Movies About India

I’ve been on a bit of an Indian movie bender. Visiting India several years ago changed my views on faith and humanity, so now every movie I watch about it reminds me of going there. Outsourced was airy and sweet yet insightful enough to depict what it’s like being a bumbling American who's trying to embrace Indian culture. It’s a safe bet for anyone who’s curious about Indian life or intrigued by the notion of cross-cultural relationships. It may also provide some comfort to people who lament companies that outsource positions overseas. Adapted from the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup, Slumdog Millionaire is a worthwhile emotional investment. It swiftly uncovers India’s harsh poverty situation and explains (if not justifies) the measures that some people take to “succeed” in a caste-driven society. I turned The Namesake off before it was over. It was based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s book and stars the guy from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle and the Australian model from Real World: London. I wanted to like it but couldn’t empathize with the characters and found the dialogue to be uninspired. Brick Lane is a beautifully told and exquisitely shot story based on Monica Ali’s novel about a Bangladeshi woman, her arranged marriage, and eventual poetic rebellion. I wanted to run around the block in my sari high-fiving everyone when it ended. Namaste.