In a new interview, Anthony Allen Ramos, GLAAD’s Head of Talent, speaks with Bravo star Amrit Kapai ahead of tonight’s Family Karma season finale about everything from his upcoming wedding, to the incredible reaction to his coming out from his grandmother, to his hopes for another season.
Viewers saw Amrit propose to his fiance Nicholas earlier this season and he says they’re both happy they can finally talk about it now that it has aired. As one might suspect, the upcoming wedding is going to be anything but understated.
“It is going to be multiple days! I am sort of envisioning a first day welcome dinner. The second day is what is called the mehndi, which traditionally in India is when the bride wears henna on her arms…but since we don’t have a bride, I want our moms to be the focal point and throw them some big lavish party,” Kapai tells Ramos.
“We will also do a big dance party…we will do an underwear dance party (a reference to his new line of men’s undergarments he started with with co-star Vishal Parvani) Then we have to talk about the ceremony…do we want to do it traditional? A church ceremony or a hindu ceremony? There is a lot that we have to figure out,” he said.
Although they talk about getting married this August in a clip from the season finale, he says they may be a little bit delayed getting to the altar.
“We might have to push it a little bit because things have been so hectic and busy for both of us, but it is coming sooner rather than later! We need to figure out where we want to do it, so we have to pick a city first and see what venues are available,” he says.
While Amrit’s family has been overall very accepting of him being gay and of his relationship, viewers also saw Nicholas’ family seem less welcoming of their union. Amrit says that now some progress has been made and that he is hopeful for the future.
“This summer there were two weddings and I met his extended family on both his mom’s side and his dad’s side, so they are definitely making progress. The next big hurdle for us is going to be will they attend the wedding? It is a real, legitimate concern,” he says in the interview. “They have accepted it, but I don’t think they have necessarily embraced it. They are still trying to work toward that end goal. It’s a lot on our minds. Will they be at the wedding? How much are they going to support us?”
One of the most talked about moments this season was when Amrit decided to come out to his elderly, traditional Indian grandmother. Andy Cohen called it “one of the most powerful hours of television ever on Bravo,” and Amrit told Ramos how he was genuinely surprised at the overall reaction to the moment.
“I was blown away. I knew it was going to be a tough moment to watch but I had no idea that it would cause this much buzz, in a good way, in a positive way. I think it is important for viewers to see that when you are LGBT and you initially come out, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It continues to be a struggle that we have to deal with on a daily basis…I’ve gotten so much support I feel like America is my family now, so many messages, so many virtual hugs,” he said.
For the last two seasons, Family Karma has given an entertaining look into Indian-American culture, but it has also furthered awareness and visibility for its LGBTQ community. Amrit says that he hopes the show sends “a message that you are able to achieve anything you want in life and it does not matter if you are gay.”
He continues, “You can still have that life that you dreamed about. It might look different, but it will still be beautiful. I have had people tell me that they have come out after seeing these episodes and that is one of the main reasons I wanted to do Family Karma.”
While there has been no official announcement from Bravo on a third season, Amrit says he is hopeful that people will get to see more of his story.
“We have not heard anything yet about any subsequent seasons, but hopefully we can make this a TV Wedding that everyone can celebrate with us. I would love to continue to share our story with the world,” he says in the interview.
The Family Karma season finale airs Wednesday, July 28th at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo.