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Exclusive: Dark comedy-thriller Boris Is Dead has added Steven Bauer (Scarface), Chris Mulkey (Twin Peaks), Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) and father/son duo Martin Kove (Cobra Kai) and Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai).

Also joining the indie movie are Traci Lords (Blade), James Duval (Donnie Darko), Mark Rolston (The Departed), Mindy Sterling (Austin Powers), Richard Riehle (Office Space), Hannah Masi (The Illegal) and Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead).

As we revealed earlier this month, Dane Cook (Good Luck Chuck) and Hana Mae Lee (The Babysitter: Killer Queen) are leading the film, which is in post-production after shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.

Directed by James Cullen Bressack (Darkness of Man), the film follows a struggling actor, working as a waiter (Cook) who unwittingly becomes involved in a violent heist gone wrong, where his boss – deep in debt – has been stealing from...

The Illegal, a film that recently premiered on Amazon Prime Video starring Suraj Sharma, Adil Hussain and Shweta Tripathi among others, is a gritty and realistic tale of a young film school student from middle-class India who is forced to drop out to support his family while staying in the United States as an undocumented worker.

According to the 'Life of Pi' actor, Suraj Sharma, the film's story was a lot similar to his personal life experiences. He shares, "During my time in America, I used to go to all these Indian restaurants for my 'Ghar Ka Khaana', where I came across all these Indian people and their back stories, which gave me a very sharp and clear insight of their life. Over the course of years, I realized what intense backgrounds they come from, how they are pushing themselves to provide for their families and fulfill their goals.

The Illegal (film on Amazon Prime); Cast: Suraj Sharma, Shweta Tripathi, Adil Hussain, Neelima Azim, Iqbal Theba, Hannah Masi, Jay Ali; Direction: Danish Renzu; Rating: * * * and 1/2 (three and a half stars)

By Vinayak Chakravorty

You'd think you have seen this before. A young boy from middle-class India lands in the United States chasing a dream, and his struggle for sustenance becomes portrait of the grind that almost every immigrant must endure.

If Danish Renzu's film is outstanding despite the note of familiarity, it is because of the sheer authenticity with which the writer-director tells his tale. The film is unflinching in tone, yet sensitive enough while dissecting the reality it presents. Renzu uses his crisp runtime of 86 minutes well, to set up nuanced storytelling.

Unlike most films pertaining to the subject, "The Illegal" is not about immigrants who enter the US unlawfully. It is about people who come in with legitimate papers,...

The Illegal movie review is here. The 2019 Indian American English-language drama film is written and directed by Danish Renzu. Produced by Tara Tucker, and Danish Renzu, The Illegal stars Suraj Sharma, Iqbal Theba and Shweta Tripathi in the lead roles. The Illegal is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The Illegal movie review

Of people, places, dreams, reality and spaces, Danish Renzu’s 'The Illegal' deals with these vicious cycles of an American dream of an Indian with heart and leaves behind some fodder for thought.

Running on the familiar plot line of an Indian immigrant struggling to pursue the great American dream – somewhat similar in theme with Mira Nair’s 2006 'Namesake' starring Irrfan Khan and Tabu.

Danish Renzu’s 'The Illegal' works because it’s weaved with a heart that bleeds with earnestness, need and melancholy.

It must be understood that the immigrant in 'The Illegal'...

Amazon Prime Video is all set to bring a critically acclaimed title - The Illegal, in India. Written and Directed by Danish Renzu,, the film brings to fore the downside of the Great American Dream, that many chase. Through its gripping narrative, the film mirrors the harsh realities of the young migrants who journey to America in search of a better life, but end up struggling to make the ends meet. The struggles and triumphs of the migrant is aptly projected by the BAFTA-nominated actor Suraj Sharma, who takes this narrative forward effortlessly, in the film. He is joined by Hannah Masi, Shweta Tripathi, Iqbal Theba, Jay Ali, Adil Hussain, Danny Vasquez and Neelima Azim, who play pivotal roles in the film.

'The Illegal' is about this student from India who is accepted to a prestigious university, he leaves his home, country, and family behind to pursue the American Dream.