October 11, 2006
A Hustler's DelightProfiles
OK. So it’s New York, right? And there’s all these posh bars and lounges where, if you survive the scrutiny of the enormous lunkheaded individuals guarding the door while self-important, bluetooth-earpieced publicists brandishing clipboards peer at you over designer eyewear, you are admitted to the privilege of purchasing diluted, undersized “premium” cocktails, sometimes served in plastic cups, for fifteen or twenty dollars a pop. I know, it sounds like a great time, right? Well, for one thing, there’s a lot of fast money floating around this town in the hands of people who don’t know what else to do than flash it. But more importantly, only suckers actually pay full price. (A rule that applies in many settings, by the way.) The real action is when media houses, PR firms, banks, and other capitalist swine upstanding corporate citizens rent out these establishments for parties where those fortunate enough to be on The List may eat and drink unlimited and gratis, and leave with at least a big goodie bag of schwag, or better, a couple of business leads and maybe someone to share some drunk sex with at night and figure out how to get rid of in the morning.
In this world, where if it didn’t happen in the Flatiron or Meatpacking districts it might as well not have happened at all, and you’re always just in from Los Angeles, just off to London, or more likely, working as a flak for the people who truly are, this world snarkily yet slavishly celebrated by outlets like Radar magazine and Gawker.com, there reside, as you might imagine, some less than savory characters. For let’s face it: Delusions of grandeur, fantasies of power and sophistication, lots of booze, hotties, free stuff — the scene is a hustler’s delight.
And so it came to pass that a hustler rose to great heights.
And that hustler was desi.
A kind soul posted a link to the story of Priyantha Silva on the news tab yesterday, but with a description so laconic that few of you may have been drawn to click it. Really it should have said: READ THIS! THIS SHIT IS RIDICULOUS, HILARIOUS, CLASSIC! Realizing this, a number of Sepia stalwarts have been emailing us demanding that we blog it. But really, it’s one of those stories that doesn’t warrant blogging. It stands alone. It speaks for itself. How could we improve on it? So without further ado, I direct you to the Ballad of Brother Priyantha, and await your wise commentary.
siddhartha on October 11, 2006 11:44 AM in Profiles · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
whose the chica?
List of his convictions.
Photo of the woman he impersonated. Indian name but appears to be white.
More detailed story of what happened when she confronted him.
This dude is my hero. I read the article this morning; I can't believe he continues to evade capture and/or unceremoniously being thrown out of these parties.
Hilarious stuff.
People please. People PLEASE. I beg you. CLICK THE LINK.
This shit has to be read to be believed.
[dead] this guy is hilarious. Ironic that he claims to have been part producer for "The Talented Mr. Ripley"... it seems he's the Talented Mr. (De)Silva
Back in the Des, I used to be proud of my hustling abilities. But this brother takes it to a whole different level. I bow to thee oh khiladi number 1. Someone needs to make a movei about this guy.
Beige Siege- I think it was called "where's the party, yaar" ;)
THIS, mis amigos, makes me proud to be a desi.
Sid, what a beautiful intro to such a sleazeball. I strive to be the Los Angeles version of Priyantha. But younger, female, and well, dare I say, hotter..
I LOVE the last para the linked article by the way- NEVER tell a reporter that the only reason you were doing the article was so you could sleep with them! Every thing is always on the record! Geez. It's like he took a page out of "how to be interviewed" from that 'Girls Gone Wild' Guy...
his shiny skin blinds me... he needs powder or blotting paper ASAP..along with a trip to the 13th floor psych ward with the other 'hustler's...
forget him trying to get one night stands...or getting goody bags...another one that chapped my beany behind was the following:
Stealing from the SA? And using 9/11 as the setup? WTF?
Scummier than slime growing on the bottom of a maggot infested garbage can from 1923...
this dude is a tool...a looser if you will.
