American Desi

'American Desi' is a fun-loving romantic comedy reminiscent of the great teen films of the eighties like "16 Candles" and "Pretty in Pink," mixed with the fresh hip-hop style of "House Party" with a uniquely Indian flavour. From Kris, an All-American boy from India, to Ajay, an Afro-Centric Hindu homeboy, to Farah, a devoutly religious but modern Muslim girl, 'American Desi' tells the story of a unique set of characters and their culture from a decidedly hip and youthful point of view. Like the masala films of India, 'American Desi' is so full of music and dancing that it might very well do to Bhangra and Garba what "Saturday Night Fever" did to Disco!

Story

Born and raised in New Jersey, Krishnagopal Reddy (Deep Katdare) is the typical boy next door: handsome, athletic, and adventuresome. The only son of immigrant Indian parents, he has adopted the American ideal of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, as his credo. He has long resisted the Indian traditions and values that his parents have tried to enshrine in their home. Fueled by the need to fit in with his peers, Krishnagopal has shortened his birth name to the more palatable 'Kris' while striving to become the best 'American' he can.
Kris' home is infused with what he finds as embarrassing traditions. The smells, sounds and tastes continually remind Kris of his Indian heritage. His over-attentive mother with her religious fervour constantly smothers him. His father, a successful accountant, cannot detach himself from the cultural and political scene in India despite a comfortable life in America. Kris cannot help but feel alienated from his family. He is what a knowing ex-patriate desi (literally "one from our land") would call an American Born Confused Desi. (ABCD)

His dream has always been to leave home so he can finally live his own life. Accepted into the engineering program at the local State University, Kris eagerly departs for college in the hopes of finally living a normal 'American' life.

During a college party, Kris falls for a beautiful Indian girl named Nina Shah (Purva Bedi). As Kris vies for the affection of Nina, he is opposed by the smooth-talking, but slimy Rakesh (Anil Kumar) who wants to thwart Kris' attempts at happiness.

In his quest for the holy female, Kris is aided by his oddball assortment of roommates. Despite their good-natured attempt to make Kris feel welcome, he realizes that his fondest dreams have become his worst nightmare. Kris finds himself ducking corners to avoid his colourful ensemble of roommates. His desperate attempts to change his room are to no avail. These 'room-partners' include:

Jagjit Singh (Ronobir Lahiri), an outgoing, artistically-oppressed Sikh Salim Ali Khan (Rizwan Manji), a conservative traditional Muslim Ajay Pandya (Kal Penn), an Afro-centric Hindu homeboy.

What follows is the story of a young man who learns about the intricacies of friendship and the frailty of the ties that bind us to ourselves. It is the story of a young man who falls in love and finds his destiny in the heart of a woman.

This is the story of one who is lost but is found again. It is the paradoxical result of Indian immigrants who see their children washed up on the shores of cultural confusion, they who came to this country to create a better life for their family. This is the story of second-generation Indians in America who have inherited the immigrant experience from their parents.

Tandoori Magazine Review

The British film industry was taken by surprise with the fantastic success of East is East which was probably among the first films to tell the story of British Asians. Now there's a film that's done the same for American Asians (the Indian as opposed to the Oriental kind that Americans refer to as 'Asian').

American Desi has done phenomenally well in the States and is set to do the same on British shores. There are no new themes here or even originality of plot but it is a valid expression of things that still need to be said about the mixing of cultures and the resultant angst among the second generation children of immigrants. And it's funny. Kris is asAll-American a hero as you'll get with one small problem: his full name is Krishna and he is of Indian descent. So it is with some anticipation that he awaits the day he can escape his 'exotic' background and leave for college with its frat parties and fast girls. However fate has other plans for him, not only are all of his roommates pukka desis but he also falls for Nina, an Indian girl who's proud of her culture and is not likely to be getting with any guy who isn't also into the Indian vibe. There's a cartoon style villain in a guy called Rakesh who shows up Kris with his extensive knowledge of Bollywood films. The roommates provide lots of comic moments and Kris himself (played by the gorgeous yet gormless looking Deep Katdare) has a scene where he critiques Bollywood films by yelling at the screen (much in the same way most westernised children have done, to the irritation of their parents who say things like "you don't object when Bruce Willis manages to beat up 15 people at one go"). Purva Bedi is simply charming as the lovely Nina who seems to find a nice balance between wearing skinny little tops and lecturing Kris on his cultural commitments. All in all a must-see even if you do end up yelling at the screen that you've heard and thought it all before.

