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MEET THE PATELS Send This Review to a Friend
There are so many Patels in India and elsewhere that there can even be a Patel convention. We get to meet some of them in an often hilarious family-life documentary by an Indian-American sister and brother, Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel. The central comedy idea is the pressure on Ravi, who is 29 when we encounter him. The idea of parents insisting that a son find a mate is nothing new. But in this context, the search becomes a colorful saga during which we meet an array of dates and busybodies trying to help reach the goal.
Ravi has a secret. He has had a two-year relationship with a redhead from Connecticut (Audrey Allison Wauchope) and they seem to be made for each other, except that she is not Indian. Thus he cannot reveal the affair to his parents, let alone proceed to marry her and they have split.
Much of the fun in the film comes from the elaborate dating process Ravi undergoes in quest of an acceptable goal. There are the usual on-line opportunities, but there is also a network of Patels helping to circulate information about Ravi, and yes, that Patel convention. Add a hunt for a bride on a trip to India, resulting in more hilarity, and you get part of why this film is so entertaining.
Although Ravi makes a very good subject—he is an actor in Los Angeles, and thereby knows how to reflect the sense of trying to cooperate—some of the greatest pleasures lie in the portrait of his parents, long-married Champa and Vasant Patel, who had a traditionally arranged marriage.
Ravi’s sympathetic father has a face meant for caricature and comedy, and he is extremely and endearingly funny with his behavior and remarks. Ravi’s mother is more restrained. But in addition to their determination that Ravi find an Indian bride, they are full of wisdom based on their life experience and their apparently happy marriage despite differences they have learned to accommodate. The parents are often scene-stealers.
They also turn out to be understanding, ultimately feeling that whatever makes Ravi happy is what’s really important in life. That’s a clue to the outcome, and getting there is a barrel of laughs, but also with insights into families, traditions, culture, absurdities and how good sense can sometimes prevail. An Alchemy release. Reviewed September 9, 2015.
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