I LOVE the last para the linked article by the way- NEVER tell a reporter that the only reason you were doing the article was so you could sleep with them!
yeah, that para wuz sweet.
Another desi party crasher, this one female and in LA.
Oh dear God!
Priyantha Silva --> Fraud
My feelings after I read this story --> Shadenfraud
[a variation on Schadenfreude, a word everyone should know]
The guy got balls!
On the lighter side..
Uh oh, Siddhartha, I know you're always up for a challenge, but now you've done it -- I didn't think you'd be wiling to put yourself in such harms way.....
First:
Second:
Third???
A small part of me thinks this guy is the man. But, my better side feels a certain amount of pity for him. It's kind of sad to see a person whose life is so pathetic that he can only justify his existence by using all of his energy to be in the presence of famous strangers.
In related news, Aleksey Vayner of Yale is the Kaavya of the moment.
I smell a novel:
How the talented Mr. Priyantha Silva Got Creative, Got Wild, and Got A Life
Boy
Pied Piper... you forgot the last thing....
Fourth and Final:
The only reason I ever talked to you is because I want to have sex with you ;)...
Sriram hit the nail on the head. At the outset, one does think of his misdeeds as hilarious. But DeSilva is an obviously sick & deluded man. And a criminal. He needs rehab before he destroys himself and/or others. [Recall Frank Abnagle?
Another desi hustling speaker of the house of reps.
It's good to have Manish back on the blog.
He served time in the same jail as scammer Farah Damji.
hilarious. made my day. oh...the desperation to be seen and wanted. common in every community, but i blame colonialism (and him of course) ;)
Aww... thanks, AB. You were great in Deewar.
While doing undergrad in India, I came across one such "intresting" character. This guy would impersonate one of my friends ( a brilliant student with financial troubles) and steal money,soapboxes,books, jewels and what not from people. He made life hell for my friend for a year. He was caught impersonating my friend to his batchmate. This guys story was like hearing "Catch me if you can" two years before it got released. He impersonated everyone from MLA, police officer, student, doctor, IT recruiter.
People like this should be working in spy agencies. Experiences like this help you gain perspective on what works and what doesn't in the security world. Never underestimate social engineering.
Holy shit I know this idiot. He is such an amateur you can easily spot him, poorly dressed, not polished, nor suave, almost always too drunk and embarrassing himself and always hitting on the hottest chick in the room. The reason no one is calling his bluff is because most velvet rope events tend to be filled with such self absorbed people, they really dont see anyone beyond themselves and the other glossies.
Its much too easy to crash some of these parties especially fashion parties, more so than movie/music parties and its too easy to latch onto entourages that are usually flying about town. You flirt with one of the guys you are a in!
The thing that amazes me about this guy is that hes so obvious, inconspicuous and generally completely inappropriately and poorly dressed for these events Im shocked the bouncers dont bounce him. Its one thing if a woman pulls this off and there are many that do and completely another when a total tool like him pulls it off and that is what makes it so hysterical. Its a big joke on the people who throw these parties.
The sad thing is there are more of him out there and fake cards? Shirley everyone knows in NYC when you get a biz card from a man at a bar there is a good chance it may not be real.
"Its one thing if a woman pulls this off and there are many that do and completely another when a total tool "
I wonder why there should be a distinction!
Because bouncers and security details are almost always male and the chances of a well dressed sweet talking woman charming them is lot higher than a man. That explains why more women than men are let into clubs and parties.
How does Silva getting into these parties by his own methods make him a "tool", yet a well dressed sweet talking woman isn't?
Double standard?
This article is hilarious. I went to J-school with Rachel Jones (the writer)!
his tirade:
"the chances of a well dressed sweet talking woman charming them is lot higher than a man"
"The thing that amazes me about this guy is that hes so obvious, inconspicuous and generally completely inappropriately and poorly dressed for these events Im shocked the bouncers dont bounce him. Its one thing if a woman pulls this off and there are many that do and completely another when a total tool like him pulls it off and that is what makes it so hysterical. Its a big joke on the people who throw these parties"
I dont think that you were referring to a well dressed sweet talking women in your first post.
