Basmati Blues

Basmati Blues is a 2017 American romantic comedy musical film, directed by Danny Baron, in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Baron and Jeff Dorchen. It stars Brie Larson and Utkarsh Ambudkar in lead roles with Scott Bakula, Donald Sutherland and Tyne Daly in major supporting roles.

Basmati Blues
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDanny Baron
Produced by
  • Monique Caulfield
  • Jeffrey Soros
  • Ruedi Gerber
Written by
  • Danny Baron
  • Jeff Dorchen
Starring
Music byRajib Karmakar
CinematographyHimman Dhamija
Edited byTom Lewis
Production
company
  • Red Baron Films
  • Considered Entertainment
Distributed byShout! Studios
Release date
  • October 5, 2017 (2017-10-05) (American Film Festival)
  • February 9, 2018 (2018-02-09) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$15,651[2][3]

The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on February 9, 2018, by Shout! Studios.

Plot

A scientist (Brie Larson) creates genetically modified rice with her father (Scott Bakula), and their boss (Donald Sutherland) sends her to India to sell it to rural farmers.[4] Initially ignorant about the country, she is enlightened by the savvy but welcoming Indians, and falls for a college-educated farmer, Rajit (Utkarsh Ambudkar), who is fighting for the rights of the local rice farmers. When she discovers that the business deal will destroy the farmers' way of life, she and Rajit must work together to stop it.

Cast

Production

In January 2013, Brie Larson joined the cast of the film, with Dan Baron to direct, and Dan Baron and Jeff Dorchen to write the film.[5] Filming first took place in 2013 in Kerala.[6][7] It was originally set to take place in Tamil Nadu, but dry weather made the planned locations unsuitable so the production was forced to relocate weeks before it began.[7] Not enough scenes were shot in 2013 because the last weeks of the production coincided with monsoon season and sets were damaged.[7] A reshoot took place in 2015 and the post-production ended in May 2017.[6]

Release

In November 2017, Shout! Studios acquired distribution rights to the film.[8] The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on February 9, 2018.[9]

Critical reception

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 11% based on 28 reviews, and an average rating of 3.91/10. The website's consensus reads, "Like the genetically modified grain at the center of its story, Basmati Blues is probably best locked in storage and saved for cases of cinematic famine."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 30 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[11]

Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times said the "film is unbelievably and insultingly racist." He continues "this isn't the loving homage to Bollywood musicals that was originally intended. It isn't a takedown on global capitalism and the corrupt food industry. And it most certainly isn't a celebration of India."[12]

Controversy

Upon release, the film was criticized on social media, as well as by film critics, for promoting a stereotypical depiction of South Asians and India.[13] In particular, the trailer was perceived to play into the white savior trope common in Hollywood cinema, in which a white character helps non-white characters in unfortunate circumstances, a trope that has been widely criticized for being racially offensive.[14] The film has also been criticized for being culturally insensitive,[15] and promoting one-dimensional and simplistic portrayals of Indian culture. In response, the filmmakers have expressed regret that the trailer presented the movie as promoting such tropes,[16] saying that the trailer did not adequately capture the spirit of the movie, and that the film was intended to be a homage to the Bollywood cinema of India.[17]

References
  1. "Basmati Blues". Apple Trailers. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  2. "Basmati Blues". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  3. "Basmati Blues". The Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  4. Hasty, Katie (September 23, 2013). "Interview: Brie Larson talks 'Short Term 12,' musical 'Basmati Blues' and letting go". Hitfix. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  5. Jaugernauth, Kevin (January 3, 2013). "Brie Larson To Star In Bollywood Musical 'Basmati Blues'". IndieWire. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  6. Lerner, Rebecca (February 9, 2018). "'Basmati Blues' With Brie Larson Comes Out Today". Forbes. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  7. Jones, Nate (February 9, 2018). "The Inside Story of How and Why Basmati Blues Got Made". Vulture.com. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  8. Busch, Anita (November 13, 2017). "Shout! Factory Launches Shout! Studios, Acquires Three Films For Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  9. Jones, Nate (January 5, 2018). "What the Hell Is Brie Larson Doing in Basmati Blues?". Vulture.com. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  10. "Basmati Blues (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  11. "Basmati Blues Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  12. "Basmati Blues movie review: You won't believe how racist (and insulting) Brie Larson's film is". Hindustan Times. April 6, 2018.
  13. Oppenheim, Maya (November 15, 2017). "Brie Larson under fire for 'white saviour role' in new film Basmati Blues". The Independent. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  14. Yam, Kimberley (November 14, 2017). "Indian Social Media Users Blast Brie Larson's Awkward 'Basmati Blues' Movie". HuffPost. Oath Brands. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  15. Smith, Anna (November 15, 2017). "Brie Larson's Basmati Blues and other lost movies A-listers wish had stayed buried". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  16. Roy, Ujjainee (November 15, 2017). "Basmati Blues makers regret racist trailer, claim movie is a love letter to Bollywood". T2 Online. ABP Group. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  17. Little India Desk (November 18, 2017). "Basmati Blues Filmmakers Apologize for 'Cringeworthy' Trailer". Little India. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
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