Sesame Street’s First Desi Character: Leela

By Kamla Bhatt • Jul 16th, 2008
Category: Books, Movies, Music, Televison, Diaspora, Life, Living In America

nitya.jpgSesame Street, the popular TV show for pre-school kids in the USA will feature its first desi character: Leela.  The next season of Sesame Street debuts on PBS Kids on August 11, 2008.

Leela works in a laundromat in the show. She is steeped in her desi culture and will be seen singing and dancing with her other Sesame Street friends. I wonder if Leela will speak any Indian language in the show? I wonder if there will be any Bollywood-inspired song and dance routine while helping kids learn math and other subjects?

Nitya Vidyasagar will play the role of Leela on Sesame Street. She has a  BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She has appeared on play like he Glorious OnesLove’s Labor’s Lost and, Serendib among others.

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