So why should the bouncer let a woman dressed like a toad in the club, but stop the guy from entering it.
sorry about #34
his tirade:
and then
person A says that to person B and then they sit down for dinner ? wtf?
Oh jeez !!
A well dressed sweet talking woman in NYC generally includes showing cleavage. A woman with cleavage flashing and some flirtation will get past most bouncers. Even a woman who's a toad has a much higher chance of getting past bouncers if she flashes cleavage than a guy.
Isn't crashing a party a "big joke" on the people who throw them regardless of how well you are dressed or how attractive/self aware you are? Or do you mean it's okay to go around crashing parties as long as you are attractive, well-dressed, suave, etc...?
Silva might seem like the easy target to pick on from the story, but he's simply taken a bold approach to partying and networking and getting his 15 minutes.
"Oh jeez !!"
I am glad, we got that cleared. Peace!@
Prasad with all due respect you wanted such specific clarification it made me laugh. Too serious for something so silly. Isn't it common knowledge that a woman has a much better chance of getting into a club than a man?
It's a joke on the people throwing the party. Period. If you are pretentious you can get by.
Networking by being phoney? Since when does that work? The way I see it he's getting free booze and probably another pretentious chick for the night. Networking isn't exactly one of those things.
The way I see it, Silva probably thinks he's making major connections in the industry, and if this is his " way in" then so be it. I wouldn't be so judgemental on guy that's just trying to get what he wants, whether it's booze or girls, just because he doesn't fit your definition of how someone at these parties should look or behave when they are trying to "pull off" crashing a party.
Perhaps you don't attempt to network by being phony, but the way I see it is that he is.
What can I say, it isn't about being well dressed or not. It's unethical besides being phoney to mislead people, to be fake, to eat and drink and be somewhere you aren't welcome or invited. Something about that goes well beyond simply being pretentious hence the judgements from people.
A criminal? Definitely a loser,also a petty fraud but not a criminal.
Well it seemed from your previous comments that you felt that it was morally and socially acceptable for polished individuals to crash parties for personal gain, but when it came to Silva you seemed terribly opposed and disgusted because of his appearance and brash demeanor. Others may take a more subdued approach, but it's still pathetic to crash random parties regardless of what approach you happen to take.
It just seems peculiar to hear someone be so harsh against one specific "type of crasher" when the entire concept in and of itself is so ridiculous.
I was really only addressing your judgements.hehehehehe
WOW imagine what he could get into if he didn't stagger, barf, pee all over the place or pass out on people!!!
By the way this guy reminds me of that dude Shiraz from now dead waste of half an hour program called TinselTown. The dude always had that self important air about him and the way he will go to some parties and take interviews were absoultely hilarious. Even though he was well connected and had backing (of all people!) Jerry Brukeheimer still he looked more of a party crasher then anything.
I was at a Meatpacking Bar with two female friends two months ago when a totally, shit-faced, wildly staggering older brown man approached us. Reeking of perspiration and alcohol, he gave us a name which seemed incongrous with his ethnicity. He immediately screamed to us, "Do you know who I am...I'm a big-time movie producer..maaah movie just won an Academy Award". We asked him which movie and he couldn't remember. He snapped at me angrily when I asked if it was Brokeback Mountain. "It was the one with the cars", he spit out. Big time movie producer then proceeded to buy us a round of drinks and told us he was on the list at a number of chi-chi clubs in the area. It was pretty clear he didn't want me to come. He barely looked at me and couldn't keep his eyes off my good-looking female friends. And actually I was ready to head home but my friends are party girls who regulary take advantage of the generosity of strangers, and they insisted I come. So we walked over to Lotus, a fading club in the area. Shockingly, he was recognized by the gargoryles at the door, greeted warmly. We bypass the line. But then a discusion ensues by the door staff, and they decide that our new friend was too inebriated to enter the club. Mr Filmi then blurts out, "What are you saying...I haven't been drinking at all". Hearty laffs all around. The girls and I are ushered in sans new friend. I say to my one friend, "He seemed like an ass but that's still kinda effed up."
