American Chai

This movie was not that bad. However, from the trailors I was expecting more of a comedy like American Desi. American Desi still easily dominates this newly founded genre of Indian-American movies. Paresh Rawal's comedy is of course brilliant. Most of the movie focuses on the lead's relationship as oppose to second generation Indian life in America.

In some ways Anurag Mehta was ahead of his time with American Chai. Anurag, an Indian-American, wrote and directed this movie which portrays Indians in a more complex, honest and real way compared to the way they were portrayed in Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom.

I'd love Anurag Mehta to direct a reboot of Slumdog Millionaire to give a true Indian perspective.

"American Chai" is a good effort by first time director Anurag Mehta. He also wrote the screenplay, which is OK, but not noteworthy in any way. There's nothing new to the story, a boy pursuing his dream of becoming a musician, even though his father wants him to be a doctor. The value of the film lies in the other conflict, between cultures. The American born son, Sureel, is all American, whereas the father still adheres to many Indian traditions. The film provides a tiny glimpse into this American/Indian culture.

Aalok Mehta, Anurag's real life brother, plays Sureel. To put it mildly, I think his acting leaves a lot to be desired. He's not alone in this regard. Aside from Paresh Rawal, who plays the father, most of the performances were merely adequate. This is not surprising, in that, Rawal is an accomplished performer in India.

The music was good, and I think Aalok has a future there, but otherwise, this is just a run-of-mill movie.

I was lucky enough to see American Chai in my sneak preview class. I'm wary of seeing some first time attempts at movie making, but this film was a total treat. I was drawn in from the first 5 minutes. The characters were completely believable and engaging, the story right on the mark, and the way the writer/director portrayed the cultural and generational differences resonated with many of the stories I've heard from my Indian friends. I found it completely charming, funny, and touching. I heartily recommend seeing this film if it comes to your local theater.

Having seen other movies which didn't quite capture the reality of being a first generation Indian, what a refreshing change. This was a movie I think that people of any ethnicity could relate to, whereas others relied heavily on stereo-types of Indians for cheap laughs. I'm interested in seeing this writer/director release some more work, since this was an excellent first outing, if that is the case.

This is by no means a perfect movie, there are some silly things in the plot and it does start to show a little weakness in the ending. However, the characters were likable and the script had a lot of smart writing, and funny moments. Anyone of Indian heritage should definitely check it out.