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The good and the bad
"ABCD" - directed by Krutin Patel
12.22 - Posted by Editor
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12.22.01 -- Coming on the heels of "American Desi," Krutin Patel's feature debut "ABCD" is the newest addition to a slowly expanding Indian-American film library. Though rough in its production, it deals poignantly with generational and cultural clashes.
ABCD stands for American Born Confused Desi. A Desi is an Indian native, and ABCD describes young Indian-Americans caught between their Indian roots and their American lifestyles.
The film centers around immigrant Anju Mehta (Madhur Jaffrey) and her two grown Desi children, Raj (Faran Tahir), a hardworking accountant, and Nina (Sheetal Sheth), a successful ad executive. Raj is the obedient son who dutifully entered an arranged engagement with a traditional Indian woman whom he doesn't quite love, and Nina is the angry daughter who uses promiscuity as a weapon of rebellion. Anju is the typical Indian matriarch who wishes the best for her children but often gets her goodwill mistaken for oppression. For the kids, it's a constant struggle to balance their American identity with their mother's plea that they not forget their Indian roots.
Anju wants Nina to marry a nice Indian boy, and Nina responds by routinely sleeping with white men. Anju finally pressures Nina into meeting Ashok (Aasif Mandvi), a childhood friend who has just arrived from India. Ashok's innocence and sincerity actually touch Nina, and she breaks tradition by sleeping with him on the first date. Ashok naively proposes to Nina and scares her away. Things complicate when Nina's WASPY ex-fiance Sam - who had broken the engagement because of parental pressures - returns to woo her back. The film never makes the choice between suitors a clear or easy one for Nina or the audience.
Raj's own engagement to Tejal, a beautiful and traditional Indian woman, is put to the test when he is forced to work alongside Julia, an adventurous and vibrant white woman. Raj is attracted to her not so much for her beauty but for the qualities that she possesses and he lacks. Raj doesn't act on his attraction for Julia, but adopts her adventurous spirit. The obedient son must also choose between appeasing his mother's wishes and his own happiness.
"ABCD" deals with issues and situations that many Asian-American kids often face, and the film is obviously told from the point of view of the Desi children. But the film actually makes me feel more sympathy for the Indian mother. At times, I'm not even sure which "side" the filmmaker is standing on. It's as if the filmmaker himself is just as confused as his characters.
Many of the situations seem a bit obvious and borderline stereotypical, which essentially is the biggest problem with the film. Though it has very good intentions, the film often feels forced, with too many scenes of characters just sitting around discussing a topic in front of a fixed camera.
The acting also suffers in places. Sheth plays Nina with too much angst, and throughout much of the film, she feels rather one-noted. It made me dislike her from the get go and when she did soften in the end, I still couldn't muster up too much sympathy for her. Tahir's Raj is a much more subtle character. Because Raj internalizes a lot of his feelings, Tahir has more room for subtext. The strongest actor in the whole cast is easily veteran actress Madhur Jaffrey as Anju. Her perfomance is a real accomplishment, especially since her character as the overbearing Indian mother could easily become a caricature. But she plays the character with real ease and sensitivity, providing comic relief without being mocking.
"ABCD" reminds me of last year's "Catfish in Black Bean Sauce." Both films deal with the struggles of adapting to an Asian-American identity, but both suffer from inexperience and low budgets. But although "ABCD" may be unpolished, it still touched me more than many films I've seen this year. While I was constantly aware of the technical flaws on screen, the film has a subtle poignancy which swept me over with an inexplicable sadness when the credits rolled. And judging from the applause at the end of the screening (by many people who I am sure are not trained in filmmaking), it's clear that it's often not the craft but the spirit of a film that wins you over.
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ABCD is the best film I have ever viewed in my entire life! The plot is extremely well organized and the emotions are very strong throughout the movie. The Indian mother faces the most emotions and by dealing with her Desi children, especially the rebellious Nina who insists on being "American"and dating white men. I felt bad at the end for Ashok since Nina let him go to marry Sam. She made the worst choice of her life and she will probably regret it in a year (WASP men are not as sensitive and caring as Indian men!)
You have summed up this film in the most admirable way that I have seen so far. It's as if you have taken the words right out of my mouth. You are so right!!! At times I felt as if the director himself must have been a confused desi, I couldnt decide whether he wanted me to feel for poor Anju or the confused, somtimes pitiful kids. And I struggled throughout the whole film trying to like Sheth's character, but somehow especially after she used Ashok and dumped him, i couldnt. And while I did prefer Tahir's personality from the get-go, the film still left me scratching my head at times when he did certain things. This film gave me a lot to think about, but believe me you have really summed up the way i felt. And the first reviewer too,( I have been checking around on line) great job and keen eye!!!
[Originally posted 3/18/02 - Ed.]
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