She was like, "It's New York, kid". Yes it is. Mr. Desilva, if you're reading this, Lotus wasn't all that, that nite. You didn't miss anything.
In addition to tax evasion, DeSilva has been charged with using other peoples' credit cards on multiple occasions. He falsely claimed to be the owner of Silva Consulting, LLC, which he said went bankrupt because of the 9/11 attacks in order to milk more than $3,000 out of the Salvation Army. He was also charged with opening a bank account under another woman's name and authorizing "P.D. Silva" as a user of the account. The address listed for P.D. Silva was the same as the defendant's residence. It's also the same address for Red Wagon Films on the business card he gave me when we first met in Brooklyn.
Definitely a fraud, but more importantly, poorly dressed!
That's some serious creativity with assumptions. I was simply explaining the reality of how it is. I've seen it lived it. You added the morality angle to it assuming of course conveniently that I was somehow approving it.
.THIS post was about THIS particular crasher. Why are we talking about the politics of Iowa? You are making terribly wide assumptions. Asking for clarification would have been better.
Well it didn't really appear as if anyone else was supporting him. It seems fairly clear most people think he's a loser by a wide margin. Why the need to defend him?
He looks like a sleazier and greasier Prem Chopra in this picture.
Personally I support party crashing in principle: the more uptight and self-important the party, the more it deserves to be crashed. However, such crashing must be done with style and panache. This drunk, delusional, misogynist fool is a disgrace.
Hahahah It does happen in NYC all the time and usually those that carry themselves with poise and don't make fools of themselves get away with it. This guy drew too much attention to himself.
Speaking go crashing I have heard tons of stories from cousins in India crashing weddings. That must be soooo easy. The last wedding I went to in India had nearly 1500 people.
He has a goofy grin like Buddy Hackett.
No creativity here, you initially mentioned the morality/ethics angle of party crashing. I was merely trying to understand & clarify your stance.
And you also were the first to introduce the tactics of other crashers than Silva into this conversation! Check your message history!
Everyone else's comments were straight-forward, but yours required some more conversation, so I was not addressing or referencing others' comments.
My understanding was that this blog was about gaining understanding and supporting healthy discussion on topics initially stemming from most anything South Asian. Am I mistaken? Or do I have to answer your question for my 'need to defend him' - insinuating that I am attempting to do more than just engage in commenting, discussion, and mild debate?
If there is some sort of tacit agreement to not engage in conversation with or leave comments pertaining to certain individuals I would appreciate having that information posted.
The look on his face just says it all.
Classic, classic stuff.
FukYoCouch, Silva! :)
Peace Renita,
There is definitely some massive loss in translation between us. Understanding tone and humor can definitely be lost on the web. I don't think either of us is saying anything different.
Well said, Siddhartha. Crashing is an art. A good crash is one which makes people wonder why they waited in line for 2 hours, sweet-talked (or flashed) the bouncers, got groped by dancefloor pervs, then lied about their associations to get into VIP where it's the same thing, just snobbier... all when instead they could be somewhere, you know, fun?? ...with you ;)
One night this summer I went to a David Lee Roth concert in a Times Square theater. After the concert, we went to the trendy W hotel for a nightcap. The waitress looked at my friend who was wearing a Van Halen T-shirt and asked if we were with the Van Halen After Party. So we ended up in the VIP section partying with DLR while drinking free $15 Manhattans. My friend hooked with an absolutely drop dead brunette with a nose ring and cowboy hat who was really into yoga and indian culture and was eroticizing him. I forgot to inform him that that was a bad thing, and he doesnt read SM, so sadly he allowed himself to be culturally raped by having sex with this super-hot stunner.
