Career
As an actor, Narayan appeared alongside Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, and Justin Timberlake, in Paramount Pictures' summer comedy The Love Guru. On stage, Narayan made his Broadway debut in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/A.R. Rahman musical Bombay Dreams in 2004, originating the role he is most widely known for, the “hero” Akaash, and garnered a New York Drama League nomination. Narayan recently starred as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse's critically acclaimed revival of Glengarry Glen Ross and has been nominated for a 2012 San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award.
Charles McNulty of Los Angeles Times said, “Manu Narayan as Richard Roma, the slick, unscrupulous king of the conspicuously placed sales leader board, which never lets anyone forget who’s on top...Narayan has the character strut around like a foul-mouthed Casanova. It’s an attention-grabbing performance...it adds to the velocity of Ashley’s thrillingly paced production.” Pam Kragen of North County Times declared, "Manu Narayan is dazzling as the testosterone-fueled Richard Roma, the slick, charismatic sales leader...”, while Ken Herman of SanDiegostory.com said, “whenever Manu Narayan as the eerily captivating Ricky Roma was on stage, the play soared. Narayan not only delivered a pitch-perfect take on the character of this devious, narcissistic hawker of worthless real estate, but he vigorously telegraphed the terse, staccato scan of Mamet’s prose. Roma believes he is larger than life, and Narayan made even the slightest gesture stoke his smarmy illusion."
Narayan stars as the romantic lead in Sudhish Kamath’s Good_Night_Good_Morning, which he co-produced, and Shailja Gupta’s Walkaway. He recently co-starred with Lucy Hale in the Warner Brothers/ ABC Family comedy A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, is featured in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender; and co-starred with Canadian Comic Russell Peters in Quarterlife Crisis (Showtime).
In 2003, he was invited to sing at a small state dinner for the first official visit of President George W. Bush to the UK. Narayan sang for and met Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Family, President George W. Bush and Colin Powell. He has had the privilege to sing for then Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton. as well as elsewhere with Cyndi Lauper, The Band’s Garth Hudson and Martha Wainwright.
As a recording artist, Narayan has collaborated on and recorded original and cover tracks for feature film soundtracks including The Love Guru, Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, Good_Night_Good_Morning and Walkaway. He co-wrote and recorded the single Help Me to Find for the film Hiding Divya starring Madhur Jaffrey. Narayan has collaborated with Grammy winner Frank London numerous times around the world, most recently recording and performing for his Soundbrush records’ Klezmer concept album A Night in the Old Marketplace. As the lead vocalist, Narayan has performed the concert version of the album throughout Europe and North America.
In addition to solo work, Narayan is lead singer of the band Darunam with Radovan Jovicevic, founding member of Yugoslavia's Grupa Zana. The band brings together the melodies and rhythms from three homelands: America, India, and Serbia. He recorded with D A R U N A M band mate Radovan Jovicevic the single Have Me for the 2007 film And Then Came Love starring Vanessa Williams. Narayan and Jovicevic have released the EP All That's Beautiful Must Die and the title track's video featuring Janina Gavankar. Their album of Electronic Lounge/World Gypsy music with Canadian Clarinetist Milan Milosevic entitled The Last Angel on Earth was released live on CBC national radio in Canada in 2010.
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