American Desi (2001)

42% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(2,979 ratings)

A feature film debut for Indian director Piyush Dinker Pandya, American Desi centers around Krishna Reddy (Deep Katdare), who calls himself Kris to escape the traditionalism of his Indian family. Desiring to be an all-American type of guy, Kris enters college with good friend Eric (Eric Axen) and… More A feature film debut for Indian director Piyush Dinker Pandya, American Desi centers around Krishna Reddy (Deep Katdare), who calls himself Kris to escape the traditionalism of his Indian family. Desiring to be an all-American type of guy, Kris enters college with good friend Eric (Eric Axen) and begins a new world of freedom away from his protective family. As soon as he arrives on campus, he learns that he has been roomed with three Indian roommates: Jagjit (Ronobir Lahiri), a budding artist, Salim (Rizwan Manji), an old-fashioned believer in Eastern ideals, and Ajay (Kal Penn), who immerses himself in Afrocentric culture. Kris also meets a young student named Nina (Purva Bedi), with whom he falls instantly in love, but fails at first to realize that she too is Indian. An unforeseen opponent, Rakesh (Anil Kumar), threatens to separate the two, with his appreciation of the lifestyles Kris has often rejected in favor of a more American bent. Through his relationship with Nina, Kris begins to get in touch with his heritage, finding that the Western adoptions he has clung to his whole life have prevented him from discovering his true identity. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Anil Kumar, Deep Katdare
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Apr 8, 2003
Studio: Eros Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Suffers from a lack of sophistication and polish.
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post
The main flaw ... is its willingness to sacrifice the intrinsic fascination of its subject, and the charm of its talented cast on the altar of cultural correctness.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
Clubfooted but earnest, Pandya's movie never forgets about its second-gen issues, but never quite plumbs them, either.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Has some amusing moments, most involving the unwinding of the strait- laced Salim. But most of the conflicts it sets up are paper tigers.
Jonathan W. Hickman, Entertainment Insiders
Extremely funny whether or not you are an American Desi.
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
An entertaining breakthrough film that puts Indian faces on the screen.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The script is often obvious and much of the acting is amateurish.
, E! Online
At times the movie plays out like a silly sitcom, but with the realistic and witty writing lightly poking fun at tradition, Desi's cute story can't help but shine through.
Vijay Panjeti, Citysearch
Leaves you squirming more than dancing.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
even when the plot doesn't always satisfy, the movie's general demeanor and tone is humorously rewarding