I ended up talking to 2 dominatrices who were showing me their feet. 5 free Manhattans later, I found myself in the elevator with Jared Leto and two chicks. Jareds face was really fat and he seemed short. He started talking to me but I forgot what he said. The dominatrices were more interesting.
Play on playa!
That should be "exoticizing." Freudian Slip or distinction with no difference.
Manju, that isn't your first story on SM where sex turns social discriminations into carnival mirror images of what they really are. Not that I'm against sex-positivity. I mean, I'd actually be impressed by you if you weren't already so impressed by yourself. All I can say is: between the gender objectification and the ethnic exoticization, the fools in your stories deserve each other, and I end up not resenting their perverse happiness. So I guess your sensibilities win against the "sensitivity brigade" on the basis that all's fair in fu*king and war.
What the hell is sex-positivity? Are sex-positivists those who like to fu*k? And if fu*k means fuck, can we print out the whole word like adults who've read our Miller and Nin? And if we use the word fuck, can we please drop the use of sex-positivism? So that those who 'aren't against sex-positivity' become those who aren't against fucking?
My favourite quote from the article:
Aww, there he goes, breaking the Desi GoodBoy stereotype one martini at a time...
He could have won a million spelling bees or software-writing competitions, but this, this, is just...priceless!
Cheers, Silva G...you made my day.
Cool story,
HanselManju.You do get props on the grammatically correct pluralization of "dominatrix", though. Now excuse me as I dry my tears of boredom on some Kleenices.
That dude's pathology is (IMO) much more entertaining than that of the Talented Mr. DeSilva, due to in part the videographic evidence of his outlandish claims. Keep in mind Mr. Vayner sent that film to various investment banks as an addendum to his 11 page (!) resume.
If he ever gets hired, I can only hope that he ends up at the same firm as Patrick Bateman.
Woah, chill.
First thing, positivism does not = positivity. Second, the concept of sex-positivity encompasses a lot more than just "fucking", as you so delicately put it. It’s rooted in queer, gender and feminist theories because those schools take conventions about sexuality (i.e. rules about expression) as indicators of social roles and relations. Sex-positivity encourages sexual expression in whatever ways feel natural, meaning YOU choose whether you even want "fucking" to be a part of your sexuality. It doesn't have to be. It's not necessarily a free-for-all either. Most thinkers who subscribe to it believe that sex and sexuality should be toyed with in the compassionate sense -- with love and humor and dignified defiance -- and not in the soap opera, lack of awareness, or sleazy and misogynistic party-crasher-in-polyester sense.
For most people, sex-positivity is not intended to be a convention in itself, but rather to serve as a catalyst. It begs the question of how we generate our "common sense" about sexuality, and, thereby, challenges our conception of gender and gender roles.
Kapow.
This man is my hero!
One night this summer I went to a country-music concert in corpus christi. After the concert, we went to a authentic all-night diner for a nightcap. The waitress looked at my friend and asked if we were Ay-Rabs. I think he said we were Indian. So we ended up in the alley getting sticks up our butt. My friend then hooked up with an absolutely huge man with a nose ring and cowboy hat who was really into asses and indian men and was eroticizing him. I forgot to inform him that that was a bad thing, and he doesnt read SM-just is into S&M, so sadly he allowed himself to be culturally and physically raped by having sex with this super-huge bugger.
I ended up talking to 2 dominatrices who were showing me their whips. 5 free lashes later, I found myself in the elevator with two men. One's arse was really fat and the other seemed small. They started talking to me but I forgot what they said. The dominatrices were more interesting.
Shruti with all due respect thats unnecessary overanalyzing. It's sex with someone hot. Men get excited about their boys having sex with someone hot. Can we leave it at that?
Shruti I was referring to # 64 not #69.
