Maulik Pancholy on ‘Homicide on the Patel Motel’: ‘I wished to write down an advanced Indian American household’

Maulik Pancholy’s Homicide on the Patel Motel, the comedy podcast from Audible, is a enjoyable Agatha Christie fashion homicide thriller. “I at all times thought it will be good to write down one thing centred round an Indian American household,” Maulik says over a video name on a sizzling day in New York. “Whereas individuals know of Indian American households working comfort shops, I’m at all times stunned at how few individuals know of the phenomenon of Patel motels.”

Almost 50% of motels in the US are owned by Indian People, the 51-year-old Maulik says. “Individuals within the know jokingly confer with them because the Patel motel cartel, as a result of they’ve such an enormous curiosity within the lodge lobbying trade.”

Coming dwelling

Maulik performs Milan Patel, who has simply obtained his massive break in New York because the occasion planner for the Met Gala. He visits his dad and mom on the family-run motel in Montana for a weekend household get-together, which shortly will get difficult with the looks of a corpse. “I by no means felt comfy in my pores and skin within the city that I grew up in,” Maulik confesses. “I at all times thought I needed to get away to develop into who I’m.”

The 30 Rock-actor wished to discover what it will be wish to return to the previous to face one’s demons. “What would occur if the individual that you wanted to reconcile with abruptly wasn’t round? That’s the place the concept for this homicide thriller set in a small city motel happened. I wished to write down an advanced Indian American household. I wished to write down a lead homosexual character. And I wished to write down one thing that I can play (laughs).”

On location

The Montana setting, Maulik says, got here up after a chat with a author who described her small city in Montana the place there was only one Asian household. “We set the story in a city the place this household is remoted. And the Patel motel grew to become the framework for this household and what it means to them. There’s the immigrant story of Milan’s father, who began this motel, and the goals that he obtained to meet or not.”

The audio format fits thriller, Maulik says. “You must pay attention rigorously for somebody strolling down a hallway or heading right into a darkish, remoted basement. How do the echoes of their voice off the wall sound? How do you construct pressure by the best way the voice sounds, the whispering? Sound designer and editor, Daniel Brunell did such an exquisite job.”

Sound choices

Although Maulik was writing within the audio house for the primary time, his co-writers, Zachary Grady and Achilles Stamatelaky, have written audio sequence earlier than. “Their perspective was useful on a number of ranges. You possibly can’t minimize to any individual’s response,” Maulik says laughing. “You must talk the story to the producers who’re going to provide your notes to the sound designer… The way in which you write, together with descriptions of locations, needs to be from an audio perspective. We’re engaged on how the listener goes to listen to this world.”

Writing a homosexual Indian American protagonist was a means for Maulik to mine the breadth of his expertise. “Milan’s identification within the present is among the causes he has a troubled relationship together with his previous and his city. I’m curious about telling tales that we don’t get to see sufficient of. I hesitate to say normalising, or night it out, however we’re simply saying these characters exist, and so they undergo the identical issues that some other character would. It was necessary to me that we create a nuanced, advanced LGBTQI character of color. And I get to play a detective (laughs) which was thrilling too.”

Ensemble forged

Homicide on the Patel Motel incorporates a stellar forged, which incorporates Murray Bartlett as Milan’s accomplice, Karan Soni as a poor relation and Poorna Jagannathan as Milan’s no-nonsense mom. Working with the forged was a pleasure, Maulik says laughing. “I can’t let you know what number of occasions we have been cracking up within the sound sales space. I’ve recognized Murray, Karan and Poorna for such a very long time, and I used to be so thrilled that they stated sure to the undertaking.”

The recordings moved shortly, Maulik says. “We have been barreling by it, and it’s a problem, for actors to remain totally current, and observe their arc from episode to episode. Each single particular person was not solely humorous, but additionally introduced a lot depth and coronary heart into the present.”

Shock look

Padma Lakshmi makes a pleasant look as herself within the podcast. “She’s so humorous, and I’m so thrilled that persons are attending to see simply how proficient an actress and comic she is. I’ve recognized Padma for a very long time, and I reached out to her and I’m so grateful that she made time to do it.”

Homicide on the Patel Motel straddles three genres, Maulik says. “It’s a nuanced household story, a comedy and a homicide thriller. We tried to floor the characters as a lot as doable, and put them in these conditions that have been comedic. All people’s enjoying these conditions as if it’s fully actual, even because the circumstances begin to get bizarre. We additionally checked out exhibits and movies like The White Lotus and Knives Out, to see the dynamics, particularly about pushing between comedy and thriller.”

Common themes

One of many cool issues concerning the present, Maulik says, is, although it’s an Indian American household, and the lead character is homosexual, it touches on common themes. “What’s it wish to go dwelling? What’s it wish to lose somebody that you’re not sure of how you’re feeling about? What’s it wish to navigate relationships?”

It has been a busy 12 months for Maulik. “I simply completed filming a film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. It’s his first film publish A Actual Ache, and it was tremendous enjoyable. We simply wrapped on Season 5 of Phineas and Ferb. I’m writing my third novel, a younger grownup romantic comedy set between worlds of Bollywood and Jackson Heights Queens in New York. It’s slated for a summer time 2026 launch.”

On the finish of the podcast, there’s one other homicide. On whether or not there’s going to be a season two of The Homicide on the Patel Motel, Maulik says, “We wrote it that means, and nobody instructed us to make it extra last. So maybe there can be, I’ll hold you posted as quickly as I do know.”

Homicide on the Patel Motel is on the market on Audible

Revealed – July 19, 2025 07:47 pm IST