Indion.com Review

Finally, a film that has a realistic portrayal of NRI´s and their lives. American Desi is being touted as a landmark film, and in a sense it is. If this film is released in India then the audience will finally see what NRI life is really like abroad. It shatters so may myths that people may have of the younger NRI generation and does it with a lot of fun. As a consequence we get to enjoy a funny, enjoyable, and somewhat satirical film which should be watched by everyone!

The film revolves around Krishna Gopal Reddy (Deep Katdare) who is having an identity crisis of sorts! He hasn´t fully accepted his heritage as an Indian and is dying to get out of his parents house, away from all things Indian! Krishna, known to his friends as Kris, finally gets a chance to get out when he is accepted to university, where he will meet new people and denounce his Indian heritage. Along with his childhood friend Eric (Eric Axen) he sets out with hopes and dreams which are soon shattered when he realizes that he will not be living with his best friend Eric, but he has been set up with other people in his faculty, three Indians.

These are not just any Indians, they are fun bunch of individuals from different backgrounds. There is Jagjit Singh (Ronobir Lahiri) who is a jovial sardar who doesn´t really want to pursue engineering, but wants to be an artist, however like a lot of parents, his father wants him to be an engineer, not an artist, because an artist will never amount to anything. Then there is Salim Ali Khan (Rizwan Manji) who idolized Rekha, watches Umraao Jaan, and believes that all NRI girls are corrupt.

And lastly we have Ajay Pandya (Kal Penn) the black talking, fun loving, ghetto boy. Kris immediately takes a dislike to all three for various reasons, but mainly because they are Indian, they have made the house small like masala and curry, and Kris thinks they do not share any common interests. Kris begins university life, avoiding his roommates whenever possible, and having fun. In the process he meets Nina Shah (Purva Bedi) who, he instantly starts liking, but she is Indian too.
Not only is she Indian, but she is a cultured Indian who despite having all the traits of an NRI speaks Hindi and drinks lassi. Nina´s childhood friend Rakesh Patel (Anil Kumar) and his two sidekicks Hemant (Sanjit DeSilva) and Chandu (Sunil Malhotra), make things more difficult for Kris because Rakesh has a crush on Nina as well and won´t let Kris get near her. And thus begins Kris´ journey to discovering his heritage and his love. To accompany him he has his three roommates who eventually become his friends and partners in crime. Together they go through a vast number of changes to discovering themselves and their destiny!

The performances in the film are excellent and true to life. The fresh cast of new talent obviously have been through similar experiences before, so it makes the performances more authentic! Deep Katdare as Kris is hilarious, he fits the character very well. His plight is the same for many NRI´s, there are so many youngsters out there like him and I´m sure audiences can relate to him. He does an excellent job and his transition from the arrogant Kris to Krishna is believable. His roommates played by Ronobir, Kal, and Rizwan are the highlights of the film.

They bring out all the laughs, and the fun. We also get to see their more personal sides. Kal Penn has a great screen presence, his comic timing is excellent, and he makes his character so believable! Ronobir Lahiri also does a great job, particularly in the scene where his father leaves his university residence in a huff upon learning of his passion for art. Rizwan Manji does a good job in portraying the naive Salim, his comic timing is excellent and the scene where he dresses up as Mumtaz leaves you begging for more!

Purva Bedi also does a good job, but in some parts she seems raw. She has a beautiful face, and a commendable screen presence, but some of her scenes could have used improvement. Still this being her first film, she does a good job. Sunita Param as Farah Saeed is very good. Her portrayal is the one that most NRI females will be able to identify with. While Salim thinks that she is the corrupt NRI girl she proves him wrong. Her acting is very realistic, and it shows that NRI girls may speak English and be more Liberal, but that does not mean that they do not know what their heritage and culture is all about. Rakesh Patel, Sanjit DeSilva and Sunil Malhotra add the villainous angle to the film, but they are not out and out villains, their portrayal may be exaggerated but it was done for a purpose and they are competent in their roles. Sanjit and Sunil´s comedy track however wasn´t rib tickling. Still all three do a good job! Ami Shukla as the Indian Club president is hilarious and very realistic. For any NRI´s who watch the film ,they will know what I mean. She is the epitome of the Indian club presidents at our school´s here in North America! Finally Aladdin as the T.A. Gautam Rao is a scene stealer, he is simply fabulous. His comic timing in the film is the best, and his drunken scene is hilarious!

