Apr

Bala Chandran

A professional videographer known for his multi-camera stage productions of Indian classical dances, Bala Chandran has been volunteering at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, the African Art Museum and the Hirshhorn since 1990. “I like interacting with people, answering their questions, knowing about their interests in our museums,” he says.

Some of his encounters with visitors leave him with questions of his own, however. “One day I was at the Sackler Gallery’s information desk and my partner, Noriko, had just stepped away. A gentleman with two youngsters approached the information desk and asked me where the Peacock Room was. As I gave him directions I realized that his face was very familiar, but I couldn’t put a name to it. As he turned to leave, I blurted out, ‘ I know you!’ He said, ‘I know you too, what’s your name?’ ‘Bala,’ I replied. ‘Yeah, my name is Bill,’ and walked out the door with the boys following him.

“I still couldn’t think who he might be until I thought to google ‘Bill…Hollywood’ and there he was: Bill Murray!”

Standing there I was thinking Noriko might have known who he was. “Then I had the idea to google. “Bill… Hollywood” and looked at the images and there he was, Bill Murray!

His close encounter of the Bill kind is not Bala’s only brush with fame. Check out his appearance on “America’s Got Talent” accompanying a friend who does hand shadows.