A Good Arrangement

A Kurm Event and Produ., Secret Pact production. Created by Sarovar Banka. Co-producer, K.M. Das. Directed, compiled 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 from the mix-cultural romantic comedies that regularly appear at Indian diaspora fests, Sarovar Banka's "A Good Arrangement" reps an absolute cut above average. Shot on Super 35 and supported with a magnificent score by Neel Murgai, the pic juxtaposes its American-born hero's comical look for an Indian wife by having an open-ended search for the wide roads 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 is going to be best appreciated by festgoers. Though born and elevated in the usa, Ashok (Adam Laupus) decides to find an Indian bride for reasons never entirely obvious even going to themself. In Chandigarh, the candidates are arranged and mix-recommended with callous efficiency by Ashok's older cousin Preeti (award-bathed actress Shabana Azmi, excellent here) and pored over and said on by Preeti's lively teenage daughter, Suriya (Shreya Sharma). But Ashok's casual dress and laid-back approach neglect to attract his status-minded prospective in-laws and regulations, and the unapologetic insufficient ambition (or worse, his vague desire to become "real" author rather than penning ad copy) sabotages a lot of Preeti's effort on his account. After a number of comic mismatches, Ashok finally meets a contender whose candor and cultural ambivalence echo their own. Amita (Diksha Basu), a stylish, well-educated modern lady in her own late 20s, takes Ashok aside to inform him she's getting married to purely to impress her traditional parents, warning him that they wants nothing related to love. The 2 prove compatible enough being careful buddies, as shots of Ashok perched easily on the rear of Amita's motorbike attest -- but hearts, flowers and sex are plainly absent. The plans proceed apace, Ashok's parents coming from America for that wedding. But Ashok has met Lorie (Lethia Nall), a backpacking American who's touring India not, she rapidly assures him, for "enlightenment," but merely to get a society not the same as her very own. With Lorie, Ashok finds out no India strained through anxiety over ethnic identity, but a panoply of sights and sounds that strike responsive guitar chords within him. Though Laupus and some of the other stars never completely inhabit their roles, their clumsiness well reads as discomfort by having an unfamiliar culture. Nonetheless, their non-professional type of thesping could pose an issue for distribs. Amol Rathod's awesome-well developed lensing captures the initial charm of Chandigarh's sights, highly abetted by Murgai's layered score, which includes many aspects of classical Indian music.Camera (color, Super 35), Amol Rathod editor, Tom Quinn music, Neel Murgai art director, Priten Patil costume designer, Roopa Sood seem designer, Anita Kushwaha casting, Avani Parikh, Gita Reddy. Examined at Montreal World Film Festival (Concentrate on World Cinema), August. 21, 2011. Running time: 97 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com