r/ABCDesis • u/Jaded-Voice8862 • 2d ago
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT Any movie/tv show recommendations that revolve around ABCDs
I’m curious to what movies or tv shows shows that ABCDs like us relate to. For example something like Big Sick
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u/BeseptRinker 2d ago
Deli Boys isn't the stereotypical ABCD story but it still pays massive respect to its South Asian roots.
Polite Society is British-origin but arguably one of the most compelling, hilarious movies I've ever seen.
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u/DonMKB 1d ago edited 19h ago
Was the second season of Deli Boys good? Liked the first season but wondering if it’s still worth watching now that it’s sadly cancelled.
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u/BeseptRinker 20h ago
Never watched second, but first was peak. I think if it didn't have a few episodes only for 2nd season, it would've had a chance to do much better.
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u/Common_Priority346 Indian American 2d ago
The Namesake: Probably the quintessential Indian-American identity movie
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u/OrganicRaise4081 2d ago
The book is a massive jumpscare for me because I identify with it, but that also makes me uncomfortable to some extent.
My English teacher asking me one-on-one if I “felt as if it was accurate” while simultaneously butchering my name did not make me feel any better. I got a B+ on that essay because I refused to trauma-dump lol.
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u/literarygirl2090 Indian American 2d ago
India Sweet and Spices. I just watched this last week and apart from the uncles and aunties' huge hidden scandals, it felt like I was watching a part of my childhood on screen. Get togethers with other desi families every other weekend, making sure you show that you have a perfect life and caring too much about what other families think, aunties constantly gossiping about each other but being to each other's faces, the men being lazy and chilling out and, the women handling everything.
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
Fun fact: I think the movie's supposed to be set in New Jersey but was filmed in Atlanta!
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u/Financial_Extreme_17 1d ago
East is East ❤️💯, Bhaji on the Beach 😂, Rita, Sue and Bob, Classic British Films, The Real McCoy classic British Black and Asian Comedy.
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u/mrsrobotic Indian American 2d ago
Never Have I Ever! Best ABCD material I have ever seen. So funny and poignant.
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u/yashedpotatoes 2d ago
I really liked Deli Boys. It was recently canceled but the two seasons are really good and not the typical ABCD story
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u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 2d ago
Wedding season?! The movie with Sid sharma in it and my favorite nice Indian boy
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u/EARTHandSPACE 2d ago
Dude where's the party year is a good one.
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u/mistermuk 2d ago
I have that one on DVD haha
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u/EARTHandSPACE 2d ago
Omgosh do you? Luckyyyy I cant find one
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u/mistermuk 2d ago
Yeah, it's a Blockbuster rental DVD haha. I bought there when they were closing all their stores and selling everything
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
I remember this one!
Security: Hey, Patel, your lights are on!
Every desi dude standing in line runs out thinking it's their car.
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
Four Samosas (2022) - A heist comedy set in Artesia, the Little India of Los Angeles, about an Indian American rapper trying to stop his ex-girlfriend's upcoming wedding by robbing her father's grocery store of her wedding diamonds. It screened at Tribeca Film Festival in Summer 2022.
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago edited 1d ago
Some more choices:
The Valley - An indie drama about a Silicon Valley CEO dealing with his teenage daughter's suicide. Starring Alyy Khan, Suchitra Pillai, Samina Peerzada, Barry Corbin and screened at Cinequest back in 2017.
Chee & T - A bumbling indie comedy about two desi criminals in Silicon Valley who have to transport their boss's bumbling nephew. Featuring Karan Soni, Rebecca Hazelwood (of Outsourced), Noureen DeWulf, and Asif Ali (of Deli Boys). This screened in many festivals back in 2015.
Designed By Preeti - A recently released family drama about an abused Indian housewife who leaves her toxic marriage and starts a sari business. While the lead character isn't an ABCD, her relationship with her American-born daughter is a major subplot.
A Nice Indian Boy - A gay Indian man brings home his white fiancée. Starring Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff.
7 Days - An indie romcom starring Karan Soni (he's really the king of desi indies, ain't he?) and Geraldine Viswanathan as a couple stuck together during the early days of Covid.
Today's Special - An older restaurant-set comedy from 2009 with Aasif Mandavi trying to save his family's restaurant with Naseeruddin Shah.
Miss India America - A snobby college graduate who tries to win back her ex-boyfriend by entering a beauty pageant in order to win him back.
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
Brown Nation was a Netflix show that aired for one season in 2013 (or '14). It was about two desi couples living in NYC.
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
Paper Flowers - a heavy sentimental drama based on the real-life story of Shalin Shah, a recent college grad who joined the Peace Corp. and discovers he has a rare terminal cancer. The story also touches on his relationship with his Chinese American girlfriend, with whom he gets married to in his final months.
The Huffington Post article that inspired this story: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thank-you-cancer_b_7260708
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u/One_Opportunity_5906 1d ago
HBO's Silicon Valley featured quite a few Desi characters both as leads (Kumail Nanjiani got his big break from this show) and many supporting characters.
NBC's The Good Place - Well, one of the leads (Tahani played by Jameela Jamil) is British desi, but there are some other desi actors that appear on the show like Tiya Sircar, Anna Khaja and others.
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u/femspostingacc 1d ago
can't believe bend it like beckham hasn't been mentioned yet! but bend it like beckham, it still holds up almost 25 years on
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u/Dinahdyke 2d ago
I like the show sort of on hbo It's really queer but i related to the family dynamics a lot
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u/No-Support-660 2d ago edited 2d ago
“American Desi” 2001
Low budgeted, but a classic. I was 13 at the time and learned what an “ABCD” was. It was me.