The film is almost flawless in terms of script which was written by the director Piyush Dinker Pandya. It takes up so many social issues in such a short span and addresses the plight faced by many of NRI´s out there effectively. Piyush has done an awesome job in directing the film. It is entertaining and fun, but it is nothing breakthrough. The film has done well in Canada, UK and USA, and it is a landmark film in bringing up issues, but it isn´t something audience members would be able to watch more than four times. Still his work in this film will be much appreciated because he is talented. The scenarios he has written are hilarious. For example, the boys making the romantic dinner for Nina, Gautam getting drunk, Salim hiding from Farah´s parents, Eric making money at the Navratri festival, the rubber scene in the classroom, and Kris leaving home in the beginning are just few of the most entertaining parts of the film.
The only flaw in the direction is the profanity and adult situations which are brought up unnecessarily. What was the need for that scene with Laura Lockwood at the party. It did serve a purpose, but it didn´t need to be shown in such detail. But all things said and done Piyush deserves a pat on the back. He shows the audiences that all Indians do not need to be doctors, engineers and lawyers. He also shows us that while some NRI´s may not accept their heritage, most of them are well versed in their culture and that Indian directors have the wrong idea. Subhash Ghai and Rishi Kapoor should take note, instead of making ignorant films like Pardes, Taal, and Aa Ab Laut Chalein.

Art Direction by Len X Clayton is very good, particularly in the Navratri Scene where he turned the school gym into such a festive and beautiful environment. Renato Falco´s photography is done well keeping the mood of the film in tact. Editor, Robert Tate has done a very good job keeping the film at a good pace and making it just the right length in time. Cindy List does a good job with makeup and hair, keeping the casts look simple, and very true to life. Music is not original, it wasn´t intended to be. Wig and Brian Davis have arranged and excellent soundtrack which is the perfect mix of Eastern and Western Influences. They have taken the sounds of David Bowie and other famous Western Artists and woven the songs in to fit the story. The sounds of Penn Masala will finally be noticed in this film. They are a popular underground accapella band and their two most famous renditions, Mere Sapno Ki Rani and Aap Jaisa Koi have been used in the film and it is truly amazing what they can do with their vocals. Most of the tunes were borrowed from Punjabi MC´s album Legalized which released a few years back and they all fit into the film well. Choreography by Samita Patel who also makes an appearance in the film as Kris´ mom is simple, yet done well.

Overall American Desi is a near perfect film. Finally any NRI who is tired of being projected as a tyrant in Hindi films can watch a film which is realistic in every way. Performances are excellent, the good looking young, cast has done an overwhelming job with their roles in the film and make us proud to be NRI´s. Music is also good and the effect really pays off. Piyush Pandya deserves a standing ovation for his excellent film which addresses so many important issues, while making us laugh hard. Deep down inside we still see that Hindi film convention of boy meets girl and fights the villain to save the girl, but it is done in a shorter time span. This film is excellent and not to be missed by anyone! GO SEE IT!

Indion.com Review

A fusion between Hollywood and Bollywood is the best way to describe American Desi.

Krishnagopal Reddy (Deep Katdare) or Kris as he likes to be called is a typical all American boy who lives life according to the American dream forgetting he is an Asian. So when he leaves home and goes to University he thinks he can lead the life he has always wanted. Only when he arrives on campus he is housed in the Asian quarters and shares a home with Jagjit, Salim and Ajay. Kris thinks his worst nightmare is about to begin because all his roommates are far from American. Jagjit dreams of being an artist, Salim’s ambition is to marry a girl from India who can cook rice and Ajay thinks he is an Afro centric Hindu rapper.

When Kris sees Nina Shah (Purva Bedi) he thinks he has found his all American dream girl that is till she calls him an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi). Meanwhile Salim meets Farah and thinks she too western till he sees her at the Mosque on Eid day. Will Jagit be able express his art in an engineering class and what will he do if his father finds out? Will Ajay change the world and unite all African Caribbean and Asian people. How do these four very different Desi’s help each other achieve their dreams?

American Desi is very cleverly directed as it has all the Hollywood elements but the way Piyush has married the Bollywood concept of music, bad guy and parent’s wishes is hilarious. It is evident that a lot of research has gone into the film because the confusion Kris faces is not different to what British Asians face. The direction is flawless and the acting of all the characters is excellent. All the different issue were handled convincingly and took me to my university days. I only had one withdrawal symptom it wasn’t long enough! Well the desi in me has to come through.

