[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Meet the Patels

  • 2014
  • PG
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
Ravi Patel in Meet the Patels (2014)
MEET THE PATELS is a laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams - and his parents.
Play trailer2:31
6 Videos
11 Photos
AnimationComedyDocumentaryRomance

An Indian-American man who is about to turn 30 gets help from his parents and extended family to start looking for a wife in the traditional Indian way.An Indian-American man who is about to turn 30 gets help from his parents and extended family to start looking for a wife in the traditional Indian way.An Indian-American man who is about to turn 30 gets help from his parents and extended family to start looking for a wife in the traditional Indian way.

  • Directors
    • Geeta Vasant Patel
    • Ravi Patel
  • Writers
    • Matthew Hamachek
    • Billy McMillin
    • Geeta Vasant Patel
  • Stars
    • Ravi Patel
    • Geeta Vasant Patel
    • Champa V. Patel
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    3.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Geeta Vasant Patel
      • Ravi Patel
    • Writers
      • Matthew Hamachek
      • Billy McMillin
      • Geeta Vasant Patel
    • Stars
      • Ravi Patel
      • Geeta Vasant Patel
      • Champa V. Patel
    • 27User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos6

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    Trailer
    Parents Set Up Ravi At Wedding
    Clip 1:31
    Parents Set Up Ravi At Wedding
    Parents Set Up Ravi At Wedding
    Clip 1:31
    Parents Set Up Ravi At Wedding
    Getting Ready For The Convention
    Clip 0:54
    Getting Ready For The Convention
    Clip
    Clip 0:55
    Clip
    Meet The Patels: Speed Dating At The Convention
    Clip 0:55
    Meet The Patels: Speed Dating At The Convention
    Meet The Patels: Parents Set Up Ravi At A Wedding
    Clip 1:31
    Meet The Patels: Parents Set Up Ravi At A Wedding

    Photos10

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 5
    View Poster

    Top cast79

    Edit
    Ravi Patel
    Ravi Patel
    • Self
    • (as Ravi V. Patel)
    Geeta Vasant Patel
    Geeta Vasant Patel
    • Self
    • (as Geeta V. Patel)
    Champa V. Patel
    • Self
    Vasant K. Patel
    • Self
    Audrey Wauchope
    Audrey Wauchope
    • Self
    • (as Audrey Alison Wauchope)
    Chandar Abboy
    • Self
    Chirag Patel
    Chirag Patel
    • Self
    Renita Abboy
    • Self
    Rali Amin
    • Self
    Sunkrish Bala
    Sunkrish Bala
    • Self
    Ankur Desai
    • Self
    Chirag Desai
    • Self
    Amisha Desai
    • Self
    Paresh Desai
    • Self
    Jyotsna Desai
    • Self
    Shivani Fatania
    • Self
    Josh Greenbaum
    Josh Greenbaum
    • Self
    Julianna Guill
    Julianna Guill
    • Self
    • Directors
      • Geeta Vasant Patel
      • Ravi Patel
    • Writers
      • Matthew Hamachek
      • Billy McMillin
      • Geeta Vasant Patel
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    7.13.6K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7subxerogravity

    Nice family oriented romantic comedy!!

    It's a documentary, but at the same time the narrative does not act as one.

    Ravi is feeling the pressure of being a about to turn 30 year old Indian-American man, who as far as his parents are concern has never even been on a date, cause he hid his 2 year relationship with a white American girl from them. After Ravi breaks up with her he attempts to give Indian culture style dating a try to please the very large family that thinks he should be married with kids by now.

    It's a hysterical look at how cultures differ, but at the core stay the same, as Ravi deals with parents who feel that his happiness would be with the perfect Indian wife, his struggle with being both culturally Indian and American, and his annoying older sister, Geeta who thought it would be a good idea to document his turmoil.

    It is one of the best comedies I have seen. Through her brother, Geeta attempts to document how Indian dating culture is different from American culture, Yet what she accomplished was creating a narrative that's relatable down to the core.

