LOS ANGELES: The feeling of being nominated for an Oscar is still sinking in for stand-up comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, whose roots trace back to Pakistan.
Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon are nominated for the Writing (Original Screenplay) category at the 90th Academy Awards for their film "The Big Sick", which featured Indian actor Anupam Kher.
"It's only now settling in. Wow. Emily and I met when she heckled me at a comedy show in the back of a diner in 2006. We wrote a movie about it & 12 years later we're nominated for an Oscar. I will never get over this," Nanjiani tweeted.
The nominations were announced here on Tuesday.
"The Big Sick" is loosely based on the real-life romance between Nanjiani and Gordon. It follows an interracial couple who must deal with cultural differences after Emily becomes ill.
Nanjiani himself stars in the movie.
The Oscar nominations are led by Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water" with 13 nods.
"How cool is it that a Guillermo del Toro monster movie is the leader in Oscar nominations? The answer is very. It's very cool," Nanjiani wrote.