Loins of Punjab Presents (2007)

64% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(406 ratings)

A handful of Indian-Americans vie for overnight stardom in a competition for amateur singers in this mockumentary comedy. The Loins of Punjab meat company is sponsoring a televised contest in which fans of Indian pop music will be given the chance to put their talents to the test, with the grand… More A handful of Indian-Americans vie for overnight stardom in a competition for amateur singers in this mockumentary comedy. The Loins of Punjab meat company is sponsoring a televised contest in which fans of Indian pop music will be given the chance to put their talents to the test, with the grand prize winner claiming a 25,000-dollar purse. A diverse array of aspiring singing stars arrive in New Jersey for the competition; some are Indian émigrés who've made their way to America, others were born in the United States to South Asian parents, and one is a Jewish guy, Josh Cohen (Michael Raimondi), who picked up his fondness for Indian music from his girlfriend, Opama (Ayesha Dharker). Other contestants include Sania Rahman (Seema Rahmani), a would-be actress often accused of not being Indian enough by casting agents; financial advisor Vikram Tejwani (Manish Acharya), who is out of work now that his job has been outsourced to India; a militant gay rap artist who calls himself The Turbanotorious BDG (Ajay Naidu); Preeti Patel (Ishitta Sharma), a teenage girl who just wants to be noticed by her large and growing family; and Rrita Kapoor (Shabana Azmi), a wealthy and unscrupulous housewife who isn't above bribing the judges with money or sex. Loins of Punjab Presents was the first feature film from writer and director Manish Acharya, who also plays Vikram. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Manish Acharya
Written By: Manish Acharya, Anuvab Pal
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 13, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Apr 6, 2010
Studio: Horn OK Please

Critic Reviews

Reyhan Harmanci, San Francisco Chronicle
It's frightfully formulaic, with nary a twist or turn on the patented mockumentary form.
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times
An uninspired cultural comedy with a few sharp lines to recommend it.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
The cast is personable even though their characters and the story are cliched.
Nathan Lee, New York Times
Joins show-time antics to sociocultural commentary without reducing its characters, colorful as they are, to cartoons.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
The concept is witty even if many jokes fall flat or are incomprehensible to outsiders, and it's an interesting angle on the inclusive ideal pitted against ethnic authenticity.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
The most obvious model for this sweet, low-budget production is Christopher Guest's Best in Show ... except with desis instead of doggies.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
The movie maintains a nice balance between affection for its fame-seekers and sharp jokes at their expense.
Kristi Mitsuda, L.A. Weekly
The zany incomprehensibility of the title should serve as fair warning of the quirkfest to come.
S. James Wegg, JWR
... there's more than enough entertainment and self deprecation to fill theatres everywhere.
Maitland McDonagh, Time Out New York
The more you know about Bollywood clichés, desi neuroses and Indian-on-Indian stereotypes, the funnier you'll find Acharya's merciless in-jokes.