American Desi

Romantic comedy enjoyable for anyone, not just "Desi"s. Very good acting, even if the actors themselves seem older than college students. Really enjoyed the juxtaposition of cultures and the issues raised by the various predicaments the characters encountered.

I agree with the first poster that this is a good movie but don't think you need to have any particular background to enjoy it. I'm sure there were a number of inside jokes that were over my head (in a number of cases I knew while I was watching that it was something I just didn't have a reference for) but that didn't take away much from the experience for me. I enjoyed this as a romantic comedy and I thought it was a good treatment of the different ways a group of young people struggled with identity, cultural heritage, and social mores handed down from family. I thought the filmmakers did a nice job of creating a story that is accessible for all (and maybe particularly funny for those who can relate on a personal level).

As an American Indian in New York I could relate to the title character's confusion about his Indianness. At the same time I sympathised with him about the religious mumbo-jumbo thrust upon young Indians. A romantic story at heart, this movie skewers various stereotypes about the Indian community. A tremendously enjoyable film, specially if you understand the setting of an ABCD.

After having seen films like Bend It Like Beckham, Bollywood/Hollywood, American Desi seemed like familiar territory but nevertheless a very one. For those who think the film is cliched, they didn't get it. Because it is meant to give those cliches a humorous look. The humor in the film is very well done. Instead of having an offensive or critical view of anything in particular, the film takes more of a funny spin on things. There are oddities and stereotypes in every culture; the film tries to give the american and desi cultures a bit of a homage, with a chuckle of course. 8/10.

I honestly believe the intentions of this movie were honorable and it sought to appeal to those of us who are 2nd generation Indians here in the US...

I was excited to see how we'd be portrayed, whether our complexities would be outlined, the duality of our upbringing explored and highlighted, etc...

Unfortunately the plot centers around silly stereotypical caricatures instead of 3-dimensional characters. Any potential for serious, compelling drama is overshadowed by ridiculous American Pie-esquire humor mixed with culture-clash comic situations. Moreover, it wouldn't hurt to do a bit more research with the subject matter to present a realistic portrayal of Muslim cultural practices. (I've never known ANY of my Muslim friends to interrupt their prayers/namaaz for a conversation.)

Nice try though guys... You probably got a few laughs. We can't all be Mira Nair though can we?