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Movies about “ethnic” communities often follow a certain pattern. The first-generation member of said community struggles with the expectations of their parents, relatives, and other individuals from their same ethnic, racial, or national group. They try to chart their own path, and wonder when they can come clean about who they really are. There might be a romantic partner from someone outside the community in the mix, and there might be some kind of physical distance put between them and their family to really emphasize the “start anew” messaging.

There are many wonderful movies, particularly about South Asian protagonists, that follow some version of this—“ The Namesake ,” “ Bend It Like Beckham ,” “ Hala ,” “ The Big Sick ”—and it’s not really a surprise that films inspired by overlapping cultural experiences will end up with rough similarities to each other. (It’s worth asking why films about friction within immigrant communities and the allure of American “freedom” often seem to get financed and distributed more than others about these same groups, but that’s a question for another time.) And into this subgenre arena enters director and writer Geeta Malik ’s “India Sweets and Spices,” which mimics each of those preceding films in certain ways.

Pleasant but unchallenging, “India Sweets and Spices” sets itself apart with a brief history lesson about women’s movements across India (still ongoing, like during the March 2021 farmers’ protests ). That backward gaze is a solid asset, and is delivered via a layered performance from actress Manisha Koirala , well-known for her decades of work in Indian films. With minute changes in her gaze or stare, she transforms from someone acquiescing to someone resentful; with slight shifts in pitch, she conveys regret and pride. It’s a shame that she doesn’t have more scenes with the similarly formidable actress Deepti Gupta ; together, they bring tangible lived experience to a film that relies on their grit and wisdom to makes its points about relocation and reinvention.

Otherwise, so many elements of “India Sweets and Spices” are laid out in unremarkable fashion. A daughter’s desire to live differently from her parents, check. The complications of her parents’ arranged marriage, check. A love interest who comes from a different walk of life from her own, check. A hidden history in the “old country” that tilts her understanding of her mother and father, check. “India Sweets and Spices” falls into familiarity from its opening minutes and then spends the rest of its run time attempting to climb back out. Some of its plot developments are too broad (a dinner party where the aggrieved party calls out everyone else on their hypocrisy, secret photos used as relationship blackmail). Some of its dialogue is irredeemably corny (“I’m not superficial, I watch documentaries!”), and some of its observations of Indian-American rituals lack insight or bite. Much of this has been done before in more stylish, more well-rounded films, and “India Sweets and Spices” suffers from those comparisons.

“India Sweets and Spices” follows UCLA student Alia Kapur ( Sophia Ali ) as she returns home to her parents’ extremely upper-class neighborhood of Ruby Hill, New Jersey, for the summer after freshman year. In college, she drank, she had sex, and she was able to be herself. Back in her parents’ palatial home, Alia chafes against what she construes as her mother Sheila’s (Koirala) strictness and classism, and she appeals to her father Ranjit’s ( Adil Hussain ) more laidback nature. But Alia’s irritation at all the pomp and circumstance only increases each Saturday night, with a dinner-party tradition that cycles through the other rich members of her parents’ friend circle. Each weekend is an opportunity for the hosts to show everyone else up—more courses, more help staff, more elaborate outfits, more lavish interiors—and Alia, with her biting asides and simmering sarcasm, is getting tired of it.

Until she ventures into the Indian grocery store and locks eyes with employee Varun ( Rish Shah ); the moment is so charged that, in a nod to Bollywood classics, Alia’s hair blows back from the force of their encounter. The direct, unpretentious Varun is nothing like Alia’s longtime friend Rahul ( Ved Sapru ), whom all the aunties think Alia is going to marry. Everything comes easy for the rich, connected Rahul, while working-class, community college-attending Varun is earthier and more appealing. So Alia makes a choice more scandalous than sleeping with Varun behind her parents’ backs: She invites his family, including shopkeeper father Gurvinder (Raj Kala) and mother Bhairavi (Gupta), to the next dinner party at her family’s house. The arrival of the family, with their nice but not ostentatious outfits and their plastic container full of homemade desserts, sends the party’s attendees into a tittering frenzy of gossip and snideness. And when it’s revealed that Sheila and Bhairavi have some kind of secret shared history, Alia finally realizes that her parents might not be exactly who they seem.

What follows in “India Sweets and Spices” is an incremental unfurling of exposed lies, betrayals, and hidden identities, and to Malik’s credit, she mostly maintains the film’s humbleness. With the community’s chit-chat as an omnipresent buzz in the background, the movie remains focused on Alia and Sheila’s relationship, and it delivers some meaningful moments between mother and daughter: a shared haircut, a quiet drive, a photograph pored over together. “India Sweets and Spices” could have benefited from a more thoughtful consideration of the traditional customs it judges (like arranged marriages) or the parental behaviors it mocks (the “model minority” trope, or jokes about the “doctor, lawyer, engineer” pressure for children’s careers). Without some of that substance, the film’s “don’t be too quiet” message feels slightly hollow. But Koirala and Gupta! "India Sweets and Spices" is worth watching for their work alone.

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Roxana Hadadi

Roxana Hadadi is a film, television, and pop culture critic. She holds an MA in literature and lives outside Baltimore, Maryland.

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Film credits.

