MUMBAI: Anil Kapoor, who has got rave reviews in the American press for his stint on the just-premiered drama series 24, was so self-effacing that he couldn’t ask the producers to let him show the first four episodes to his family back home.

When Anil left for Los Angeles last week, he had promised his family in Mumbai that he would bring back four episodes of 24 which premiered in New York. But he came back to Mumbai empty-handed.

“I had promised them. And I’m sure Fox would have given the episodes to me. In fact, they gave the first four episodes to every journalist beforehand with a secrecy clause. So I could have easily asked because my daughters Sonam and Rhea and my brother Sanjay were all keen to see my television debut. But I just couldn’t ask. I was too shy. Can you believe it?”

He was invited on the prestigious Today Show as well. “You see, 24 is a series by Fox. And the Today Show is on a rival channel NBC. No actor from a Fox show is ever invited on the Today Show. I guess I was an exception because after Slumdog Millionaire I’m seen to represent the Indian diaspora in the West. It’s a humbling place to be in,” he said.