    It'a a fun comedy, every minute was enjoyable, it was funny throughout.
    10steven-leibson

    Meet the Patels: Love, Life, Marriage Indian Style in America—a Documentary Comedy

    Ravi Patel—LA-based actor and director—is in crisis. He's nearly 30 years old and not married. His parents, who emigrated from India when they were young, make it clear to him that his first priority in his present life is to get married and preferably to another Patel. This starts the first of many in-movie explanations to help those of us who aren't from India understand that country's marriage customs. Nearly everyone from a certain part of India is named Patel and they're all related but they're now far removed. (Sort of like the "Smiths.") It's a super-enormous extended family with platinum-level familial rights that Patels around the world well understand.

    Ravi's problem is that he's not sure he wants to marry a Patel from India. He was born and grew up in the US and he has different expectations. Yet his upbringing and culture call to him. Part of him wants to be traditional. Part of him does not. He's stuck in the middle and the parents are impatient. Very impatient.

    This film documents a real year in Ravi Patel's life and follows him as he seeks a marriage partner in the traditional Indian way, modified by American cultural tones. His parents work very hard to find him a mate using the international Patel underground, which includes the extended Patel family of aunts, uncles, and cousins; biographies of available mates not necessarily written by the candidates themselves; and an annual Patel Matrimonial Convention created to help young Patels meet as many marriage candidates as possible in the shortest possible time. Ravi even flies cross country tracking down possible mates.

    Although it's a documentary, this is a truly funny movie with a lot of heart. The parents want what they think is best for Ravi and Ravi wants to please his parents and fit in with the extended Patel family. There are many funny scenes as this year-long quest unfolds and there are humor-laden extenuating circumstances as well. Two of these:

    1. Ravi's older sister Geeta is the cinematographer and she happens to live with Ravi in LA. She's not married either.

    2. Ravi has a girlfriend of two years that he's broken up with just before the movie starts. She's a pale redhead and the parents do not know about her.

    Do not get the idea that this movie is strictly for people whose heritage traces to India. Every young adult in America is having trouble finding a mate, Internet or no Internet. These situations and the humor transcend any one culture. This is a truly heartwarming film for anyone looking to find someone to go through life with. It is well worth seeing. It opens in three cities on September 11 and then more widely a week later.

    We saw this movie through the San Jose Camera Cinema Club, which will be starting its 20th season this fall.
    7p_vishal

    It was good doesn't apply to Canadians

    Toronto has the highest ratio of Indian people compared to any other North American city.. Literally more indians then caucasians...This is probably why this movie doesn't apply to me... It's really nothing like the movie depicts here..

    Parents are not that strict here. I was totally able to bring girls over or have them call me.. And I was no exception every other gujarati person was able to.. This was a little odd to me that every one in the movie said the same thing.. American vs Canadian Gujarati are totally different. Big time.

    However it was enjoyable definitely funny! Worth the watch especially if you are from Gujarat especially a Patel!
    7ferguson-6

    Funny and insightful look at cultural differences

    Greetings again from the darkness. These days the topic of racism is usually only addressed in the form of hatred and closed mindedness. This documentary/comedy looks at how racism within a culture is sometimes not only acceptable, but even encouraged as a tradition … and somehow it makes some sense.

    You might recognize Ravi Patel. He is an actor from Transformers and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", and here his real life search for a wife is the focus – as is the cultural contrasts between his roots in India and his single life in the United States. Ravi co-directs with his sister Geeta Patel, though Ravi is predominantly on screen while Geeta spend her time operating the camera … while simultaneously jabbing and prodding her 29 year old brother with questions on his dating approach.

    The movie picks up when Ravi has recently split with his long time girlfriend, Audrey Wauchope. Despite being very close with his parents, there is one reason Ravi never informed them of the relationship: Audrey is a white girl, not an Indian. Ravi's parents are the product of an arranged marriage, the long-standing cultural tradition that not only matches male and female Indians, but takes it a step further by only pairing up Patels with roots in the same small geographic area of India. It's a form of selective mating that dates back many generations.

    Things get interesting and the laughs pick up as Ravi agrees to let his parents work the Indian dating network so that he can test out their traditions – in hopes of finding a match as well-suited as what theirs is. This process begins with "biodata"; a type of personal resume submitted by boys and girls – a precursor to the meet-up.

