Movie Review: Aloo Chaat

Indian lad ( Aftab) in Amrika falls in love with Muslim girl ( Aamna). What will Bauji and Beeji and the nosy neighbours back home in Lajpat Nagar think? They are okay with Developed White Americans,but a Musalmaan? Shudder.

The tricks,of course,is to get a genuine Amrikan gal ( Linda Arsenio) as a pretend fiancée,in order to show up the evil ways of these ‘First Worlders’. So the ‘firangan’ is made to wear flimsy bikinis and sun-bathe on the terrace,with hordes of lusty Lajpat Nagar males gaping at her. Of course,the good Muslim girl covers her with a dupatta,and leads her inside. “Inne vadhiya sanskaar”,intones the staunchly Hindu Beeji-Bauji household. Of course,the Amrikan can only rustle up anaemic chicken roasts, but the good Muslim girl is a wizard in the kitchen,and ‘murg mussalams’ her way into the family’s heart.

And of course,you and I know how it will all end,right from the time ‘Aloo Chaat’ opens. Watch it if you like your comedy loud,obvious and heavily underscored. The good news is the message running through the film,and very valid in these troubled times : if they can demurely conjure up creamy ‘dal makhani’,Muslim girls should have no difficulties in turning into Punjabi daughters-in-law.