Films About Indian Americans
The representation of Indian Americans in cinema has evolved over the years, showcasing the diverse experiences, cultural struggles, and triumphs of this community. These films often explore themes of identity, family dynamics, generational conflicts, and the immigrant experience, reflecting both the challenges and the richness of Indian American life. From heartfelt dramas to light-hearted comedies, these films provide a glimpse into the lives of Indian Americans navigating their dual heritage in a multicultural society.
Films About Indian Americans
“The Namesake”, 2006
Director: Mira Nair
Based on Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, this film tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, the son of Indian immigrants, as he grapples with his cultural identity and the expectations of his family while growing up in America.
Starring: Kal Penn, Tabu, Irfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson, Brooke Smith, Sahira Nair, Jagannath Guha, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sandip Deb, Sukanya, Tanushree Shankar, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Tamal Ray Chowdhury, Dhruv Mookerji, Supriya Choudhury, Stuart Rudin, Heather MacRae, Sumitra Kanti, Kanti, Michael Countryman, Kousik Bhowal, Rupak Ginn, Soham Chatterjee, Gargi Mukherjee, Pallavi Shah, Noor Lahiri Vourvoulias, Linus Roache, Josh Grisetti, Justin Rosini, Dan McCabe, Bobby Steggert, B.C. Parekh, Sibani Biswas, Lakhan Das, Kharaj Mukherjee, Glenne Headly, Daniel Gerroll, Amy Wright, Christie Moreau, Jo Yang, Krishna Dikshit, Kartik Das, Gary Cowling, Sudipta Bhawmik, Gretchen Egolf, Baylen Thomas, Jeb Brown, Jessica Blank;
Production year: 2006;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 122 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “The Namesake” on the website imdb.com
“Bend It Like Beckham”, 2002
Director: Gurinder Chadha
This charming comedy revolves around a young British-Indian woman who dreams of playing soccer against her traditional family's wishes, highlighting the clash between cultural expectations and personal aspirations.
Starring: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Archie Panjabi, Shaznay Lewis, Frank Harper, Juliet Stevenson, Shaheen Khan, Ameet Chana, Pooja Shah, Paven Virk, Preeya Kalidas, Trey Farley, Saraj Chaudhry, Imran Ali, Kulvinder Ghir, Harvey Virdi, Ash Varrez, Adlyn Ross, Shobu Kapoor, Zohra Sehgal, Ace Bhatti, Tanveer Ghani, Nina Wadia, Jenni Birch, Olivia Schofield, Natasha Lee, Louise Walker, Danielle Richards, Suzanna Keeka, Tanya Beverly, Sally Kirkbride, Maki Okumurakami, Nav Bopari, Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, John Barnes, John Motson, David Beckham, Brandi Chastain, Simon Clifford, Amerjit Deu, Ray Donn, Ryan Giggs, Mia Hamm, Andy Harmer, Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett;
Production year: 2002;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy, sport;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 112 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,7;
“Mississippi Masala”, 1991
Director: Mira Nair
A romantic drama that explores the cultural intersections between an Indian family expelled from Uganda and a Black American man in Mississippi, tackling issues of race, identity, and love.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth, Sharmila Tagore, Charles S. Dutton, Joe Seneca, Ranjit Chowdhry, Mohan Gokhale, Mohan Agashe, Tico Wells, Yvette Hawkins, Anjaan Srivastav, Dipti Suthar, Varsha Thaker, Ashok Lath, Natalie Oliver-Atherton, Karen Pinkston, Willy Cobbs, Rajika Puri, Sharon Williams, Cyreio Hughes, Stacy Swinford, Rick Senn, Jim Haffey, Dillon Rozell Gross, Larry Haggard, E.W. Colvin, Joyce Murrah, Kevin McNeil, Fred Matthews, Mahlon Bouldin, Buddy St. Amant, James Dale, Ben Burford, Sam Sherrill, Alix Henry Sanders, Jerone Wiggins, Sadie Carr, Richard Crick, Alix W. Sanders, Shung Moo Joe, Jaimini Thaker, Hollis Pippin, Dewey Buffington, Tony McGhee, J.D. Barrett, Tre'Demond Spearman, Argentina Moore, Nora Boland;
Production year: 1991;
Genre: drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 118 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,8;
More information about the film “Mississippi Masala” on the website imdb.com
“Indian Matchmaking”, 2020
Director: –
Although a reality series rather than a film, this Netflix production gained significant attention for its portrayal of the traditional matchmaking process among Indian Americans, eliciting discussions about modern relationships and cultural expectations.
