Monsoon Wedding (2002)

95% of critics liked it
(118 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(26,542 ratings)

Following up on her controversial erotic drama Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Mira Nair directs this charming family drama about a very chaotic Indian wedding. Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) is a wealthy father who is trying to see that his daughter Aditi's wedding goes off without a hitch. Though… More Following up on her controversial erotic drama Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Mira Nair directs this charming family drama about a very chaotic Indian wedding. Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) is a wealthy father who is trying to see that his daughter Aditi's wedding goes off without a hitch. Though familiar with Western ways, he has little patience with them and is dead set on seeing the nuptials done properly and traditionally. Disillusioned with her long time relationship with Vikram -- a man who is almost twice her age -- Aditi (Vasundhara Das) suddenly agrees to submit to an arranged marriage with Hemant, an engineer from Houston. Yet as the ceremony nears, she gets cold feet and returns to see her former lover -- even though it could spell disaster for everyone involved. Meanwhile, Aditi's comely 17-year-old cousin Ayesha is coming to terms with her blossoming sexuality and has her sights set on Rahul, another relative who is a college student in Australia. Then there is Rai -- also Aditi's cousin -- who has a shocking revelation to make. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto and Venice Film Festivals. At Venice, Monsoon Wedding won the prestigious Golden Lion award. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Mira Nair
Written By: Sabrina Dhawan
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 22, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Sep 24, 2002
Studio: USA Films

Critic Reviews

Joshua Rothkopf, Chicago Reader
A late radical shift in tone, from jittery exuberance to ruinous alienation, strikes an impressive contemporary note amid all the obeisance to custom.
David Ansen, Newsweek
Nair's stereotype-shattering movie -- like the polymorphous culture it illuminates -- borrows from Bollywood, Hollywood and cinema verite, and comes up with something exuberantly its own.
Deborah Young, Variety
Splashy, noisy and downright fun.
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
A feel-good picture in the best sense of the term.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
A movie to fall in love by and with, a wedding to unite both the two film families and the dazzled multicultural movie audiences who watch them.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A My Best Punjabi's Wedding full of the emotions, melodrama, singing and shouting that make weddings so funny, no matter what the culture.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Not content to merely direct traffic of intersecting characters, Mira Nair never lets the scurrying ensemble lag or their stories flag. "Monsoon Wedding" is one of the most culturally savory, joyously exotic comedies since "Strictly Ballroom."
Philip French, Observer [UK]
Much of the movie's incidental fun comes from acute little observations and clever set-pieces.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
... among the most universal of films
Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
Criterion's edition of Monsoon Wedding is a comprehensive and beautiful presentation of a key work in Mira Nair's career.
Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
A big, galloping party movie in which the party in question is a clear metaphor for the world.
Teresa Talerico, Common Sense Media
Poignant Indian tale of family, love, and culture.
Emma Cochrane, Empire Magazine
An optimistic and luscious film.
, Time Out
The impression of cosmopolitan modern India, of diaspora lives thrown into collision and collusion, is engaging in itself, but the emotional optimism here is the most heartening aspect of this vivacious film.
Michael Dequina, Film Threat
Strongly infused with an unmistakably exotic Bollywood flair while addressing themes and concerns that are universal-namely, the bonds of family and, most importantly, love.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um filme alegre, colorido e fascinante.
Josh Gilchrist, Billings Outpost (Montana)
The romantic comedy even goes into somber territory, but it never loses its grasp of tone or its undenying beauty.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Es una de esas películas de las que uno sale reconfortado, agradecido, genuinamente sorprendido.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
The best day out you'll have this year.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
It's not just a touching, funny, multi-layered drama; it's an exuberant love poem to a city and a culture in transition.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

