Mango Souffle

Mango Soufflé. Based on the play "On a Muggy Night in Mumbai". stars Ankur Vikal. weaving of the LGBT story with the arranged marriage story, at least the first half of the film. Some cute lines in here, and i really liked the circle of friends that gets back together. but they needed to fine tune the script a bit, and SO many long pauses. it kind of slows the story down a little. It's India, so mom and dad have arranged the marriage, but the groom's (Ed, played by Atul Kulkarni) secret will come out before the film is over. The LGBT group is fun, funny, and barely functional, but of course that will clash with the family's plan. If you have the patience, the second half picks up a bit, but as my grandmother would say, "The story goes all around the mulberry bush." Written and directed by Mahesh Dattani; his first film project. Pretty good once it gets going. takes a while to get into the swing. Currently playing on FilmRise channel.

Netflix listed this video and I had to try it. I absolutely loved it!

The first part of the film worried me a bit as it retraces tired steps from American flicks like "Boys in the Band." A party begins with a cast from "stereotypes 'R us." Luckily the film quickly shifts to higher gears as painful truths collide among family and friends. I don't want to tell any additional details: I hope that potential viewers give this film a well-deserved chance. Perhaps this film isn't a rarity in India – I'm clueless on this point. Yet, an Indian film dealing with both gay men and closeted men haunted by others' expectations must represent some risk-taking on the part of the cast, crew and production people. I hope this one meets with sufficient success as to leave the closet open for more of its kind.