Starring: Sima Taparia, Viral Joshi, Aparna Shewakramani, Pradhyuman Maloo, Vyasar M. Ganesan, Akshay Jakhete, Nadia Jagessar, Ankita Bansal, Arti Lalwani, Manisha Dass, Rashi Gupta, Shital Patel, Niraj Mehta, Jesse Jaspal, Shekar Jayaraman, Vinay Chadha, Rupam Kaur, Kshitij Mittra, Pundit Sushil-Ji, Pavneet Kaur Sachdeva, Rushali Rai, Ayesha Adlakha, Rajnish Jaiswal, Janardhan Dhurbe, Jay Wadhwani, Savio Jose, Ravi Guru Singh, Preeti Jakhete, V.M. Singh, Suresh Kabra, Aalok Sikand, Sanjiv, Prakash Jakhete, Udaipur, Shabnam, Sunita Kabra, Dilip Aidasani, Radhika, Varkha Chulani, Mansha, Amarjit Kaur, Pandit Dilip Bhatt;
Production year: 2020;
Genre: documentary, news, unknown genre, melodrama, family;
Rating: IMDB: 6,3;
More information about the film “Indian Matchmaking” on the website imdb.com
“The Hundred-Foot Journey”, 2014
Director: Lasse Hallström
This film follows an Indian family that opens a restaurant in a small French village, leading to a culinary rivalry with a Michelin-starred eatery, showcasing themes of cultural fusion and acceptance.
Starring: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Amit Shah, Farzana Dua Elahe, Dillon Mitra, Aria Pandya, Michel Blanc, Clément Sibony, Vincent Elbaz, Juhi Chawla, Alban Aumard, Shuna Lemoine, Antoine Blanquefort, Malcolm Granath, Abhijit Buddhisagar, Rohan Chand, Masood Akhtar, Arthur Mazet, Laetitia de Fombelle, Cédric Weber, Piero Filippi, Robert Gailhard, Matyelok Gibbs, Paul Daubeze, Didier Joy, Max Rangotte, Saachi Parekh, Shaunak Parekh, Stéphanie Renouvin, Audrey Meschi, Christian Allieres, Patrick Blatger, Frederic Violante, Chantal Filippi, Sanjay Sharma, Morgan Perez, Hélène Cardona, Jean Rousies, Emanuele Secci;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 122 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “The Hundred-Foot Journey” on the website imdb.com
“A Madea Christmas”, 2013
Director: Tyler Perry
In this comedy, the character Madea encounters an Indian American family during the holiday season, blending humor with cultural misunderstandings and family values.
Starring: Tyler Perry, Kathy Najimy, Chad Michael Murray, Anna Maria Horsford, Tika Sumpter, Eric Lively, James Roch, Alicia Witt, Lisa Whelchel, Larry the Cable Guy, Noah Urrea, Caroline Kennedy, Julie Ann Jones, Vickie Eng, Whitney Christopher, Steve Boles, Brooke Jaye Taylor, Clay Chappell, Heather Moore, Sweet Brown, Ashlee Heath, Maddie Compton, Michael H. Cole, Bart Hansard, Jonathan Chase, Antoine Dodson, Mike Davidson, Warren Barfield, Doug Price, Adam Silverman, Travis Terrell, Ana Rodriguez, Diego Wren, Emma Callicutt, Evie Brady, Evie Richardson, Gideon Davinsky, Isabelle Hanna, Keith Tinaglia, Lily Kostka, Matthew Boulis, Sam Henderson, Katie Barfield, Lisa M. Barfield, Vernon Beckstrom, Paul Chappell, Todd Davis, Elijah Everett, John Fleischmann, Jeff Glover, Jeff Greer, Ty Hill, Vincent Howard, Sonya Jenkins, Herbert McQueen, Alex Preston, Keith Sausedo, Gabriela Hernandez, Michael Steedley, Lucy Turner, Hal Whiteside;
Production year: 2013;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 100 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 5,1;
More information about the film “A Madea Christmas” on the website imdb.com
“The Big Sick”, 2017
Director: Michael Showalter
A romantic comedy based on the real-life courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, this film addresses cultural differences and the trials of dating within the context of immigrant family expectations.
