Pelvic Thrusts of Greed
Kumail Nanjiani and crew bringing swinging ding-a-lings to you in Welcome to Chippendales. Hulu (2022)
By R. J. F.
You can’t look away when the fantasy comes crashing down.
Having a buff, chest hair-free, and overly groomed man grinding on me for dollar bills isn’t something that I find appealing or sexy. I can see how other people would find this thrilling and something that would be a turn-on, but I like my dudes to be a little more real, a little less polished, and slightly rhythmically challenged. Because of this, I have never wanted to go see a male revue like the Chippendales dancers.
I didn’t know the backstory behind the revue, and wasn’t aware that Hulu was making a dramatization of that tale with a limited series titled Welcome to Chippendales, starring Kumail Nanjiani. The only reason I learned about this series was because Nanjiani was on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, of which I am an avid listener, and he was discussing and promoting his role in the series.
As I listened to the interview, I was astonished to discover that the male revue was started by an Indian immigrant named Somen “Steve” Banerjee, and that things really went south for this man once he got a taste of money and luxury. Without giving too much away, this is a story that is all too familiar. Some people, such as Steve, just aren’t designed to strike it big and be able to keep a cool head when they do, as highlighted by Nanjiani in the interview. So, I added it to my list of things to watch.
Nanjiani did a good job in this dramatic role, but I don’t know if I wholly bought it. There were moments when the dramatic acting he was doing seemed a little forced, especially as Steve spiraled into envy and paranoia as his success climbed. It was hard to separate the comedic actor from the dramatic role that he was filling. There were moments when Nanjiani’s panic and frantic episodes as Steve wavered on comedic physical comedy. But, in general, Nanjiani was able to hold it down and show the transition from an enthusiastic and wide-eyed rookie, to a jaded and worn businessman.
The actor that really stole the show, though, was Murray Bartlett, who played Nick De Noia, the choreographer that Steve hired to train the dancers and create the routines. It was clear that this was a very fraught and tense relationship, and there was a tug-o-war between the two men who were desperate for respect and to be heard by one another. Bartlett’s portrayal of Nick that goes from jovial, excited, and chummy with Steve, to annoyed and angry was excellent! Bartlett was recently in the first season of The White Lotus, which he was also amazing in, so I wasn’t surprised that he pulled off another perfect performance.
This is obviously an intriguing story, otherwise Hulu wouldn’t have made it into a limited series. There’s that saying that goes something like, you don’t want to know how the sausage gets made, and this is exactly what Welcome to Chippendales brings to the table. All the bright lights, smooth moves, and screaming women can’t cover up the scandalous and tragic beginnings of this story, no matter how many dollar bills and G-strings you throw at it.