    It really plays like a home movie, or a video journal, as Geeta films Ravi on dates and directly after, as he provides feedback on whether it was a good match. There is also a creative use of black & white animation to fill in the interview gaps where only Ravi's audio is available.

    The family quest to find a mate for Ravi provides some interesting and entertaining insight into the culture, but the best parts of the film come courtesy of the parents. The mother and father are exceptionally intelligent and very loving and engaged in supporting the success of their kids. Whenever the film drags a bit, a scene with either parent picks us right back up. It's their commitment to the cause that highlights the cultural customs and challenges faced by immigrants as they struggle to get in step with American society while holding onto the tradition they so respect.
    7paul-allaer

    Light-hearted look at the Indian-American community dating scene

    "Meet the Patels" (2014 release; 88 min.) brings the story of Ravi Patel (TV actor best known for his work in Past Lives , and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and his quest for the perfect mate. As the movie opens, we see an animated sequence in which Ravi is telling us what's been going on. We then go back 2 years, when he and his parents and sister go on a family vacation to India. And that it is a "family" vacation becomes all too clear as it turns out in his dad's home village of Gujarat, most people are names Patel. Eventually Ravi decides to try the matchmaking skills of his parents (who themselves married in an arranged wedding). Will Ravi find his perfect mate? To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

    Couple of comments: this movie is a labor of love for Ravi and his sister Geeta Patel, who co-directed. With little or no budget, they film the dating adventures or Ravi for over 2 years. And where the camera failed to capture an important moment it is filled in by a surprisingly charming animation. Did I tell you that the Patel parents are in the movie? "Almost 30, never married: Code Red!" is how Ravi describes himself. His dad came to the US in 1967, and obviously has done very well for himself. He is also a doting dad, always ready, willing and able to give advice to his kids, whether they want it or not. There are plenty of hilarious scenes in the first half of the movie, to the obvious enjoyment of the theater audience. The second half of the movie is not so much laugh-out-loud funny, but more a reflection on the importance of family. Please note: you do NOT have to be Indian or Indian-American to enjoy this movie (I am not). There is a surprising amount of great music placement throughout the film, including MIA, Hot Chocolate, Soup Purpose, and many others. This movie was first released at the 2014 Los Angeles Film festival. No idea why this has been sitting on the shelves for over a year before finally getting released in theaters...

    "Meet the Patels" opened this weekend out of the blue at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati without any pre-release advertising or hype. I love a good documentary, and so I checked it out. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended much better than I had anticipated, and I should point out that there were quite a few from the Indian community here in Cincinnati. This is a light-hearted documentary that flew by in no time. If you like documentaries or a glimpse at the dating scene in the Indian-American community, you cannot go wrong with this. "Meet the Patels" is worth checking out!

    More like this

    Mission Paradis
    7.1
    Mission Paradis
    Petit Dieter doit voler
    8.0
    Petit Dieter doit voler
    Meet the Patels
    Animal Control
    6.8
    Animal Control
    Hasta la vista
    7.3
    Hasta la vista
    Project Kashmir
    7.3
    Project Kashmir
    The Big Sick
    7.5
    The Big Sick
    Lucky Grandma
    6.3
    Lucky Grandma
    Tuer un Tigre
    7.6
    Tuer un Tigre
    Master of None
    8.2
    Master of None
    Other People
    6.8
    Other People
    Lanterns
    Lanterns

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The characters are acted by the actual people in the real life story.
    • Connections
      Remade as Meet the Patels
    • Soundtracks
      Mera Joota Hai Japai
      Written by Shailendra and Shankar Jaikishan

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ17

    • How long is Meet the Patels?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 11, 2015 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Gujarati
    • Also known as
      • Знайомтесь: сімейство Пател
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Four in a Billion Pictures
      • Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)
      • Chicken And Egg Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,700,681
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $72,180
      • Sep 13, 2015
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,700,681
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Ravi Patel in Meet the Patels (2014)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Meet the Patels (2014) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.