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, Adeel Akhtar, Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler, Vella Lovell, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Jeremy Shamos, David Alan Grier, Ed Herbstman, Shenaz Treasury, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Kuhoo Verma, Mitra Jouhari, Celeste Arias, Shana Solomon, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Linda Emond, Holly Chou, Andrew Pang, Alison Cimmet, Lawrence Ballard, Shunori Ramanathan, Spencer House, Susham Bedi, Rahul Bedi, Matty Cardarople, Myra Turley, William Stephenson, Marilyn Torres, Kerry Flanagan, Jack O'Connell, Charles Gould, Isabel Shill, Lauren Patten, Keilly McQuail, Zach Cherry, Jack Corrigan, Stephanie DiFiore, Emma Jonnz, Sophia Muller;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 120 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “The Big Sick” on the website imdb.com
“Pahuna: The Little Visitors”, 2017
Director: Paakhi A. Tyrewala
Although set in the context of Indian children in Bhutan, this film reflects themes relevant to Indian diaspora experiences, emphasizing family and the search for belonging.
Starring: Ishika Gurung, Anmoul Limboo, Sujoy Rai, Rupa Tamang;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: drama, detective;
Duration: 88 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,4;
More information about the film “Pahuna: The Little Visitors” on the website imdb.com
“Searching”, 2018
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
A thriller that centers on a father searching for his missing daughter through her digital footprint; it subtly touches on the dynamics of an Indian American family coping with loss and generational disconnection.
Starring: John Cho, Sara Sohn, Alex Jayne Go, Megan Liu, Kya Dawn Lau, Michelle La, Joseph Lee, Dominic Hoffman, Melissa Disney, Connor McRaith, Colin Woodell, Debra Messing, Joseph John Schirle, Ashley Edner, Courtney Lauren Cummings, Kenneth Mosley, Miss Benny, Briana McLean, Reed Buck, Franchesca Maia, Thomas Barbusca, Erica Jenkins, Julie Nathanson, Bryce Branagan, Katie Rowe, Roy Abramsohn, Kristin Herold, Rasha Goel, Johnno Wilson, Erin Henriques, Steven Michael Eich, Sean O'Bryan, LaSaundra Gibson, Ric Sarabia, John Macey, Betsy Foldes, Ben Cain, Brad Abrell, Gabriel Langley, Rene Aranda, Harvey B. Jackson, Shanyn McFadden, Anthony Richard Pagliaro;
Production year: 2018;
Genre: detective, thriller, drama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 102 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “Searching” on the website imdb.com
“Meet the Patels”, 2014
Director: Geeta Vasant Patel, Ravi Patel
A documentary that follows actor Ravi Patel as he navigates the pressures of arranged marriage and family expectations, providing a humorous yet insightful look at modern Indian American dating culture.
Starring: Ravi Patel, Geeta Vasant Patel, Champa V. Patel, Vasant K. Patel, Audrey Wauchope, Chandar Abboy, Chirag Patel, Renita Abboy, Rali Amin, Sunkrish Bala, Ankur Desai, Chirag Desai, Amisha Desai, Paresh Desai, Jyotsna Desai, Shivani Fatania, Josh Greenbaum, Julianna Guill, Raj Karnik, Monica Thapar, Ramesh Khatri, Santosh Khatri, Lena Kumar, Ben McMillan, Nupur Mehta, Pankaj Mistry, Mina Mistry, Vijaj Nathan, Ajit Patel, Manisha Patel, Amit Patel, Bonna Patel, Anari Patel, Ishan Patel, Ashok Patel, Bhavana Patel, Bhavit Patel, Chiman Patel, Savita Patel, Daxesh Patel, Nipa Patel, Dharmindra Patel, Aruna Patel, Dip Patel, Kamalaben Patel, Kanu Patel, Bakula Patel, Medha Patel, Vaidehi Patel, Nirav Patel;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: documentary, unknown genre, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 88 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
These films contribute to a richer understanding of the Indian American experience, blending humor, drama, and cultural commentary to engage audiences both within and outside the community.
In conclusion, the selection of films about Indian Americans offers a captivating and diverse portrayal of this vibrant community. From heartwarming tales of cultural identity and assimilation to thought-provoking stories of discrimination and resilience, these films shed light on the experiences and challenges faced by Indian Americans in a multicultural society. With stellar performances, rich storytelling, and a deep exploration of complex themes, these films provide a platform for dialogue and understanding, inviting audiences to embrace the beauty and complexity of the Indian American experience. Whether it's a lighthearted romantic comedy or a powerful drama, these films leave a lasting impact, encouraging viewers to celebrate diversity and appreciate the richness of cultural heritage.