The above reponse to a guy describing his friend's sexual exploits was a tad bit too angry.
As much as I stay away from Bollywood remakes of Hollywood flicks, how much potential is there for a Desi version of Wedding Crashers??
Yeah I'm shocked they haven't made it yet. It would cast Aftab Shivdasani & Saif Ali Khan! I hope they do it, it would be hilarious.
Shruti:
Nice! I always enjoy a good slam.
Alright, thanks for the clarification. #64 was more of an "eye-roll" comment than an angry one. You'll notice I also referred to a similar story Manju had conveyed in the past (I can't find it), and generally speaking, they seemed to me like backhanded dismissals of valid concerns about racism and misogyny. Perhaps I'm giving him too much credit, in which case I duly apologize. As for overanalyzing, I included the sex-positivity bit to avoid just that -- you know, culture politics be damned, consensual sex still = good on some level.
Anyway, happy morning.
No. You got it. Carnival of mirrors is just about right. Life can be quite a freakshow and not everything is how it seems at first glance. I think the story you're looking for hit a 3rd rail and was removed. Bet it wasn't Vinod.
Shruti:
Thanks for the eye-rolli...I mean explanation. Btw: 'What the hell' doesn't equal irritated but amused in this case. (I was raised in Alberta, people use 'what the hell' all the time without causing diplomatic fracas.) First time I have heard anyone use such complicated language to describe something so simple. I'd be impressed if you weren't so impressed with yourself (and your lingo).
Frankly, I've let myself be culturally raped by hot Oppressors a few times myself. Try it sometime. Doesn't make the sex any less good.
*stands up and applauds*
exactly. perfectly said. He's a crass, tacky, embarrassment to fellow Sri Lankans.
A country that's unknown to most Americans, it would be great to direct attention to the Sri Lankan government's corruption, the LTTE' terrorist activity, tsunami aid, the archeological marvels, the distinct language, the country's natural beauty, the beaches the mountains... but no. We get porn shops and this douchebag. fuck.
DJ Drrrty Poonjabi:
That dude's pathology is (IMO) much more entertaining than that of the Talented Mr. DeSilva
And according to a profile in the May '02 issue of the Yale Rumpus (pgs. 12-13, see Craazy Prefrosh ) that detail his shenanigans before he was even a student at Yale, we can add a failure to be down with the brown to his list of transgressions!
He was going by Garber back then:
Desidawg, that was freakin' hilarious! You just scorched his ass! You're proving yourself to be a worthy successor to the much-beloved and sorely missed SpoorLam- keep it up.
rajito I read that article and saw the mention of the "vaguely racist remark." (I wonder if it was macaca?) Did you watch his video?
Tru Dat. My ass is very hot.
Touche, good sport :)
Simple for your knee-jerk liberal, Sex-In-The-City feminism. Which is why I gratuitously elaborated. Nothing to do with any kind of love affair with my own dry language, just a way to avoid responding to your ill-mannered question in the like.
Btw, I don't really care what people decide to do with themselves, but other people read this blog too, and I beg you not to use the word "rape" so liberally or with the implication that it may actually be something positive.
Shruti,
Don't tell me they haven't gotten to the classic feminine rape fantasy yet in your gender studies classes? Tsk tsk.
Whatev, DQ. Not gonna go down Jai's path. Peace.
Dharma Queen, instead of Pardesi Gori, can I meet YOU?
I met him at this past Cannes Festival...he set up a meeting with my production office claiming to be a producer for Black Dalia, Crash and Motorcycle Diaries. He is quite the character and as much of a lush as the story claims him to be...but really after 3 minutes of talking with him you can figure out that he's a con artist...I figuered we would know his name if he was truely an Oscar winning producer...but I took him lightly and and rolled my eyes at times...but on the fun side, he did talk his way into some great parties that I went to with him...but man, was he full of some great Bullsh*t stories about every famous person you could ever think of mentioning.