Loins of Punjab Presents

Manish Acharya's engaging satire Loins of Punjab Presents—billed as India's highest-grossing English-language comedy—sends up both American Idol and South Asian culture in a mockumentary style reminiscent of This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. A pork purveyor known as the Loin King bankrolls a singing contest called Desi Idol in a small town in New Jersey, offering a $25,000 prize. Contestants include student Preeti Patel (Ishitta Sharma), actress Sania Rehman (Seema Rahmani), statistician Vikram Tejwani (co-writer/director Acharya), socialite Rrita Kapoor (Shabana Azmi), India scholar Josh Cohen (Michael Raimondi), and bhangra enthusiast Balrash Gupta (Office Space's Ajay Naidu), aka Turbanotorious B.D.G. Once the auditions and elimination rounds begin, complications ensue: Sania admits to Vikram that she only pretends to understand Hindi, Mrs. Kapoor (who plans to donate her winnings to charity if she comes out on top) uses her connections to secure insider information, and Preeti's supporters argue that the producers shouldn't allow Josh (who is Jewish) to compete. Although the film gets off to an awkward start, Acharya soon finds his footing in this Bollywood charmer featuring a winning soundtrack. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, interviews, deleted scenes, and bonus shorts. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning comedy.] (K. Fennessy)