A Great Arrangement

A Kurm Event and Produ., Secret Pact production. Produced by Sarovar Banka. Co-producer, K.M. Das. Directed, put together by Sarovar Banka.With: Adam Laupus, Shabana Azmi, Lethia Nall, Diksha Basu, Shreya Sharma, Farid Currim, Navniit Nisshan, Vikram Kadapia. (British dialogue)A vivid, remarkably accomplished version in the mix-cultural romantic comedies that regularly appear at Indian diaspora fests, Sarovar Banka's "A Great Arrangement" reps a complete cut above average. Shot on Super 35 and supported having a magnificent score by Neel Murgai, the pic juxtaposes its American-born hero's comical search for an Indian wife by getting a wide open-ended look for the wide streets and colorful byways of Chandigarh, the Le Corbusier-designed capital of Punjab. More "Darjeeling Limited" than typical Bollywood bride movie, Banka's wry twist on cultural confusion will probably be best appreciated by festgoers. Though born and elevated in the united states, Ashok (Adam Laupus) decides to locate an Indian bride for reasons never entirely apparent extending its love to themselves. In Chandigarh, the candidates are arranged and mix-suggested with callous efficiency by Ashok's older cousin Preeti (award-bathed actress Shabana Azmi, excellent here) and pored over and stated on by Preeti's lively teenage daughter, Suriya (Shreya Sharma). But Ashok's casual dress and laid-back approach don't attract his status-minded prospective in-laws and regulations and rules, and also the unapologetic inadequate ambition (or worse, his vague need to become "real" author instead of penning ad copy) sabotages lots of Preeti's effort on his account. After numerous comic mismatches, Ashok finally meets a contender whose candor and cultural ambivalence echo their very own. Amita (Diksha Basu), an elegant, well-educated modern lady in their late 20s, takes Ashok aside to see him she's marriage to purely to impress her traditional parents, warning him they wants nothing associated with love. The Two prove compatible enough fostering pals, as shots of Ashok perched easily around the rear of Amita's motorbike attest -- but hearts, flowers and sex are plainly absent. The plans proceed apace, Ashok's parents originating from America for your wedding. But Ashok has met Lorie (Lethia Nall), a backpacking American who's touring India not, she quickly assures him, for "enlightenment," but basically to obtain a society different then her own. With Lorie, Ashok discovers no India strained through anxiety over ethnic identity, but a panoply of sights and sounds that strike responsive guitar guitar chords within him. Though Laupus and a few of the other stars never completely inhabit their roles, their clumsiness well reads as discomfort by getting a new culture. Nevertheless, their non-professional kind of thesping could pose an problem for distribs. Amol Rathod's awesome-well toned lensing captures the first charm of Chandigarh's sights, highly abetted by Murgai's layered score, including many facets of classical Indian music.Camera (color, Super 35), Amol Rathod editor, Tom Quinn music, Neel Murgai art director, Priten Patil costume designer, Roopa Sood appear designer, Anita Kushwaha casting, Avani Parikh, Gita Reddy. Examined at Montreal World Film Festival (Focus on World Cinema), August. 21, 2011. Running time: 97 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com