American Chai - Indo-American Film By Anurag Mehta

The Moving Images film club, in association with the US Consulate General, is presenting an Indo-American Film Festival from 19th to 21st February, at Prasad Labs Preview Theatre. A total of 8 films will be screened during the 3-day festival. American Chai is the 3rd and the last film on the 2nd day of the film festival, at 4:45pm.

American Chai is a 2002 film, written and directed by Indian American director Anurag Mehta. His brother, Aalok Mehta, played the starring role opposite Sheetal Sheth, who had previously starred in a film, ABCD, of the same genre. The film was also notable for a minor role played by Paresh Rawal.

The film deals with an Indian American student Sureel who wants to pursue his love of music over the more 'typical' academic endeavors of Indian Americans (e.g., medicine, engineering, law, and business). Through a friend Sureel meets a beautiful Indian-American girl named Maya, who is also musically inclined.

When his parents discover his love interest, they are overjoyed, and start arranging his marriage to Maya in the traditional way, much to Sureel's consternation. Through his relationship with Maya, however, his own appreciation of Indian culture rises, and he finds himself melding Indian with American influences in his music, switching from guitar to sitar.

The film won the Audience Award at the 2001 Slamdance Film Festival, with the New York Post describing it as a "slight but sweet film". The movie was Mehta's directorial debut and his only film to date. The Philadelphia-based hip-hop band Fathead also appears in the movie.

Entry to the film is on a first-come-first-served basis. Please contact Moving Images at 90000-74950 for further details.