Everything You Wanted to Know about Shariff in ‘Gravity’ (But Were Too Lazy to Google)

Spoiler alert. If you happened to see Alfonso Cuarón’s film Gravity this weekend, you may have noticed a third character in addition to the duo played by  Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The character of “Shariff” appears only in the first five or so minutes of the film — viewers never even see his face until after he succumbs to the rigors of space.

As Clooney and Bullock exchange quips in the foreground, “Sharrif” plays the happy-go-lucky astronaut bouncing around in the back. How do we know he’s desi? At one point, he sings a line from Raj Kapoor’s classic old-school Bollywood ditty “Mera Joota Hai Japani.” It was a minor role in this weekend’s box-office hit that resonated with many film-goers, including actor Aasif Mandvi.

Loved the movie #gravity. How much you ask? So much that I'm gonna start singing Mera Juta Hey Japani

— aasif mandvi (@aasif) October 6, 2013

https://twitter.com/sashwat_k/status/386364530718040064

https://twitter.com/_anupa/status/386219189733560320

Gravity (spoiler): Astronaut Apu was cool and all, but did he have to be named Expendable?

— Manish Vij (@vijmn) October 5, 2013

Gravity's Sharif is Harvard and singsongy, in the Apu mold, while Ganga is spiritual stand-in. Very Hollywood: loves "India," not Indians.

— Manish Vij (@vijmn) October 5, 2013

Shariff is never even given a last name in the film. While Sandra Bullock plays “Ryan Jones” and George Clooney is “Matt Kowalsky,” “Shariff” is simply “Shariff.”  So what’s exactly up with this film’s invisible desi character and who is the actor playing him?

He Has Two First Names

He goes by “Paul” Sharma. But his real name is Phaldut Sharma (Which is also the name he uses for his Twitter handle). Sharma has played a handful of roles on a number of Britcoms including The Office and EastEnders. His character on EastEnders, AJ Ahmed, is slated to exit this fall. Gravity wasn’t the first time he burst out into song. If you go to 8:49 in the video below of his character’s first appearance in EastEnders, you can see him sing along to “Yeh Dosti” from the film Sholay.

Also check this video of Sharma talking about the show. At 2:39, he breaks out the moonwalk.

He Grew up in Newport, Wales

According to an interview, Sharma had an idyllic life in the city of Newport in Wales, where his father ran a post office and shop. But as Guyanese Hindus, his family experienced their share of racism as he recalls in an interview with Wales Online done earlier this year:

“[B]eing Asian Indian in Wales, in particular Newport, back in the ’70s meant we were a minority within a minority within another minority.

“We were a unique cocktail, I suppose, but being the only ones in the area also meant we weren’t perceived as a threat in any way. So we never really attracted any bother.

“Kids can be cruel of course, but it’s no different if you’re over-weight or ginger when it comes to name-calling.”

He’s an Epic Dancer

The man can dance. Check out this video of him tap-dancing.

In the same Wales Online interview, Sharma reveals that his moonwalking skills were developed long before he did the voiceover for Gravity — when he developed a deep admiration for the late Michael Jackson:

 “I’d pretend to be ‘The King’ and put on these little leg-shaking performances for my family…Those spangly socks and black slip-on shoes, I was sold…I remember going to my first contest at Graig Community Centre and having to lie and tell my mother it was actually a friend’s birthday party. And, just as she was dropping me outside, she asked where I’d put his present, to which I replied, ‘Umm, it’s complicated’ before slamming the door behind me and running off.”

He’s Had a Bit Role in an Oscar-Nominated Flick

That’s right. This isn’t Sharma’s first Cuarón-helmed rodeo. He had a bit part in 2006’s Clive Owen-starring Children Of Men, which earned Oscars nominations for several technical categories.

So there you go. Everything you wanted to know about the desi guy in “Gravity,” but were too lazy to Google.

Kishwer Vikaas is a co-founder and editor of The Aerogram. Find her on Twitter at @Phillygrrl or email her at editors@theaerogram.com. Follow The Aerogram on Twitter @theaerogram.