India Sweets and Spices (2021)

101 minutes

Sophia Ali as Alia Kapur

Manisha Koirala as Sheila Kapur

Adil Hussain as Ranjit Kapur

Deepti Gupta as Bhairavi Dutta

Rish Shah as Varun Dutta

Ved Sapru as Rahul Singh

Geeta Malik

Cinematographer

Shane F. Kelly
Ceiri Torjussen

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‘India Sweets and Spices’ Review: Gossip, Secrets and Biting Laughs

A party invitation exposes a family and a community in this Geeta Malik feature starring Sophia Ali.

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By Lisa Kennedy

In Geeta Malik’s comedy-drama “India Sweets and Spices” the aunties maim. At least emotionally. The wives and mothers who live in an upscale New Jersey enclave of Indian Americans like their gossip spicy and don’t seem to care who feels the burn. (The scotch-drinking, suit-clad uncles aren’t laggards in that department either.)

When Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) arrives home from the University of California, Los Angeles, for the summer, she sets in motion a maelstrom of chatter. Her plans to chill are derailed by her parents, who draft her into attending the Saturday parties that move from well-appointed home to well-appointed home, starting with theirs. On a whim, she invites Varun Dutta (Rish Shah) and his hard-working parents (the new owners of the titular grocery store) to the gathering. A summer of revelations ensues — the most startling of which concern Alia’s dad and mom, Ranjit (Adil Hussain) and Sheila (Manisha Koirala).

Caste snobbery has followed these families from India to the United States. While Alia and her friends roll their eyes at each other about their parents’ obsessions with status, they also enjoy the swimming pools, BMWs and California universities that those priorities make possible.

“India Sweets and Spices” is a gentle but firm take on the costs of keeping up with the Joneses, or the Devis in this case. Without sacrificing comedic buoyancy, Malik and her ensemble make palpable a community that is vibrant and claustrophobic. Koirala, a Bollywood star, brings a taut poise to a mother whose veneer seems adamantine until the Duttas walk in the door. Deepti Gupta delivers a soulful performance as the sage shopkeeper who knew Sheila a lifetime ago.

India Sweets and Spices Rated PG-13 for frisky fooling around and some smoking. Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes. In theaters.

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Review: There’s more than meets the eye in charming ‘India Sweets and Spices’

A smiling young woman in the movie “India Sweets and Spices.”

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“India Sweets and Spices,” a charming film from writer-director Geeta Malik, initially sneaks in under the guise of a standard rom-com as our spirited heroine, Alia (Sophia Ali), falls hard for Varun (Rish Shah) after a meet-cute in his family’s Indian grocery store. Fresh from hosting Greenpeace keggers as a UCLA freshman, Alia is home for the summer, where she bristles at the Indian social scene in posh Ruby Hill, N.J. (a stand-in for Cherry Hill), with its strictly enforced gender roles and emphasis on marriage. Meanwhile, handsome Varun is new in town — and will coincidentally be transferring to UCLA in the fall. (Why doesn’t real life work out this neatly?)

Alia and Varun initially seem well matched with their easy, sexy chemistry, but her rich parents’ snobbery and the social circle’s gossip and judgment threaten their relationship. The film, however, doesn’t just focus on Alia and Varun’s blossoming romance; it also explores class and gender in Indian American culture when Alia discovers that her traditional-seeming mother, Sheila ( Manisha Koirala ), may not have always been what she appears.

“India Sweets and Spices” is shot and scored more like a Lifetime movie than a theatrical release, but it’s easy to look past its basic aesthetic to the deeper film beneath. The wit in Malik’s script is a match for Ali’s lively, often sarcastic delivery, proving an excellent fit between the lead actress and the material. Warmth and intelligence — and a strong sense of both fun and feminism — make Malik’s film worth a watch, and rising star Ali is worth keeping an eye on as well.

‘India Sweets and Spices’

Rated: PG-13, for some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes Playing: Starts Nov. 19, Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino

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India Sweets and Spices Reviews

Headlined by the spirited Sophia Ali, this vibrant romance/family drama has a lively pacing. There are unexpected twists thrown in that made this one quite memorable.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 14, 2023

India Sweets and Spices is peppy, energetic and unapologetically broad in its comic approach.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 4, 2022

The impossibility of ever really knowing our parents is a familiar storyline, but it’s told here with real generosity and warmth. Malik slyly pokes fun, but never meanly.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 29, 2022

Sweet central performances can't outweight the social satire laid on thick and the gaudy aesthetic in this inside job on some questionable expat community values

Full Review | Feb 21, 2022

What follows makes this movie more complex that its rom-com set up, which has Alia returning home for the summer break, being pursued by a handsome, wealthy young man who will have a real elephant...

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 17, 2022

Its ham-fisted, for sure, and some of the story points are clumsily handled...Still, its hard not to warm to the films well-packaged progressive sentiments, especially when blessed with such a winning lead performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 4, 2022

A blend of a romantic comedy and a family drama [that's] somewhat erratic in its tone and pacing. It's ultimately a charming story about a young woman finding her identity and coming to terms with how family baggage and family traditions affect her life.

Full Review | Jan 20, 2022

"Snobby Rich Indians" ...a tasty peek into the overachieving, hyper-competitive and insular world of America's affluent Indian diaspora.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5.4 | Dec 7, 2021

India Sweets and Spices gives us a different aspect of the diaspora experience by trying to understand Sheila's generation and the things they gave up in order to give their children the life they have.

