A more sweet than spicy take on Indian American coming of age
India Sweets and Spices is not the most radical thing out there, but it may make you smile at the shmaltz.
India Sweets and Spices starts as a very banal teenage fraternity comedy drama. If you have seen a lot of this genre, you may find yourself yawning almost instantly.
When Alia (Sophia Ali) returns home from university, she challenges her parents’ elitist lifestyle and gossiping aunties.
She invites the son of a local shopkeeper (Rish Shah) to her mother’s upcoming soiree and family secrets begin to surface.
This all sounds suitably dramatic in a very suburban kind of way.
However, I would encourage you to stick with it, as although it is not going to alter your perception of reality, you may be pleasantly surprised with how it warms up.
Although the acting largely remains mundane throughout, the plot gets more interesting.
The family secrets are really unexpected and are dealt with tenderly.
The writing does remain a little hammy and overall it is a cheesy take on serious issues, but if you have a bit of time to spare you might find it fun.
India Sweets and Spices is coming to UK Cinemas 2 December.
