Chutney Popcorn
Encyclopedia
Chutney Popcorn is a 1999 comedy-drama film starring, directed and co-written by Nisha Ganatra
. Ganatra plays a young lesbian
Indian American
woman called Reena. Jill Hennessy
plays her girlfriend Lisa and Reena's mother and sister are played by real life mother and daughter Madhur Jaffrey
and Sakina Jaffrey
. The film explores the conflict between Reena's sexual and national identities as well as her mother Meenu's attempts to come to terms with the Western lives of both her daughters.
. Her sister Sarita, who is happily married, discovers that she is infertile. Reena offers to be a surrogate mother for her sister's baby, hoping to improve her relationship with their mother, who disapproves of Reena's sexual orientation
. Sarita and her husband accept Reena's offer but Sarita begins to have second thoughts. After Reena becomes pregnant, her relationship with her girlfriend Lisa suffers. When the baby is born, Reena and Lisa are reunited, as are Reena's family.
Nisha Ganatra
Nisha Ganatra is a Canadian film director, film producer, writer and actor of Indian ancestry. She is most well known for her acclaimed films Chutney Popcorn and Cosmopolitan.-Biography:...
. Ganatra plays a young lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
Indian American
Indian 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:...
woman called Reena. Jill Hennessy
Jill Hennessy
Jillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
plays her girlfriend Lisa and Reena's mother and sister are played by real life mother and daughter Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
and Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey is an Indian American actress.Jaffrey was born in Manhattan, New York, the youngest daughter of Madhur Jaffrey and Saeed Jaffrey. She graduated from Vassar College in 1984. Jaffrey appeared with her father in the film Masala and with her mother in The Perfect Murder...
. The film explores the conflict between Reena's sexual and national identities as well as her mother Meenu's attempts to come to terms with the Western lives of both her daughters.
Plot
Reena is a young Indian American lesbian who lives and works in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her sister Sarita, who is happily married, discovers that she is infertile. Reena offers to be a surrogate mother for her sister's baby, hoping to improve her relationship with their mother, who disapproves of Reena's sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. Sarita and her husband accept Reena's offer but Sarita begins to have second thoughts. After Reena becomes pregnant, her relationship with her girlfriend Lisa suffers. When the baby is born, Reena and Lisa are reunited, as are Reena's family.
Cast
- Nisha GanatraNisha GanatraNisha Ganatra is a Canadian film director, film producer, writer and actor of Indian ancestry. She is most well known for her acclaimed films Chutney Popcorn and Cosmopolitan.-Biography:...
as Reena - Jill HennessyJill HennessyJillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
as Lisa - Sakina JaffreySakina JaffreySakina Jaffrey is an Indian American actress.Jaffrey was born in Manhattan, New York, the youngest daughter of Madhur Jaffrey and Saeed Jaffrey. She graduated from Vassar College in 1984. Jaffrey appeared with her father in the film Masala and with her mother in The Perfect Murder...
as Sarita - Madhur JaffreyMadhur JaffreyMadhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
as Meenu - Nick ChinlundNick ChinlundZareh Nicholas "Nick" Chinlund is an American actor.-Early life:Chinlund was born in New York City. He attended the Friends Seminary in Lower Manhattan, later moving to Albany, NY in order to participate in Albany High School's varsity basketball program...
as Mitch - Cara BuonoCara BuonoCara Buono is an American actress, screenwriter and director, probably best known for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in the fourth season of the AMC drama series Mad Men.-Early life:...
as Janis - Ajay NaiduAjay NaiduAjay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
as Raju - Daniella Rich as Tiffany