An Indian man and his white colleague go out on a date. He decides to impress her with his exoticness by taking her to a small Indian restaurant which is off the beaten track and really authentic. His game plan is totally thrown when she offers off-menu, talks in fluent Hindi, and has an ex who seems to have been the brown version of Ryan Gosling.
There is a lot to like about this unassuming comedy. First and foremost it is funny; it has plenty of lines, interactions, and narrative turns that are amusing and pleasing in the way they surprise. It does this within a flashback structure which works well, allowing a natural flow of the story, with the listeners injected into the scene itself – okay not breaking new ground, but it works well as a structural device. The third aspect is that there is a lot of smartness and observation within the film as it relates to cultural differences, and integration efforts (from both sides). I liked that the film played with the stereotypes at first, but then also pushes into nicely awkward territory – but not just in the area of race.
The awkwardness over the ex, and the way the date is going is linked to the cultural aspect, but not wholly. However at the same time there is a lot of humor (and cringe truth) in Pavan not really being that into the culture he comes from, while Chloe is overly enthusiastic about all things Indian. I enjoyed that they both tried too hard in this space, and that the date only went naturally when they both relaxed around the music. Patel's performance makes that awkwardness work, while Wyld also nails her character well – the supporting cast do well, but it is these two that make the script work as well as it does.
It feels like a small unassuming comedy, but there is a lot in here, all of which is delivered in a gentle, funny, and smart package.
