CAST: Sophie Ali, Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta, Rish Shah, Ved Sapru
DIRECTED BY: Geeta Malik
IN THEATERS
BLUF:
When Alia comes home to New Jersey for the summer from UCLA, California, she knew what she was walking into. Ruby Hill aunties.
The Indian American community is extremely well caricatured in this rom-comdrama by Geeta Malik, who has written and directed, India Sweets and Spices.
This could be the story of any Indian American community in America, the parties, the claws at each other under the veneer of concern, the competitiveness of schools their children made it to, and how well each of them is doing while hiding failures lest – the community talks about it. Lives are woven around community approval and how nothing else matters.
THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES
Indian community lives to gossip about each other, they love to brag, they love to keep up with their neighbors and yes, they are very concerned about “Log Kya Kahengey” ( what will people say) even when they are thousands of miles away from the log( people).
Alia comes home and meets Varun at the Indian grocery this movie is named after. She takes a fancy to him and asks him and his family to dinner at her home. Varun is the son of the grocery owners and Alia is a rich, trust-fund kid with nothing to worry about. At dinner, Varun’s family is insulted and demeaned by Alia’s family and their friends.
She soon uncovers that there is a connection between Varun’s mum Bhairavi and her mother, Sheela but not before she discovers something amiss in her own parent’s Ranjeet ( Adil Hussain) and Sheela ( Manisha Koirala’s ) picture-perfect marriage.
IN THE KNOW
It was great to see Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain together. Deepti Gupta is restrained and compelling in her role as Bhairavi. Sophia Ali is a natural. Rish Shah has a limited yet impactful role. Ved Sapru make an impression. The comfort of the younger cast in front of the camera complimented the fluency of the senior actors.
There were parts of the movie so well developed that the audience identified with them immediately. The theater would start giggling and squealing with laughter at scenes they identified with. The uncles and aunties arriving for the party, the mandatory wardrobes at these events, the braggadocious behavior, the linking of people, the gossip, and the comparison culture – all raw, all real. So desi.
Some characters, however, did not come fluid. There was the rhythmicity of performance within some characters that other artists were not able to carry.
The cinematography, use of shadows, and pallets add a dimension to the story as trays of samosas, Parle G biscuits and paneer tikkas circulate the frame.
You know those aunties and you know them well.
The process by which Sheela unaunties herself is a fast process. We felt that it should have been given more footage as the trigger to the unbecoming did not come across as dramatic as it should have been. Bollywood is in the desi blood. That scene when the room almost unanimously surrendered to Bollywood tunes was hilarious and we know that is a reality at the parties.
WHAT WE LOVED:
The honesty of the story
The lead actors
The Bg score
WHAT WE MISSED
More drama