Full Review | Nov 29, 2021

The film's balance of humor, drama, and emotional depth makes India Sweets and Spices a delight to watch.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 23, 2021

In spite of the themes of emancipation the film has wrapped itself in, it's ironically caught between the safety of old paths and its desire to step into new ones.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Nov 23, 2021

The film does still have a certain degree of charm, thanks mostly to the performance from Ali, who moves nicely between the comedic and serious moods and helps to center the narrative.

Full Review | Nov 22, 2021

Unfortunately, "India Sweets and Spices" feels as shallow as the wealthy community it depicts.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 19, 2021

Much of this has been done before in more stylish, more well-rounded films, and India Sweets and Spices suffers from those comparisons.

Alia's internal tug-of-war may be familiar to many first- and second-generation children of immigrants, and Malik's film makes that uneasy struggle into a poignant yet delightful journey of self-discovery.

Full Review | Nov 19, 2021

Writer/director Geeta Malik attempts to tackle a lot within the fairly limited framework of India Sweets and Spices.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 19, 2021

Warmth and intelligence - and a strong sense of both fun and feminism - make Malik's film worth a watch, and rising star Ali is worth keeping an eye on as well.

Full Review | Nov 18, 2021

Substantive without being didactic, and bursting with humor, it's a genuine feel-good film that focuses on the relationships between people in a manner that's as authentic as it is pleasing.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 18, 2021

A bland, uninspired story cut from a well worn template.

Malik addresses potent cultural issues with clarity and sophistication and the film winds up being as much of a spitfire as its irresistible female protagonist.

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‘India Sweets and Spices’ Review: Spirited Intergenerational Dramedy Serves Up a Hearty Indian American Tale

Geeta Malik's conventional coming-of-age tale aims for 'Crazy Rich Asians'-adjacent flavors with varying degrees of success, but still leaves a satisfying aftertaste.

By Tomris Laffly

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Everything starts and ends with tradition in “ India Sweets and Spices ,” an inviting intergenerational dramedy of comforting flavors, both witty and familiar. Packing a conventional coming-of-age tale into its pleasantly paced running time, Geeta Malik ’s sophomore feature — about old-fashioned multicultural families with storied roots and their modern, independently minded offspring — doesn’t offer all that much that is thematically surprising. But the writer-director’s hearty enthusiasm for her Indian American characters of different stripes, as well as a memorably zesty lead performance by Sophia Ali (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Truth or Dare”), manage to deliver distinct yet relatable tastes to the viewer all the same.

These virtues surprisingly feel enough to make up for some bland, sitcom directing and instances of uneven acting throughout. They also warrant a wide audience for the universal story that “India Sweets and Spices” tells with earnestness, even when the script leans schematic at times. And much like the diverse crowds that flocked to the admittedly far superior “Crazy Rich Asians,” that audience isn’t limited to the specific demographics the film portrays, but includes everyone drawn to narratives that unravel common human struggles around family, class and identity at their core — qualities that should translate into a healthy shelf life for the film, especially on streaming platforms.

Despite the plainness of the picture’s one-note direction, the Bollywood-style colors are still appealingly vibrant and plentiful throughout the movie, set mostly in and around an affluent suburb of New Jersey. It’s a neighborhood filled with shoulder-to-shoulder stately houses and immaculately manicured gardens and terraces, one that unintentionally unearths some visual humor inside a Tony Soprano-style lavishness. It is this well-heeled outpost lacquered in money that the spirited UCLA student Alia Kapur (Ali) returns to one summer — but not before we meet her at an unhinged university party on the opposite coast, the final one of her Spring semester where the unruly Alia gets blind-drunk and (with shocking skill for someone so intoxicated) cuts her own hair. This act marks Alia’s first rebellion against her traditional Indian-American parents, a posh pair perennially concerned more about “What will people say?” than how a decision, big or small, would impact their own health and happiness.

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We soon learn that this code of community-driven thinking and conduct informs every aspect of their life. Alia’s prim and proper mom Sheila (Manisha Koirala) especially runs a tight ship in the social affairs department, often throwing extravagant parties for their neighbors and relatives where they never cause any extreme scandals like running out of crackers mid-soiree or heaven forbid, shamefully wearing the wrong thing. Using a template nostalgically reminiscent of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” Malik roughly structures “India Sweets and Spices” around a number of these parties thrown both by Sheila, and in turn, various other unforgivingly gossipy “Aunties” (playfully referred to as “sari-wearing zombies” by Alia in one scene) in their wealthy circles.

Leave it to the young Alia to disturb the order! When she invites over the Duttas, the new shopkeepers in town, to one of her parents’ fetes in order to get closer to their handsome son Varun (Rish Shah), all hell breaks loose.

Well, not exactly, but the inclusion of the middle class Duttas does slowly disrupt a superficially perfect picture, and Malik has some fun with it as the rich, polite bunch gradually drops their faux civilities one by one, exposing their snobbishness humorously. The movie’s MVP, costume designer Whitney Anne Adams also does some inspired work in this regard, magnifying the divide between the upper-class folk’s gorgeous, jewel-encrusted formal wear and the Duttas’ contrastingly simple, but tasteful and elegant clothing. This split gets amplified when Bhairavi Dutta (a soulful Deepti Gupta) walks into her first Kapur gathering and faces a flabbergasted Sheila, whom she seems to know from decades ago.

