Deepa Mehta clearly proves that comedy is not her cup of tea by making this desi--meet--videsi flick. Aiming to make a comedy which mocks both bollywood and hollywood, the movie actually turned out to become hollywood-style love story with lots of ’’Indian’’ traditions and songs inserted in.
The film focusses on an NRI family which is Rahul Khanna’s who are put up somewhere in Canada. Rahul lands up being the ’’head of the family’’ after his dad’s ’’sad demise’’ and his advice to his eldest son at the death bed. But all Indian traditions fail to make much of an impact on Rahul who lands up getting hooked up with a firangi for a girl friend. The ever teary eyed mother of Rahul is scandalised by the thought of her son with a ’’white woman’’. But, all’s well for Rahuls’s mother and grandmother when his poor girl friend also suddenly meets the fate of Rahul’s father -- sad demise. Before Rahul can mourn completely about his girl friend’s death, his mom threatens him into marrying an ’’Indian girl’’ else his sister’s wedding would be indefinitely postponed. Being an ’’Indian brother’’ by heart Rahul is forced to agree to this and the family begins the search for a bride. Notwithstanding the torture of looking for girls Rahul ends up introducing Lisa Ray (whom he meets at the bar), as his fiancee. Lisa convincingly potrays an ’’Indian’’ bahu to the family. In the process of all the sing-song at the wedding, they fall in love with each other. But can Rahul, with all his ’’Indian’’ values marry such a girl????? That’s what the movie is all about.
The movie, inspite of it’s lack of story could have been made into a better one. The actors give a decent performance. Rahul, excellently acts as the ever whining guy who is still confused about his life though he is a successful businessman. Lisa gives the impression of someone with boundless energy. Moushmi Chatterji as the ready-to-cry ’’Indian’’ mom appears funny.
The songs are not bad though they have no reason to exist. Ultimately the final product does not look as good as expected.
Although Deepa Mehta claims that she is ’’laughing with Bollywood and not at Bollywood’’, she has not managed to clearly explain any of it. Watch it if you have a lot of time and are really bored.