Movie Review: ‘India Sweets And Spices’

Review by James Lindorf

Writer and Director Geeta Malik uses intelligence and humor to invite us into a world 95% of US citizens have never experienced. She beautifully illustrates the struggle of first- and second-generation children of immigrants who struggle to find their way in their family’s culture and that of their home. “India Sweets and Spices” will be available in a limited number of theaters around the country beginning on November 19th.

After a year away at college, learning about herself and the world outside of her parents’ control, Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home, and flip turns their life upside down with her newfound independence. Her return home means a return to the weekly soirees hosted by different wealthy members of Ruby Hill’s Indian and Indian American community. What is supposed to be a fun and well-meaning community event is just an excuse for friends, family, and aunties to pass judgment on other attendees. What was supposed to be a simple task from her mother ends with Alia befriending Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery. To her parent’s shock, Alia invites Varun and his family to this week’s dinner party. The unexpected guests lead to old secrets coming to the surface, leading to a family showdown.

Geeta’s script doesn’t break new ground, but that isn’t surprising given the number of quality films and TV shows in this genre, including “The Big Sick” and” Never Have I Ever.” Geeta went down the checklist hitting all of the significant elements. A child wants to live differently than their parents, obviously. Parents have their issues with aspects of their culture, check. The frustrated child learns they haven’t seen the whole picture because the family has been keeping secrets, double-check. “India Sweets and Spices” sets itself apart from the rest of the genre by highlighting the feminist movements around India, a struggle that continues today. It is the most moving element of the movie, and it serves as a backdrop to the mother-daughter relationship that is essential to the film’s success.

What “India Sweets and Treats” lacks in originality, it makes up for in charm and compelling performances. The movie is centered around three women, Alia, and the conflict with her mother, Sheila (Manisha Koirala), who has a secret past with Bhairavi (Deepti Gupta), Varun’s mother. Koirala and Gupta bring a level of dramatic acting that makes you wish they had many more scenes together. Ali has plenty of heavy moments of her own, but she excels with her comedic timing. She brings levity to a story that could easily get bogged down in the details of arranged marriages and the social status of women in India.

“India Sweets and Spices” is a 3.5 out of 5 because it should have been more challenging to watch if Geeta wanted it to stand out from the crowd. However, its levity makes it a great family movie that should have generations laughing along, even if it won’t knock any of the classics off their pedestals.

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Director: Geeta Malik
Producer: Gigi Pritzker, John Penotti, Naomi Despres, Sidney Kimmel
Writer: Geeta Malik
Release Date: November 19th, 2021
Runtime: 1h 41m
Distributor: Bleecker Street