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AMERICAN DESI Send This Review to a Friend
Campus capers, Indian style, puts an ethnic stamp on the sort of college humor that has propelled many a youth comedy. The twist here is that Krishna Reddy, played by Deep Katdare, is off to a university, where he hopes he can escape the cultural heritage of India, which has been so dominant in the lives of his parents. At last, he hopes, he'll be able to assimilate in a campus environment that will enable him to become as American as apple pie.
Krishna is in for a surprise. Presto, he finds himself with roommates who not only share his heritage but are proud of it. As written and directed by Piyush Dinker Pandya, making his feature film debut, the story revolves around Krishna discovering that he can actually enjoy who he really is, culture and all, as his campus odyssey and romance--of course there has to be romance--inspire him to do.
Naturally, it isn't a smooth trip. Pretty Nina Shah, portrayed by Purva Bedi, finds Krishna's attitude insulting toward Indian women and although attracted to him, she resents the disdain he holds for his culture. She is his motivation to change.
Most of what occurs is a blend of the customary campus foolishness, with its requisite oddball characters and crazy situations, and the result is a mixed bag with a high degree of silliness along with some well-earned laughs. All of that is blended with the charm of ethnicity, including dance, music and an introduction to customs. The film is unusual in giving us a look at a culture not often explored with respect to roots in the lives of this American ethnic group. The filmmaker, who studied computer science at Rutgers and cinema at New York University, obviously has a feeling for the milieu he is dramatizing, and his affectionate perceptions make the film interesting despite its lightweight genre. An Eros Entertainment release.
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