American Desi
Encyclopedia
American Desi is a 2001 American film with Indian influence, notable for featuring many prominent South Asian American actors. Also featured is an a cappella version of the Hindi classic "Aap Jaisa Koi", sung by Penn Masala
and originally from the movie Qurbani
. The term Desi
in the title refers to the peoples and cultures of the Indian subcontinent
.
, Krishnagopal Reddy (or Kris, as he prefers to be called) finds out that his college roommates are all Indian. He does not associate with the Indian culture that his parents and family have pushed upon him and prefers to be as American as possible. His roommates include Ajay (Kal Penn
), an African-American idolizing desi; Jagjit, who loves art but studies engineering to please his father; and Salim, who feels Indian-American girls are too Westernized to make good wives.
Kris meets Nina, a girl he immediately falls for, and is surprised to find out that she is Indian. The movie revolves around him making mistakes and trying his best to win Nina over, from joining the Indian Students Association to be near her, to learning how to perform a Dandiya Raas to impress her. The ultimate goal of the Indian Students Association is to put together an Indian show, which they all must help with.
Kris eventually begins to enjoy the company of his roommates, all of whom put together their knowledge and skill to help Kris impress Nina through various ways involving the Indian culture.
The night of the show, the four roommates show up. There is a fight scene at the end between Nina's friend Rakesh and Kris, and Kris wins. (Rakesh wants to be Nina's boyfriend, but she considers him more like a brother since they practically grew up together — their parents are friends "since before they were born" according to Rakesh.) Jagjit's father sees what impressive statues he has made for the function and is proud of his son. Salim eventually finds a girl (Farah, who is religious and can cook) that he likes. Though Ajay doesn't get rid of his "African-American roots," it is implied that he has found a new friend in the president of the Indian Association. The Dandiya Raas and the whole Indian Association function goes off without a hitch.
Penn Masala
Penn Masala is the world's first and premier Hindi a cappella group, formed in 1996 by students at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn Masala’s music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultures that represent the group’s membership...
and originally from the movie Qurbani
Qurbani (1980 film)
Qurbani is a 1980 Indian Bollywood movie. The word "qurbani" means "sacrifice" in English. Produced and directed by Feroz Khan . The film stars Feroz Khan, Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Aruna Irani, Amrish Puri and Kadar Khan...
. The term Desi
Desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
in the title refers to the peoples and cultures of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
.
Plot
An American-raised IndianIndian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
, Krishnagopal Reddy (or Kris, as he prefers to be called) finds out that his college roommates are all Indian. He does not associate with the Indian culture that his parents and family have pushed upon him and prefers to be as American as possible. His roommates include Ajay (Kal Penn
Kal Penn
Kalpen Suresh Modi , best known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an American film and television actor, producer, and civil servant....
), an African-American idolizing desi; Jagjit, who loves art but studies engineering to please his father; and Salim, who feels Indian-American girls are too Westernized to make good wives.
Kris meets Nina, a girl he immediately falls for, and is surprised to find out that she is Indian. The movie revolves around him making mistakes and trying his best to win Nina over, from joining the Indian Students Association to be near her, to learning how to perform a Dandiya Raas to impress her. The ultimate goal of the Indian Students Association is to put together an Indian show, which they all must help with.
Kris eventually begins to enjoy the company of his roommates, all of whom put together their knowledge and skill to help Kris impress Nina through various ways involving the Indian culture.
The night of the show, the four roommates show up. There is a fight scene at the end between Nina's friend Rakesh and Kris, and Kris wins. (Rakesh wants to be Nina's boyfriend, but she considers him more like a brother since they practically grew up together — their parents are friends "since before they were born" according to Rakesh.) Jagjit's father sees what impressive statues he has made for the function and is proud of his son. Salim eventually finds a girl (Farah, who is religious and can cook) that he likes. Though Ajay doesn't get rid of his "African-American roots," it is implied that he has found a new friend in the president of the Indian Association. The Dandiya Raas and the whole Indian Association function goes off without a hitch.
Cast
- Deep KatdareDeep KatdareDeep Katdare, born in Buffalo, New York, and brought up in New York City, is an Indian American actor.He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science....
as Kris Reddy - Purva BediPurva BediPurva Bedi is an Indian American actress. Although she was born in Chandigarh, she was brought up in Belgium and the United States....
as Nina Shah - Ronobir Lahiri as Jagjit Singh
- Rizwan ManjiRizwan ManjiRizwan Manji is a Indo-Canadian actor. He is chiefly notable for his role as Rajiv in the now cancelled NBC Universal TV series Outsourced....
as Salim Ali Khan - Kal PennKal PennKalpen Suresh Modi , best known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an American film and television actor, producer, and civil servant....
as Ajay Pandya - Anil Kumar as Rakesh Patel
- Sunita Param as Farah Saeed
- Aladdin Ullah as Gautam Rao
- Eric Axen as Eric Berger
- Sanjit De Silva as Chandu
- Sunil Malhotra as Hemant
- Ami Shukla as Priya
- Krishen Mehta as Mr. Reddy (Kris's father)
- Smita Patel as Mrs. Reddy (Kris's mother)
- Bina Sharif as Mrs. Saeed
- Tirlok MalikTirlok MalikTirlok Malik is an India-born actor and filmmaker.- Biography :Tirlok Malik has a Bachelor's degree in business from repudated Delhi University and has also attended the various Acting and Theatrical Arts Institutes and Weist Barron School of Television...
as Mr. Saeed - Ravi Khanna as Mr. Singh
External links
- American Desi - The Movie - Official site