What follows is a feminist awakening — or reawakening — for both Alia and Sheila, with the latter remembering her young, firebrand days as a political, troublemaking activist and reinstating her individuality against her routinely cheating husband. This third-act shift and consequent resolution frankly feels unearned on the page, but the actors — especially Gupta — give it their all to sell it, driving the story to a jovial conclusion where even more secrets get spilled and everyone hilariously airs their dirty laundry.

Elsewhere, Malik proves more successful with dissecting the notion of intersectional class — both the bonding and confrontations between Alia and Varun feel genuinely touching once Alia, more concerned about lounging by the pool than anything for a while, becomes acutely aware of the intricacies of her privileges. None of it is groundbreaking or even sophisticated stuff exactly, but “India Sweets and Spices” still leaves an unexpectedly nourishing aftertaste.

Reviewed at Tribeca Festival (online), June 11, 2021. Running time: 101 MIN.

Production: A Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Madison Wells Media production. Producers: Gigi Pritzker, John Penotti, Naomi Despres, Sidney Kimmel. Executive producers: Mark O'Connor, Kilian Kerwin, Rachel Shane, Adrian Alperovich, Bruce Toll.
Crew: Director, writer: Geeta Malik. Camera: Shane F. Kelly. Editors: Kevin Hickman, Hugh Ross. Music: Ceiri Torjussen.
With: Sophia Ali, Rish Shah, Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta, Ved Sapru.

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India sweets and spices, common sense media reviewers.

Entertaining family dramedy promotes empathy, courage.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

It takes compassion to understand others' inner wo

Alia is brave to try to find out more about her mo

Focuses exclusively on Indian Americans, particula

Smashing plates, descriptions of violence against

Kissing/making out, a mention of sex, scene with i

Language includes "s--t," "ass," "a--holes," "damn

Focus on excess wealth, such as affluent neighborh

Description of weed, smoking.

Positive Messages

It takes compassion to understand others' inner worlds, especially when you're trying to understand what might have caused them damage or trauma. Being emotionally open requires empathy and courage. Film also serves as short history lesson about dynamics within South Asian culture regarding feminism, social justice, and traditional patriarchal standards.

Positive Role Models

Alia is brave to try to find out more about her mother's past. She also shows compassion and empathy when she learns about her mother's past as a freedom fighter. Her mom then has to find her own courage to reclaim who she was, but she's able to use Alia's empathy as power.

Diverse Representations

Focuses exclusively on Indian Americans, particularly affluent ones. One family also represents lower- to middle-class Indian Americans, offering some viewers characters who might be closer to their reality. Rich characters provide a bit of escapism, but they're also used to show how consumerism can make people flat and shallow. Families will be able to learn more about the similarities that all families have when it comes to secrets, interpersonal relationships, and community.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Smashing plates, descriptions of violence against women. A scene with a character sporting a black eye after being arrested.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing/making out, a mention of sex, scene with innuendos about vegetables.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "s--t," "ass," "a--holes," "damn," "goddamn," "turd," and half of "motherf----r." Exclamatory uses of "oh my God" and "Jesus."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Focus on excess wealth, such as affluent neighborhoods and big homes, expensive parties, talk of expensive weddings, etc.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that India Sweets and Spices is a dramedy about a college-age woman named Alia ( Sophia Ali ) who comes home for the summer and learns her family's secrets. There's some sexual content (kissing/making out, innuendos) and swearing ("s--t," "ass," "damn," "oh my God," etc.), as well as smoking and descriptions of weed. There are also descriptions of violence against women and a scene with a character sporting a black eye after being arrested. The film focuses on family interpersonal drama using consumerism as a backdrop. It's a positive example of diverse representation and has themes of compassion, empathy, and courage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES explores the secrets that make families what they are. Alia ( Sophia Ali ) comes home from college for the summer to engage in the usual parade of parties hosted by her family's affluent Indian American friends. But when she learns about her parents' secrets, she seeks to find meaning beyond the consumerism of her life and engage in what's meaningful and impactful about her mother's past.

Is It Any Good?

This fun film is part coming-of-age story, part family dramedy, and part Real Housewives of New Jersey seen through an Indian American filter. In short, it's very entertaining, with lots of heart. India Sweets and Spices helps expand Asian representation on-screen, highlighting the often neglected South Asian experience. But the film isn't just about representation; it's a short history lesson for viewers about dynamics within South Asian culture regarding feminism, social justice, and traditional patriarchal standards.

All of these influences directly affect Alia, who's a social justice activist while she's at school. But when she goes back to her affluent New Jersey home, she finds that her family is playing a game of perfectionism along with the other rich Indian families in her neighborhood. Ali deftly portrays a young woman in the middle of discovering who she is while uncovering family secrets that provide answers to some of her personal questions. Her spirit keeps viewers engrossed in the story's drama, and her growth throughout the film is rewarding to see. Manisha Koirala is also a standout as Alia's mother, Sheila. Sheila has a past that directly relates to her daughter, but she keeps it hidden out of fear. Koirala does a great job at peeling back her character's layers, showing that she's not a demanding perfectionist but is actually a wounded woman acting from a place of self-preservation. The film's balance of humor, drama, and emotional depth makes India Sweets and Spices a delight to watch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how interpersonal family relationships are explored in India Sweets and Spices . What do the characters have in common with your own family? How are they different?