BBC Asian Life review

American Desi introduces us to the world in which the new generation of Indian - Americans live. A world that is familiar to anyone who is born in one country but whose origins lie elsewhere. A world full of the richness of culture and community yet also marked with confusion and conflict.

Enter Krishnagopal Reddy (Deep Katdare), Kris to his friends, who cannot wait to leave the traditions and ritual of his parent’s home so that he can live on his university campus as the all- American boy he thinks he is. Or rather wants to be. As far away from anything Indian as he can get. He does not speak the language, watch Bollywood or more importantly, even want to. His dreams lie in baseball and blonde girls. Unfortunately, the roommates he is assigned to include a Sikh, who studies engineering because he is afraid to tell his father he wants to be an artist, a conservative Muslim, who believes that only girls born in India are pure and a Hindu boy who thinks he is an Afro centric rapper. This is certainly not the America that Kris was looking for.

To complicate it further he falls in love with Nina (Purva Bedi) who loves all things Indian and is horrified when he doesn’t. A slap and the label of ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) make Kris wonder about his identity, his family ties and the intricacies of friendship. And away goes this desi on a path of self discovery.

The director could have made this a preachy yarn and waxed lyrical about the homeland but thankfully for us he delivers a fun, fresh perspective that cleverly marries the Bollywood concepts of music, dance, bad guy, hero and pretty girl with the plot of his film. The dilemmas are universal, the direction is excellent and the characters believable. This is a film that all will warm too despite some silly situations and an all too happy ending. Flawless it is not, genuinely funny and touchingly romantic it is and how many films running currently can boast that?

Clickwalla.com Review

American Desi is out now in the UK with critics comparing what life is like for US and UK Asians. Is there much of a difference? We find out...

YOU may not have heard of American Desi but the recently released romantic comedy has already secured box office success in the US.

Written and directed by Piyush Dinker Pandya (a young Indian-American who wanted to show the common experiences of Indian–American students on todays multicultural college campuses), the film hit the headlines earlier this year when it ranked in the Top 25 movies in Variety’s national box-office in the US.

Taking over a million dollars within weeks of its release, American Desi garnered great reviews and financial success despite only being screened in 40 cinemas across the US and Canada, and competing alongside big budget films like Enemy At the Gates and The Mexican.

Recently, the groundbreaking movie picked up 3 nominations, including Best Independent Feature Film for the Eighth Annual Ammy Awards, hosted by A Magazine, the leading Asian publication in America.

The awards ceremony, which takes place in Los Angeles in November 2001, will see the film pitted against the might of Oscar-winning Chinese blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Tiger, and its leading actors nominated as Best Actor and Actress alongside stars Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat, Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeoh.

Focusing on the culture clash faced by young Asians trying to hold onto their Indian roots, whilst being brought up in the west, the film takes a look at the trials and tribulations experienced in achieving east-west harmony.

American Desi centres on Krishna Reddy (or ‘Kris’ as he prefers), a college freshman struggling to escape his Indian roots. Played by actor Deep Katadare (also the films executive producer), Kris leaves for university only to find the overwhelming Indian culture he thought he left behind following him to college.

Fate deals a cruel blow when he learns his college roommates are Jagjit Singh, a loudmouth Punjabi, Ajay Pandya, an afrocentric Hindu homeboy and Salim Khan, an old-fashioned Muslim guy who believes all westernised Indian girls are corrupt. However, an encounter with beautiful student Nina Shah (Purva Bedi) leaves Kris trying to win her over - and getting even more confused about his identity in the process.

With its funky soundtrack, sharp one-liners and instant classic scenes, American Desi highlights a variety of experiences most Asian students can identify with.

A fresh and energetic film, American Desi is a teen flick that will appeal especially to a 16-35 Asian audience, who want a light-hearted laugh and something they can relate to. The fact American Desi is filmed entirely in English with an Americanised style of humour that Europeans are used to, lends it crossover appeal for mainstream audiences too.

At a recent film screening of American Desi in London, Gitesh Pandya, producer of American Desi, said he hoped the film would achieve the same success in the UK as it did in North America, bringing in both Asian and non-Asian cinema goers. With a UK release pencilled in for Autumn 2001, Eros Entertainment the films international distributors will ensure American Desi hits a cinema screen near you.

