‘Welcome to Chippendales’ Trailer: Kumail Nanjiani Redefines Male Exotica Pre-‘Magic Mike’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
2
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Welcome to your fantasy.

Kumail Nanjiani transforms into Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee for Hulu series “Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming November 22.

More from IndieWire

Created by Robert Seigel (“Pam & Tommy”) and Jenni Konner (“Girls”), “Welcome to Chippendales” shows Somen’s rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.

Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire, and let nothing stand in his way in the process. The series charts how Bannerjee went from gas station manager and failed backgammon club owner to the founder of Chippendales and being caught up with drug cartels and hitmen.

“It’s bananas,” Nanjiani told Entertainment Weekly. “There are like 10 things that happen in this story that all feel absolutely ridiculous, but they all really happened. If people are like, ‘Hey, that feels like too much,’ you’re like, ‘That’s what really happened!'”

Nicola Peltz Beckham stars as Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten, who was tragically murdered by her husband Paul Snider (Dan Stevens), with “The White Lotus” breakout Murray Bartlett playing Emmy-winning choreographer Nick De Noia. The ensemble cast also includes Philip Shahbaz, Annaleigh Ashford, Robin de Jesús, and “Yellowjackets” legendary star Juliette Lewis.

Lead actor Nanjiani called the limited series the “most challenging job I’ve ever done” in an interview with Vanity Fair, adding that he started having back pain living as Somen. “The body doesn’t know the difference between you doing a sad scene and you being really sad in real life,” Nanjiani said. “I’d never done this kind of work.”

Writer and co-showrunner Siegel said that Nanjiani was “always my first choice” despite the “Eternals” acting being “a little reluctant, or maybe nervous, about playing a bad guy.”

Siegel said, “He does bad things. You could say, well, this is a negative portrayal of an Indian guy, but you could also choose to look at it like it subverts the stereotype of the model minority.”

“Welcome to Chippendales” premieres November 22 on Hulu.

Check out the trailer below.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.