How did Sheila's past affect her in her adulthood? What commentary does the film make on feminism and patriarchal politics in India?

What commentary does the film make on consumerism ?

How do the characters show the importance of compassion , courage , and empathy ?

How do Alia and Sheila grow in the film?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 19, 2021
On DVD or streaming : December 7, 2021
Cast : Sophia Ali , Manisha Koirala , Rish Shah , Adil Hussain , Deepti Gupta
Director : Geeta Malik
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors, Indian/South Asian actors
Studio : Bleecker Street Media
Genre : Comedy
Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy
Run time : 101 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references
Last updated : October 8, 2022

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Sophia Ali as Alia, centre, in India Sweets and Spices.

India Sweets and Spices review – peppy Indian American romcom

Family secrets emerge and new love blossoms in this engaging if unchallenging New Jersey-set drama

C ollege freshman Alia (Sophia Ali) returns home to her affluent New Jersey suburb and the tight-knit but judgmental Indian diaspora community. But the weekly party scene and the gossipy speculation about marriages and infidelities begin to pall after she stumbles on her parent’s secrets. Meanwhile, romance blossoms with the son of the new owners of the local grocery shop.

India Sweets and Spices is peppy, energetic and unapologetically broad in its comic approach. But the burgeoning romance is markedly less interesting than the relationship between Alia and her mother (Manisha Koirala), a conservative housewife with a radical secret past.

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‘India Sweets and Spices’ Film Review: Sophia Ali and Rish Shah Bring the Heat to Indian-American Rom-Com

In Geeta Malik’s delightful love story, a college girl spends a summer confronting her family’s past and falling for a working-class grocer

Coming home from college can be a bumpy experience even for the best of students. And in “India Sweets and Spices,” straight-A scholar Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali, “Grey’s Anatomy”), gets no summer break from her family’s party circuit, a weekly fancy soiree hosted by different wealthy members of Ruby Hill’s Indian and Indian American community. It is a form of socializing with proverbial knives out as friends, family and aunties pass judgment on other attendees.

However, this summer is not going to be like previous party seasons for Alia. First, she invites the new working-class family who runs the local Indian grocery store to the formal events, with the intent of chatting up their handsome son, Varun (Rish Shah, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever”). It’s a class clash that shows how rarified the wealthiest circles of their community have become, but it also leads Alia to find out something shocking about her mother, Sheila (Manisha Koirala): The seemingly perfect housewife who lunches with other judgmental matriarchs and chides her daughter for her appearance was once a staunch feminist in India, who fought for what Alia believes in now.

The movie’s headstrong heroine must also confront another uncomfortable secret she learns about her dad Ranjit (Adil Hussain, “Life of Pi”) at a party, plus deal with mean-girl rumors about her and a former flame, Rahul (Ved Sapru), a fellow rich kid she’s not that into anymore.

Written and directed by Geeta Malik, “India Sweets and Spices” is a heartfelt family dramedy about no longer tolerating hurtful pasts and calling out hypocrisy. Malik’s second feature is somewhat of a spiritual successor to her debut, “Troublemaker,” in which a young woman who does not behave according to traditional expectations — much like Alia — tries to find her absentee father on a road trip with her best friend. In “India Sweets and Spices,” Alia’s first order of business is to confront her father about his extramarital affair, challenging the norm of her traditionally patriarchal household. Yet, she’s also frustrated by her mother, who is more concerned about quieting dissent in her home than dealing with the pain and shame her husband’s actions have caused her.

Malik’s script carries some Jane Austen–like elements of issues around class and social order. Alia and Varun’s relationship is a reverse set-up of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, with Alia being a member of the privileged class who can go to college without worrying about money while Varun had to start at a community college and work his way up.

Costume designer Whitney Anne Adams (“Freaky”) provides visual cues that Varun’s family is looked down upon, from his father wearing traditional clothes instead of the tailored western suits of the other men at the parties to his mother’s saris, which do not ostentatiously glitter and gleam like the bedazzled ensembles of her moneyed counterparts. And as with any good rom-com, there’s more than class differences at work here; competing romantic interests, jealousy and rumors also threaten to tear Varun and Alia apart.

However, “India Sweets and Spices” — and thankfully, Alia’s interests — extend far beyond romance. It’s also about the generational and ideological turmoil bubbling up in the Kapur household. Through Alia and Sheila’s arguments, Malik questions conformity, societal expectations, and how those pressures have been used to silence women for generations. The threat of causing a scandal and setting off a flood of gossip is treated like a fate worse than death.

In revealing more painful truths about the family’s past, Malik acknowledges the struggles of previous generations of Indian feminists and what it cost many of them. But in Alia’s story, there is hope; in Sheila’s, there is the idea that it’s never too late to reject conformity and the patriarchy.

As Alia, Ali brings a spirited performance to her passionate yet imperfect character. The college student is not above making mistakes, big and small. Yet she defends her mother, even when they’re at odds. Alia is exasperated by the fake pleasantries of her hometown’s mixers but knows how to survive the hostile pointed questions and comments.