Apna Planet Review

There is no way for me to objectively review American Desi, so I thought I‘d just write about my relationship to the production, and hope that I convince at least a couple of you to go check it out in a cinema near you.

First off, I am friends with the writer/director Piyush Dinker Pandya, which is how I got involved in the project to begin with. For me it all started back in the spring of 1998, during my second year of law school. Everyone else I knew was doing the smart thing, which was to get a law job for the summer. I got lucky (depending on if you talk to me or my parents) because it was around that time that Piyush sent me the script for American Desi (originally called American Born Confused Desi or ABCD). I had gone to college with his brother Gitesh (who is a Producer on the movie) and Piyush knew I was a big movie fan and had done some work on films in New York a few years earlier. He told me that he and a friend of his named Deep Katdare (Executive Producer and star of the movie, and another person I knew through Gitesh), were putting together this project, and he asked if I wanted to join. I read the script and realized that it was basically the story of my life and I immediately said I‘d love to help out. So in the summer of 1998 I moved into Piyush‘s apartment and started work.

That summer was spent re-working the script, putting together a budget, trying to lock down locations, and getting investors. Sometimes it felt as if we really weren‘t getting anywhere. The original plan was to start pre-production in the Spring, and start shooting in the Autumn. Little did we know that filming wouldn‘t actually start for another full year. Sadly at the end of the Summer, I had to head back to law school and got removed from the loop. I didn‘t have any connection with the project except a few random emails every so often.

Filming eventually started in July of 1999. I came on board later that summer. By the time I was involved, everyone had gotten to know each other pretty well and all the jobs were taken so I basically just helped out wherever I could. The best part was that I could sit on set and watch everything that went on. I learned so much about filmmaking just by watching what other people were doing. We had a small crew since we were on a tight budget, so there was a small amount of people doing a lot of work. Working 18 hour days wasn‘t anything special, it was just the norm. One night I remember filming from the middle of the afternoon until almost 6AM. I had time to drive back to CT, pick up my grandparents, drive them to the airport in NJ, head back to set and still be around for eight hours worth of filming. Although it was tiring, I don‘t think any one of us would have missed it because of the experience we all gained.

Filming ended in September of 1999. The movie is just being released now so you can see how long the whole process takes. Eighteen months to edit the film, edit sound, clear rights, re-shoot, loop dialogue, and do all sorts of other things to get this film ready for release. I knew for Deep, Gitesh and Piyush, March 16th was going to be a day of great relief. These guys put their heart and soul into this movie, and I applaud them for it. But it‘s not like the work is over. There is still the idea of putting it into more cinemas afterwards. International release. Maybe even a soundtrack album. And then, maybe even start working on the next film, in which I hope to have a much larger role.

So there is a brief history on American Desi. Oh wait, what is the movie about? I‘ll try and tell you in my own words. The movie is about someone a lot like me, an ABCD. An ABCD, to the best of my limited knowledge, is someone born in America to Indian parents. Someone who grows up as an American and doesn‘t care, or care to learn about his/her heritage. Krishnagopal Reddy (Deep Katdare) is an ABCD.

Deep Katdare as Kris Reddy

After years of living at home, having to go to Indian festivals, doing strange religious ceremonies, Kris is leaving for college, and a chance to live a normal, American life. But when he gets to college, he finds he‘s been placed with three Indian roommates. Jagjit (Ronobir Lahiri), Salim (Rizwan Manji) and Ajay (Kal Penn), all three representing three different aspects of Indian culture. Jagjit is a Sikh who wants to be an artist but his domineering father wants him to go into engineering. Salim is a Muslim who believes that all Indian women raised in America become corrupt. He‘s all set to get a degree then have his parents arrange his marriage, until he meets Farah (Sunita Param). Ajay is a Hindu homeboy.

Kris at first can‘t stand his roommates but when he falls for the beautiful Nina (Purva Bedi), he bonds with his roommates in order to try and win her over. At the same time, Kris is going to have to go head to head for Nina‘s affection against the slimy Rakesh (Anil Kumar). But in order to win Nina‘s heart, Kris is going to have to do the one thing he has resisted all his life: learn about his culture.

Purva Bedi as Nina Shah

American Desi is a very funny movie with a great soundtrack and some wonderful new actors. And I‘m not just saying that. Head over to the official website at AmericanDesiMovie.com and see for yourself. The website has reviews, exclusive behind the scenes pictures, a screensaver and much more. And when you go see it, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Related Links

http://www.americandesimovie.com/