A slow-burn that by the end, has you completely enraptured - it's unfortunate that this film doesn't seem to be seen as more than a love story, there's really a lot going on here. The way the film gets past arranged marriage and works its way into love is simplistic but… More
A slow-burn that by the end, has you completely enraptured - it's unfortunate that this film doesn't seem to be seen as more than a love story, there's really a lot going on here. The way the film gets past arranged marriage and works its way into love is simplistic but beautiful, and the low-class love story is also incredibly charming, but perhaps most importantly, this film may have cast the mold for the "Family Secret Revealed In Stress Of Wedding Movie." The subplot with the eldest cousin and the uncle might be the strongest aspect of the film, and it adds a crushing reality to the supposed beauty of a wedding. If you liked Rachel Getting Married or Margot at the Wedding, look back to this film: it broke the ground, and more than that, it will take you away to India for an hour or two. Good for a lot of reasons.
Nicki M

Good story set in India about a large family and their daughter who is to have an arranged marriage. This is one of the more positive stories of that scenario - not what you normally see, where someone is being forced to marry and is unhappy. There is still plenty of trauma here, so… More
Good story set in India about a large family and their daughter who is to have an arranged marriage. This is one of the more positive stories of that scenario - not what you normally see, where someone is being forced to marry and is unhappy. There is still plenty of trauma here, so don't let that put you off - it is not a normal romantic wedding movie, although there is some romance in it. I found this one very hard to put in a box as it is quite unique. Beautiful to look at also, I loved all the beautiful orange flowers that seemed to run a theme through this. It also shows a lot of India. It is a little hard to get into at first, but it is worth it, and the Bollywood style singing is at a minimum, so actually quite enjoyable when it does happen. Give it a go!
Jennifer X

Fabulous in the sense that it paints a wonderful palette of dynamics in an Indian family. It's not too culture-centric so the mainstream can appreciate it too, the conflict is serious but not too heavy, and you can feel the love just seeping throughout each crack. "Rachel… More
Fabulous in the sense that it paints a wonderful palette of dynamics in an Indian family. It's not too culture-centric so the mainstream can appreciate it too, the conflict is serious but not too heavy, and you can feel the love just seeping throughout each crack. "Rachel Getting Married" without the psychosis. I kinda wish there were songs though. Just because it's Indian.
Lanning :

Given how long I've heard folks talk about this one, I can't quite understand why I've never seen it, but I'm very thankful I finally did. Beautiful! Multiple love stories that all work well together. A great look at one culture's approach to the whole… More
Given how long I've heard folks talk about this one, I can't quite understand why I've never seen it, but I'm very thankful I finally did. Beautiful! Multiple love stories that all work well together. A great look at one culture's approach to the whole wedding ceremony. I'm now definitely in love with Tillotama Shome : ) Alice, you knock me out. <p>The only thing that's a half-star jarring for me, is the child predator angle. I mean, I think the film works without that. This is a must-see.
Keysha H

Beautifully filmed story of wedding preperations amongst an Indian family. Definately watch it..have some marigolds with it and enjoy.
Nicolas K

Colourful and intimate. If you are in to romantic comedies, watch it.
Juli R

This is a different kind of film. It shows a contemporary side of India that is irresistible. You will feel as if you know the characters portrayed, even if they live half a world away.
Daisy M

I was skeptical at first about seeing this movie. I'm not into Bollywood movies at all. But this one really captivated me and it was a truly mix of musical, social comment and romantic movie-making at its best. I was not familiar with Mira Nair's work at all, but after… More
I was skeptical at first about seeing this movie. I'm not into Bollywood movies at all. But this one really captivated me and it was a truly mix of musical, social comment and romantic movie-making at its best. I was not familiar with Mira Nair's work at all, but after having seen how she delicately handles some real life topic in her movie, such as child-abuse, pre-arranged-marital-infidelity, gay Indian boy, real kissing scenes, I was perplex, you don't see this in other Indians movies so easily. This was a totally feel good movie with the right amount of drama, mixed with comedy and romance. I think it's a great family film.
Sunil J

What a pretty movie about romance and getting married.
Leo L

A movie definitely for keeps!