“India Sweets and Spices” works so well in part because Ali gives her character the authenticity of someone trying to do the right thing while still figuring out how to handle her privilege and tradition. Her internal tug-of-war may be familiar to many first- and second-generation children of immigrants, and Malik’s film makes that uneasy struggle into a poignant yet delightful journey of self-discovery.

“India Sweets and Spices” opens in US theaters Nov. 19.

clock This article was published more than 2 years ago

The film ‘India Sweets and Spices’ paints a world of high expectations, with nuance and complexity

With representation comes pressure. Whenever a sometimes-marginalized community gets the chance to tell its story on screen, expectations can be high. “India Sweets and Spices,” which looks at an Indian American family, takes that expectation and turns it on its head, giving us a more nuanced, complicated, and problematic look at the people it’s about.

Written and directed by Geeta Malik, the film first introduces us to Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali of “Grey’s Anatomy”), the daughter of Indian immigrants Sheila and Ranjit (Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain, both well-established names in Indian cinema). Alia’s relationship with her parents is strained because she fits into just enough of their boxes to be successful, while missing just enough to be frustrating. For example: she’s an honors student at UCLA, but she drinks, doesn’t maintain her eyebrows and is outspoken about the sexism and classism she sees among her parents’ wealthy friends. When she returns home to suburban New Jersey for summer vacation, she’s subject to Jane Austen-esque parties, all of which blend together. The same people gossip about the same things — mostly who’s married whom, and when — while subtly trying to outshine one another with their own polished perfection.

Once, while on a trip to the local Indian market, Alia spots an attractive young man, Varun Dutta (Rish Shah), and, to get to know him better, invites him and his parents — who own the market — to a family party. It’s a minor scandal because the working class Duttas don’t fit in with the Kapurs and their wealthy circle. It becomes even more scandalous when Varun’s mother (Deepti Gupta) turns out to know Alia’s mom from India, and harbors more than a few secrets about her.

It would have been easy for the filmmaker to make Alia the woke, Americanized hero of this story, but Malik wisely avoids that trap, at first subtly, and then more overtly. Alia eventually learn that the appearance of her parents’ lives is more nuanced than she thought. But Malik also reveals that Alia is completely unaware of her own privilege and how it affects others. When she invites the Duttas, it never occurs to her that the invitation might make them uncomfortable, as well. (They feel obligated to accept, and then feel out of place when they arrive.) As much as Alia chafes against the rules of her world, she also knows how to navigate them, and she’s thrown off balance when others don’t.

Unfortunately, such sharp subtlety doesn’t carry through the entire movie. While the major characters are written and performed with beauty and complexity — particularly by Koirala as Alia’s mother — the minor characters are more broadly drawn. Revelations about them, for instance, don’t feel particularly, er, revelatory. Most of the twists and turns are relatively predictable, delivering a light buzz rather than an intense shock.

It’s not my place, as an outsider, to comment on the authenticity of “India Sweets and Spices.” But Malik has created a world that feels very real, ably communicating its occasionally frustrating and deceptively complex contours. There are some good laughs to be had, some good lessons to be learned and room to discuss the importance of being allowed to be imperfect.

PG-13. At area theaters. Contains some strong language, sexual material and brief drug references. 101 minutes.

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User reviews

India Sweets and Spices

When college freshman Alia returns home for the summer, she discovers secrets and lies in her parents' past that make her question everything she thought she knew about her family. When college freshman Alia returns home for the summer, she discovers secrets and lies in her parents' past that make her question everything she thought she knew about her family. When college freshman Alia returns home for the summer, she discovers secrets and lies in her parents' past that make her question everything she thought she knew about her family.

Geeta Malik
Manisha Koirala
15 User reviews
26 Critic reviews
57 Metascore

Varun Dutta

Sheila Kapur

Ranjit Kapur

Gurvinder Singh

Kamlesh Dutta
(as Kamran Shaikh)

Neha Bhatia

Bhairavi Dutta

Upscale Clubber

(as Krishna Ward)
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Trivia Originally titled Dinner With Friends.

User reviews 15

TheNamelessCzar
Jul 1, 2022
How long is India Sweets and Spices? Powered by Alexa
February 3, 2022 (Australia)
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Official site
Hindistan Tatlıları ve Baharatları
Marietta, Georgia, USA (Private home)
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
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Nov 21, 2021

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Runtime 1 hour 41 minutes

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Tribeca review: india sweets and spices' strong themes don't rise to potential.

India Sweets and Spices has a lot of overall great ideas and themes, even if it doesn’t always rise up to the potential of its setup and story.

There have been many movies tackling the Indian diaspora, first and second generation migrant stories that have been told with nuance and sincerity. India Sweets and Spices , written and directed by Geeta Malik, brings an intergenerational story that is wrapped up in a coming of age for its protagonist, Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali), her mother’s past, and women’s empowerment. India Sweets and Spices has a lot of overall great ideas and themes, even if it doesn’t always rise up to the potential of its setup and story.

