Loins of Punjab: Movie Review

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Loins of Punjab Presents...
Director: Manish Acharya
Starring: Shabana Azmi, Ajay Naidu, Ayesha Dharker
Released: September 12, 2008

by Raj S. Rangarajan

In India we have all heard of shows such as Zee TVs Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Sony TVs Indian Idol and Sansui Boogie Woogie, and Doordarshans Music Masti Aur Dhoom. But, have you heard of a Desi Idol contest being promoted in a small New Jersey town by a pork millionaire for a $25,000 prize? Perhaps you haven't because the competition is arriving soon to the big screen in America. The English feature film titled Loins of Punjab Presents lasts 88 minutes and is a laugh riot if you are in a mood to let your hair down.

What do you think the following have in common: A businessman, Vikram Tejwani, American yogi, Joshua Cohen (Michael Raimondi) who has invented joga or jogging-yoga, a Bhangra rapper, Turbanotorious BDG (Ajay Naidu), a philanthropist, Rrita Kapoor (Shabana Azmi), an over-protected female singer, Preeti Patel (Ishitta Sharma), and an aspiring actress, Sania Rahman played by Seema Rahmani?

Give up?

These are contestants at the 3-day Bollywood style musical event, and the narrative is filled with humor, Bhangra-style dances, devious machinations by a contestant (you'll never guess who), a dedicated publicity campaign with T-shirts from the Patel family to promote their candidate, and suspense regarding the ultimate winner. The inevitable Bollywood format and pop music find their way into the film as also predilections of Indian-American stereotypes that make for predictable laughs (snacks for instance in accented lingo becomes snakes you know what I mean.).

A certain level of levity runs through the fabric of the film right from the first scene when Sudarsh Bokade played by Jameel Khan is being interviewed by a journalist. Bokade, a wily event manager with a weakness for Gipsy Kings music is often confused as to which side his bread his buttered.

Ajay Naidu, who has acting credits over the past 11 years (Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, The Accidental Husband) is also a break dancer and his prowess for the dance form is evident. Ajay trained at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training run by the American Repertory Theatre (ART) at Harvard. Michael Raimondi who plays Josh and sings India's national anthem, has done film, opera and off-Broadway theater. His girl friend in the film, Opama Menon (Ayesha Dharker) is known to New York audiences for her predominant role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams.

Seema Rahmani (TV shows Roswell and Alias and films Hum Kaun Hein, Karamchand), belts out a fine duet with rival Vikram Tejwani (played by Manish Acharya) who directed, co-wrote and produced the film. A multiple award winner from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film program, Manish also has degrees in Physics and Industrial Relations.

Darshan Jariwala (Gandhi My Father) who plays Sanjeev Patel, top contestant, Preeti?s father comes up with a compulsive performance and has worked earlier with director Mani Ratnam. Ishitta Sharma?s debut was in Dil Dosti Etc. Obviously Shabana Azmi needs no introduction.

Impressive musical score

The Dhol Beat composed and produced by actor Samrat Chakrabarti was upbeat in keeping with today?s funky trend where everything from hip hop to rock to metal goes. The script was crafty and music rendered with passion. Samrat has television and theater credits (Law and Order, The Sopranos) and appeared in She Hate Me, directed by Spike Lee.

A phenomenal success from several accounts when the film opened last September in India, Loins is a must-see specially if you like desi humor and can laugh at the foibles we Indians are heir to in North America. The Indian and Jewish characters are shown in unaltered formats, and mercifully not particularly pristine which makes for unbiased, candid portrayals in these days of political correctness.

In short, the movie is about having a good time and the pressures that accompany dreams of aspiring stars. It is perhaps coincidental that Sony's Entertainment division has just announced the fourth season of Indian Idol that debuts in a few days.

Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York-based trend writer, reports on the art market and has contributed to publications in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com.