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American Chai

Play trailer American Chai R 2002 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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52% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
College senior Sureel (Aalok Mehta) has always deceived his strict Indian parents in order to fit into American society. When his father (Paresh Rawal) finds out he is studying music and playing in a band rather than getting his pre-med degree, he is furious. After getting kicked out of the band, Sureel breaks up with his white girlfriend and starts dating Maya (Sheetal Sheth), another Indian-American -- but both are alarmed when his parents instantly start planning their wedding.

Critics Reviews

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Desson Thomson Washington Post 11/14/2003
This ethnic family sitcom thing is rapidly turning into wearisome cliche, and American Chai doesn't hold a candle to either Beckham or Greek Wedding. Go to Full Review Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune 07/20/2002
2/4
By now, I've seen far too many American indie movies with similar semi-autobiographical subjects. Go to Full Review John Monaghan Detroit Free Press 06/07/2002
2/4
[It's] difficult to get beyond the overall blandness of American Chai, despite its likable performances and refreshingly naive point of view. Go to Full Review Film Threat 12/06/2005
4/5
Merle Bertrand Film Threat 12/08/2002
4/5
The funniest, most unabashadly goofy indie film to come out in quite some time. Go to Full Review Mark Olsen L.A. Weekly 10/07/2002
Chai's structure and pacing are disconcertingly slack. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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01/18/2009 An excellent movie about the struggles of Indian kid growing up with interest outside of the culture's norm...This movie has some great memorable moments, like the cut to song/dance routines, hilarious "rational" explanations by Aasif Mandvi, and that gangster Raju...Definitely worth watching by everyone... See more 06/29/2008 Cool, captures tension and hybridity of being second generation in US See more 04/13/2008 Cute, but pretty predictable story of children of immigrants struggling with their parents' expectations. The main character is really a talented singer/songwriter though. See more 01/27/2008 Proof that it does not matter where you come from, your parents still have a set of plans for you that are ot exactly what you want See more 01/02/2008 I thought this movie was AMAZING - it truly describes many of the ABCD/IBCD struggles with parents and with society See more 12/23/2007 the first NRI film i ever watched. i think the genre is now passe , but i loved this movie! See more Read all reviews
American Chai

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Cast & Crew

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Anurag Mehta

Director

Aalok Mehta

Sureel

Paresh Rawal

Sureel's Father

Sheetal Sheth

Maya

Joshua Ackerman

Toby

Ajay Naidu

Hari

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Movie Info

Synopsis College senior Sureel (Aalok Mehta) has always deceived his strict Indian parents in order to fit into American society. When his father (Paresh Rawal) finds out he is studying music and playing in a band rather than getting his pre-med degree, he is furious. After getting kicked out of the band, Sureel breaks up with his white girlfriend and starts dating Maya (Sheetal Sheth), another Indian-American -- but both are alarmed when his parents instantly start planning their wedding.
Director
Anurag Mehta
Producer
Taylor MacCrae
Screenwriter
Anurag Mehta
Production Co
Dream Merchants Pictures
Rating
R (Some Sexual Dialogue)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 5, 2002, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$126.0K
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Mono