das417 As an Indian, I found this movie almost rather disappointing in the fact that nothing in it was interesting besides some of the side humor. Though well acted and written, it seemed to be following the standard Indian movie where son wants to do something his father and family has forbidden. Son questions himself, challenges his family, and struggles with love. Eventually, he finds his dream as well as acceptance from his family.These are okay stories, but they grow rather predictable. When will Indians movie talk about other such problems then the usual family issues, or forbidden love? Bend It Like Beckham came close and while it was a good movie, it also still was the typical Indian movie. I would recommend American Chai, though I am still waiting for an Indian movie that will be something instead of the usual.

embaixador The movie was way too trite. Predictable identity questions. No imagination. What bothered me the most was the main actress's dancing. In the movie, she is supposed to be a very talented dancer. However, in a very uninspiring and way-too-long dance performance sequence, her moves offer a very poor representation of the exciting Indian-American fusion dance scene.

xeslaro I must say that I hold the (maybe not so) unique position of being a first generation American, born to Indian parents. Given the situation, I can probably relate to this particular movie a little more than your average moviegoer.If you took this film off the reels, added in some commercials, and shortened it to an hour, I could have practically submitted it to A&E as my own personal Biography. I think this serves as a compliment to the Mehta brothers for their believable portrayal of individuals in my situation. Sure, some of the events that transpire may be a little melodramatic, but I don't think that they are enough so to significantly detract from the movie experience.If you want to go see American Chai, be sure to bear in mind that this movie is clearly targeted at Indian American audiences, particularly American-born Indian Americans. Several scenes in this movie had me doubled over in laughter, while the rest of the audience stared at me like I was crazy. This is not to say that the other members of the audience were disappointed with the movie; I just felt that I was in a position to better understand the finer points of the film, and as a result I walked away with a greater appreciation for what American Chai tried to accomplish.What DID American Chai try to accomplish, you ask? I feel that this movie was made to light-heartedly examine the internal struggle that affects all first generation offspring, using Indian Americans as a model. Overall, I would say that the movie succeeds at its mission, despite some rough spots here and there. For a debut production, the pacing, cinematography, and script are all well above average. All characters are well portrayed, with highlights being Aasif Mandvi as Engineering Sam and Paresh Rawal as Sureel's Dad.Bottom line: If either you or a close friend of yours is a first generation Indian American, you absolutely must see this movie. 10/10. Otherwise, this is just another romantic comedy. 6/10. Put those two together, and you get an overall average of 8/10.

Ahm To Oom WHAT!? I cannot believe someone wrote this thing and I can't believe someone paid money to have it made! The most predictable movie EVER. I can't believe after all the bad movies in the history of film, someone would still be writing this cheese. The Mehta's get respect for effort and actually getting to make the film, but I feel bad for the poor representation of Indian-Americans. It's your classic tradition versus modern tale, but this time with Indian-Americans and music. Bad jokes, horrendous stereotypes, plain bad acting, save me! Take away the dirty jokes and you have something that would most fittingly be called an "after-school special from 1991."