Dopinder goes mainstream

After his incredibly famous stint as Dopinder, the lovesick cabbie in Deadpool, Karan Soni was pretty accustomed to doling out high fives. All poor DP (aka Soni’s character) got in the film was a friendly palm slap from Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) instead of any real money. But one incident in an airport bathroom haunts still haunts Soni, who will be seen in the Marvel film’s sequel releasing on May 18. An eager fan left his business mid-way to request a high five. “I was like no, I can’t do this,” laughs the actor. Suffice it to say wishes were fulfilled only after due hygienic protocols were met.

Hollywood dreams

Soni, who talks a mile a minute, is happily chatting away on the phone from Los Angeles (LA), a far cry from how the meek Dopinder sounds. In an accent that veers heavily towards American Valley speak, he still retains some of his New Delhi charm. But it is the excessive use of ‘like’ that proves he belongs to Uncle Sam now. “My dad is a businessman, so a part of me really thought I’d work with him, and my mom, who really believed in fortune tellers, went to a pandit who said that I would be a scientist,” recalls the 29-year-old. “Luckily, I came to LA [at 18] and a lot of child actors went to my school [University of Southern California] so acting happened very organically.”

Though his role in Deadpool has been well-regarded and memorable, it was a short one. And Soni yearned to do more. “I dropped [the characters] off at the final fight [in the first film] and I remember thinking it would be so much fun to be in this part of the movie, all this big action Hollywood stuff,” he says with the excitement of a much younger person. “It looked exactly like what you would imagine as a kid.” Thankfully, Soni’s wishes came true; even though Dopinder still gets high fives in lieu of moolah, the loveable character’s screen time has significantly expanded in the upcoming sequel.

Soni spills a few beans, adding that we will see DP become Wilson and his X-Force’s (the mutant group Deadpool puts together) official getaway driver. “At the beginning of the movie, I let [Deadpool] know I’m ready for more responsibility, like I want to get in on the action,” says the actor. “But he’s very against it and he thinks I’m going to die.” While we will see Dopinder do a fair bit of driving, there’s also going to be a lot of interaction with the other characters. Plus, the docile driver gets a slice of the fight with a few stunts. “I do get to kill one guy and I got to have fake blood on me and it was really cool,” he gushes. “I’m very excited for people to see this film.”

Be the change

Before Deadpool, Soni’s biggest role has been co-starring alongside Patrick Stewart in the short-lived Starz show, Blunt Talk. But now Dopinder has made him famous all over the world. Being typecast does not concern him. “It’s almost like if someone was from the South in America, and them saying they would never play a character with a southern accent,” he says, adding that he feels lucky being in Hollywood in 2018. “In terms of representation, I definitely think it is changing. I feel very lucky to be a small part of such a big change.”

Little is known about his future plans, other than appearing in the to-be-announced film, Office Uprising. But there is a dream he holds close to his heart. “I’m desperate to make a movie in India, preferably in Delhi, or be in a movie with an all-brown or Indian cast,” he concludes.