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!