The film opens with Alia (Ali) at a party on the UCLA campus, getting drunk enough to suggest that she cut everyone’s hair (including her own). When she returns home to New Jersey for the summer, Alia is pushed to attend weekend parties hosted by a variety of family friends from the Indian-American community, including her parents, Sheila (Manisha Koirala) and Ranjit (Adil Hussain). Alia wants to do as she pleases, but there is pressure to act in accordance with the community’s unspoken rules of propriety and traditions. That, in turn, puts her in direct conflict with Sheila, who is the ethereal picture of Indian values and elite social decorum. However, when Alia meets Varun Dutta (Rish Shah) and his family, who are the new owners of a local store and have recently moved to town, she invites them to her mother’s party. This sets off a chain of events that rocks Sheila’s meticulously crafted life and forces Alia to rethink everything she thought she knew about her family.

Related: Tribeca Review: Catch The Fair One Is An Intensely Captivating Revenge Thriller

The film’s feminist touches were unexpected and lovely, especially as they provided Sheila with more backstory and dimensions beyond the always put-together mother who has incredibly high expectations for her daughter. But as the film uses Sheila’s history to create conflicts within her family and community, there is less of a focus on how that ultimately shaped her all these years. However, there is something rather beautiful about Alia forging her own path after discovering her mother is not the woman she thought she was. Intergenerational stories are often best when a mother-daughter duo are each faced with challenges that somehow bring them closer together. To that end, India Sweets and Spices does excel, connecting Alia and Sheila just as they are each at a fork in the road of their lives where they must choose who they want to be moving forward.

Much of the issue is that India Sweets and Spices attempts to tackle too many storylines, leaving all of them rather underdeveloped. The film sets it up so that Alia’s coming of age story comes first and foremost before pivoting towards her mother’s mysterious past and feminist history, which comes as a deep shock to her daughter. This twist is meant to fuel Alia’s changing perspective about her life and influence the choices she will make in the future — whether it be settling into the traditions and social status that have shaped her life or forging her own path forward. The film is anchored by the spirited portrayal of Ali as Alia, who doesn’t seem to care whether she disrupts the snooty ways of her upper-class community.

However, Malik only brushes the surface when exploring, and later unraveling, the picturesque life of the characters. Class and the snobbery of the rich permeate the story, though there is little the film does to develop or deepen these aspects, especially when it comes to Alia, who fashions herself as being more progressive than the gossiping aunties and family friends she is often forced to engage with at social gatherings. When Varun brings up the privileges Alia as a rich Indian-American while she rails against her mother, there is some acknowledgement there. But the film glosses over a true reckoning for Alia with regards to the comfort her wealth and status have brought her by comparison to the working class Dutta family. What’s more, the film includes a half-formed love triangle that could have used a lot more development. Rather, Malik teases its presence without properly following through.

Malik weaves two stories to various degrees of success in the end. There is a lot the film is missing with regards to its focus, attempting to do too much with so little time that certain aspects and themes get lost amidst the chaos. But despite everything, India Sweets and Spices certainly has its highs, with some genuinely thoughtful and endearing moments. It doesn’t fully come together, especially as it pivots its focus from Alia to Sheila in a way that isn’t always balanced, but the performances and themes are fantastic.

Next: Tribeca Review: Mark, Mary & Some Other People Avoids Exploring Its Leads

India Sweets and Spices had its North American premiere during the Tribeca Festival on June 10, 2021. The film is 101 minutes long and is not yet rated.

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‘India Sweets and Spices’ Film Review: Sophia Ali and Rish Shah Bring the Heat to Indian-American Rom-Com

Costume designer Whitney Anne Adams (“Freaky”) provides visual cues that Varun’s family is looked down upon, from his father wearing traditional clothes instead of the tailored western suits of the other men at the parties to his mother’s saris, which do not ostentatiously glitter and gleam like the bedazzled ensembles of her moneyed counterparts. And as with any good rom-com, there’s more than class differences at work here; competing romantic interests, jealousy, and rumors also threaten to tear Varun and Alia apart.

“India Sweets and Spices” opens in US theaters Nov. 19.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘India Sweets and Spices’ on Hulu, A Warm Comedy About A Well-To-Do Indian Family

Where to stream:.

India Sweets and Spices

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Geeta Malik’s film India Sweets and Spices became a prominent 2021 release after being picked up for distribution by Bleecker Street Films and making its way to theaters by the end of the year. The film is one of very few diaspora films centered on an Indian family to be widely distributed, and has now found a streaming home on Hulu. Is the comedy-drama worth the hype?

INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Headstrong Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) returns home from college for the summer to her small, though upper crust, enclave and immediately clashes with her parents who are stuck in their “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality that takes shape by throwing extravagant parties with the other rich Indian families in the area. At first, as a way of spiting her family, Alia befriends the family that runs the local Indian grocery store who are of a decidedly different social status. But as they become more integrated into Alia’s family’s circle, secrets arise about her mom that will make everyone question what they know about one another.

What Will It Remind You Of?: The premise of a girl returning home for the first time in a while, completely changed, gives Sweet Home Alabama vibes. It’s also a great community-based ethnic comedy of the likes of Netflix’s Definition Please .

Performance Worth Watching: Though this is Sophia Ali’s film, the performances by Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain as her parents keep the story grounded in its lavish setting.

