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Brown in America

Desis in Entertainment: Box office results for June movies with high desi quotient, Nipa update on The Next Food Network Star

By: Santosh :+: Under: Brown in America, Entertainment
On: ⋅ June 23, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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How did June movies with some desis in them do?
Based on number for BoxOfficeMojo:
1. “Get Smart” released this weekend, features Dalip Singh a.k.a The Great Khali in the role of the main villain’s bodyguard, who the hero (Steve Carrell) later befriends.
Verdict: Big opening week. Probably a medium level box office hit. Desi Quotient: Upgraded to 2 out of 5 with the increased role for Dalip Singh.
2. Which brings us to our next movie, “Love Guru”.
Verdict: Poor opening weekend. Probably a flop at the box office. Desi Quotient: 5 out of 5.
3. “The Happening” continued a surprising box office run staying the top 5 for the second week in a row.
Verdict: Given the negative publicity and panning by MSM critics, it will probably end up as one of the surprise hits of the year. Desi Quotient: Downgraded to 2 out of 5. Shyamalan needs to employ more desi actors
4. “The Brick Lane” was released only in 7 theaters and made $50,000 an average of over $7000 a theaters. By comparison, “Love Guru” made only $4,648 per theater.
Verdict: Call me biased but this movie needs to hit more theaters across the nation. Desi Quotient: Being that it’s entirely based on the life of a Bangladeshi immigrant in London, 5 out of 5.
5. “The Fall” released at the beginning of June is still out in the theaters. I’ve not watched this movie yet but have heard of its stunning visuals and cinematography. Directed by Tarsem Singh, it also stars Jeetu Verma in a prominent role.
Verdict: Being that it’s such a niche movie, it’s really hard to classify it as a box office hit or flop. Word on the blogosphere is that it’s definitely worth checking out. Desi Quotient: Desi director + desi actor in prominent role + stunning visuals including some desi locales = 4 out of 5.

Anyone know of any July release with high desi quotients?

Was Nipa eliminated on “The Next Food Network Star”?
Nipa had a week from hell. Asked to shoot a video for cleaning squid, she was unable to do it because it was out of her area of expertise. The next challenge was making a fish dish and another dish out of grapefruit. After making a big fuss over touching fish, Nipa’s food turned out well, surprisingly. However, during her presentation she burst out into impromptou session of what she called “Bollywood Dancing”. Given that her audience were military personnel, it did not go down well with some of them. Nipa was eliminated. The Next Food Network Star won’t be cooking Indian food anytime soon.
However, if some Indian cuisine chefs (and other also) want to learn from Nipa’s experiences here’s a few pointers:
1. Mr/Ms. Friendly - Create a warm and friendly image. While it’s good to appear confident, it can easily be mistaken for cockiness.
2. Face time, face time, face time - Practice with the camera all you can. Practice talking to the camera while you cook. Practice presenting your dishes to the camera everyday. Be creative and witty without overdoing it.
3. Spin yarns - It is not simply enough if you describe what you’re making and how to do it. Try relating the food with some childhood experiences and family anecdotes. If you’re cooking some new fare like Indian cuisine, some history on the food will also be appreciated.
4. Minority reports - If you’re from a “minority” (in the US) background, speak about it. Audiences and judges love hearing that kind of stuff.
5. Culinary expertise - Even if you are an Indian cuisine chef, food network execs want to know how you can translate it to an American audience. Making a potato curry with rice and naan won’t work every week. You have to be able to make entrees with meats and seafood and appetizers with some sauces.

Hoping to see more Indian cuisine chefs on “The Food Network” soon.

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