year in advance, came from all over the world. Some were even dressed as characters from their favourite shows.

While there, I was stunned to realise just how big an event it was. Top stars like Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli), Cameron Diaz (The Box), Johnny Depp and Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland) were all there to promote their upcoming films.

Peter Jackson was there to promote his new Sci-Fi thriller 'District 9' and the entire cast of 'Twilight' caused quite a commotion as they appeared before a standing room only crowd to promote the next film entitled 'New Moon' for fans.

The panel went well and the entire experience was a phenomenal one. American fans were familiar with my work on 'Slumdog Millionaire' and I was asked questions about my role in ‘24'.

I was not able to reveal much as the producers did not want too much information released which could have spoiled the plot. Overall it was a fantastic experience, much as the entire year for me has been here.

Wherever I go to Beverly Hills, sitting in a cafe or walking along Rodeo Drive, fans of 'Slumdog Millionaire' stop me on the street, shake my hand, take a photo and congratulate me on the work I have done and how it meant so much to them.

I am truly humbled by their sincerity and greatly moved that this little film has touched so many.

I even met Jermaine Jackson, the brother of Michael Jackson, in the lobby of the hotel I am staying in. He and his lovely wife Hamila came up to me, introduced themselves and shook my hand (the day before Michael's memorial service) and told me that the entire Jackson family — including Michael — had seen 'Slumdog Millionaire' three times!

He told me that Michael and his children loved the film and invited me to the memorial and to the family's private reception.

There I met Katherine Jackson, Tito, Marlon, Jackie, Janet and the rest of the Jackson family. They were very welcoming and appreciative that I had come to pay my respects to their brother.

I told them that Michael made it possible for someone like me, an actor from India, to come to America and be recognized and appreciated for my talent and work.

Michael Jackson was not only one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, but more importantly, he was a true humanitarian and trailblazer. Because of him, artists were given opportunities that perhaps would not have been available before.

I hugged his mother Katherine and told her that her son broke down barriers of race for people of every creed and from every nation. I believe that I am now here, in Los Angeles, watching my dreams come true because of it.

I hope that now I can do the same for my fellow artists from India. It is a huge responsibility and one that I hope to fulfill.

Courtesy: Itimes.com