Sorry, I know not everyone here has immigrant parents. I just meant that if you have parents or family members who immigrated in the late 70s/early 80s, or if you yourself immigrated during that time (and especially if you are South Asian), you might find a lot you can relate to.
I don't have immigrant parents either. In fact, I'm the one who immigrated. But things are SO different now compared to 10 years before I was born. I do have family members who immigrated during the time period in which this movie is set, and they are constantly reminding me how much easier I have it compared to them. And they would tell me stories like the ones you see play out on the screen. And watching it all happen, does make me appreciate my life so much. Because I had the support of those who immigrated from my part of the world in the 80s, I have a support system that they never had.
I'm making it sound like the movie is a downer, but it's really not. It's a pretty standard by-the-book comedy. As a comedy, I can't say much for it. But it does offer a perspective that is very rare in Western cinema. The movie follows an Indian guy called Sami Malik as he decides to chase the American Dream. But while Sami is the protagonist, you do get to meet a large cast of secondary and minor characters who are also immigrants from all over South Asia (and even North Africa). And it was nice to see that this movie at least briefly acknowledged the diversity within South Asia.
I will definitely be recommending this to all those immigrant relatives, and I'm sure they will enjoy this, but I also wonder if other immigrant communities might also find a lot here they can relate to. And as for those whose ancestors moved to America many generations ago, I think you can still get a nice sense of how the idea of America appealed so much to people from countries with limited opportunities.
