Strictly average movie

Captivating movie !

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

A mockumentary in the spirit of Christopher Guest's 'Best in Show'. This has fewer laughs, but more heart. A 'Desi Idol' Hindi singing contest is sponsored by a meat company in New Jersey (hence the title). A very odd assortment of contestants, including a young Jewish guy, and a gay Indian rapper vie for the crown as we follow each of their stories.While clearly done on a tiny budget, the acting is all good, often better than that. And there is such an infectious good will to the piece that I forgave any rough edges. I didn't laugh a lot, but I smiled almost the whole time I was watching. And any film that can do that is alright by me!

And now for something completely different,from India. A film that isn't a Bollywood musical (but does feature music),isn't nearly four hours long,and,is in the English language (with the minor exception of a couple of lines spoken in Hindi,that is subtitled). The film is 'Loins Of Punjab Presents', a comedy about several groups of Indian immigrants,trying to compete for top honours in a talent contest,called 'Desi Idol',an Indian take on (guess what?).Desi,being a Hindi term for a victim of the Indian diaspora. We see several prospectives going through the various processes for being a contestant. Along the way are the usual monkey wrenches in the proverbial cogs:the ones that take up their own self perpetuating political agendas,and change the rules when it suits them (in short,the ones who always manage to screw things up for others,big time),the would be contestants who bomb out,to mention a few. This film seems to want to be shot in the Christopher Guest style "mockumentary" style (at first,but this is eventually dropped as the film's plot line develops). Besides the assortment of oddball characters (a would be Indian American rapper,a half caste singer,who sings in Hindi,although her handle of the language is nearly non existent,a talented teen aged singer,who is just a little too good for one of the other contestants,and my personal favourite,a young Jewish man who is obsessed by Bollywood musicals,as his girlfriend is Indian,herself),there are lots of songs by the various contestants,taken from various Bollywood musicals. Toss in all of the above,stir,and you have yourself a spicy,fun,good time film that will have you walk out the cinema with a smile on your face (as was the audience at the screening that I attended). No MPAA rating,but does contain some raunchy language,as well as some minor adult situations,and an unpleasant racial slur.

LOINS OF PUNJABS PRESENTS... gives the viewer some nice characters trying their best to realize their dreams in a New Jersey-based "Desi Idol" contest.The Gujarati family (Patels, naturally) is mined for much hilarity... the writer-director obviously knows the scene well, and most of the laughs come out of their bumpkin hi-jinx. Several other characters (especially Ajay Naidu's) are nicely drawn, while some (including, surprisingly, Shabana Azmi's) fall very flat.Production values are well below what one would expect from a Tisch/NYU film school product, but obviously funds were at a premium.That having been said, ensemble comedy movies are among the toughest to pull off, and Manish has redeemed himself well in making the various story lines work. The audience I saw it with in Bombay was definitely appreciative of his efforts.All in all, nothing great or earthshaking, but a creditable and unassuming first feature which leaves 95% of Bollywood movies with 20 times the budget well in the dust...

I saw the film quite by chance and was laughing out loud within the first 2 minutes. But to say that the film is very funny is to understate the case. It works on several levels thanks to deft observations of character supported by superb ensemble performances. Ostensibly about a group of hopefuls in a talent contest it explores much more than what the narrative declares. We see and, more importantly, feel the emotional trajectories of several lives as they jostle for their place in the spotlight. Each has a special, individual reason for being there. But, in the course of the few days of the contest, we see how essentially the journeys (rather than the end result) change, even define, these lives. The separate (but interlinked) stories propel the film on the narrative level. But if "Loins of Punjab Presents" had limited itself to simply telling these stories it would have fallen into the genre trap of the "feel-good" film. It would then have been enjoyable but ephemeral. The greater, and more lasting, joy of the film is the manner in which it springboards off the several dramas to comment on a range of contemporary obsessions. In a genre that is weighed down by cliché and triteness, this film stands out for being fresh,warm and, happily, the right length.