Memorable Dialogue: Gossiping aunties are a fun bit throughout, and Alia is the only one with the balls to stand up to them. In an amazing encounter, she claps back at the aunties with her own gossip about each of their kids: one was caught in a threeway in the school gym, another cried in class after failing a Physics final, and the last is a pothead. Scandalous!

Sex and Skin: Alia is very open about her sexuality and is sex-positive in her relaitonship, but Malik doesn’t explicitly show that side of the character on screen save for some steamy makeouts.

Our Take: There was a lot riding on India Sweets and Spices as one of the first South Asian-centric films picked up by a major distributor, and for the most part the film is a fresh diaspora story. Alia is outspoken instead of demure and sex-positive instead of prude, and her family is familiar but not stereotypical. There is no big lightbulb about Alia’s relationship to her culture — she is happily Indian and her concerns are more about the way in which her family interacts rather than bumping up against any cultural traditions. Further, the film convenes at various “family parties” (familiar to immigrants of all kinds) instead of at Diwali which has quickly become a tired trope of Indian-American storytelling, and the film shows the very real attitudes about society and class in South Asia diaspora in a meaningful way. This is the primary compliment for the film: it doesn’t retread familiar aspects of Indian culture.

India Sweets and Spices also shines a light on how much immigrant parents give up to give their children the lives they have now. Alia’s mom Sheila, played by Bollywood star Manisha Koirala, gets a rich backstory that is rarely seen for Indian women of her age and made me think of my own parents who sacrificed so much to give their children different lives.

That the film centers on the relationship between a mother and daughter who are more alike than they realize only adds to the richness of the story. It leans into the idea of secret-keeping — that people we know and love could have lived entirely different lives that we don’t know about before meeting them. That distance causes discord in relationships, and Malik argues that this can create distance between family members (On the flip side, Alia’s love interest Varun (Rish Shah) has a deep appreciation and connection with his mom (Deepti Gupta) precisely because she shared those parts of herself).

Still there are some melodramatic bits that don’t entirely work, like an extremely dramatic confrontation in which every person in the community spills tea about each other in front of each other. The scene is trying to show that the central conflict is but one of many types of stories to be told about this community, but it’s a bit clumsy in its delivery as each couple one-ups the last. But it’s not so egregious to write off the merits of the rest of the film, which do center on an Indian family but is ultimately a story about the secrets we keep from one another and staying true to oneself despite community expectations.

Our Call: STREAM IT. It’s family-friendly, has a lot of heart, and is quite funny in its own right.

Will you stream or skip the warm family comedy #IndiaSweetsAndSpices on @hulu ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) March 9, 2022

Radhika Menon ( @menonrad ) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

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Movie Review: “India Sweets and Spices”

Here’s a tasty peek into the overachieving, hyper-competitive and insular world of America’s affluent Indian diaspora.

“India Sweets and Spices” is a sort of “Snobby Rich Indians” comedy about a liberated activist coed coming home to the world of gossipy, shallow and acquisitive friends, family and neighbors of Ruby Hill, the swank McMansion suburb of Newark where she grew up.

To Alia — pre-med at UCLA and played by “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sophia Ali — summer is for relaxing by the pool and judging the dickens out of the gaudy decor, gauche gossip and insufferable bragging of her parents’ circle of acquaintances — all just as affluent, each taking her turn at hosting the weekly “See my new chandelier” dinner parties.

Miss Judgy can seem a trifle superficial herself.

“I’m NOT superficial! I watch documentaries ! I go to ‘spoken word.’ I use ORGANIC Chapstick!”

But self-blindness is common at that age, right? So let’s go the parties that serve as “chapters” (“Varna Party,” “Bhatia Party”) to writer-director Geeta Malik’s comic send-up of people scorned by their kids, offspring whom an earlier indie comedy labeled as “ABCD,” “American born confused-Deshi.”

And let’s watch Alia’s jaw drop at the dreamboat she sees working at the local all-things-Indian market, India Sweets and Spices. Varun ( Rish Shah ) may be from the retail classes. His family is the new owners of this popular, high-end store, so every time he says “poor” feel free to cringe. But liberated Alia figures these working should all come to mom’s upscale dinner party with every over-dressed designer-wearing, Lambo, Tesla or Porsche driving “friend” of her snooty, snobby parents.

Sheila ( Manisha Koirala ) literally looks down her nose at Varun’s mother (Deepti Gupta ) who, it turns out, knew her back in the old country. They went to college together.

And Alia’s golf-obsessed sports surgeon dad ( Adil Hussain ) is even worse. And by “worse” I mean Alia sees him top that rudeness with something more like a betrayal.

What’s a woke coed to do? Why, throw herself at the working class lad and shun the rich pre-med hunk ( Ved Sapru ) who seems “chosen” for her by fate, finance and family history (their parents’ machinations).

“India Sweets” gives us two points of view, both harshly critical of an older generation that’s succeeded beyond its wildest dreams only to squander that success on consumerist nonsense and internal competition. We see Sheila’s gossipy coffee klatch and hear their constant knifing each other in the back, as if that’s their whole world.

Alia and the other kids see and hear this and roll their eyes, even as they’re the beneficiaries of all this wealth and opportunity.

“You think Indians live here?” Alia cracks to Rahu (Sapru) as they gawk at another neighbor’s “more is more” decor.

The larger if obvious point of all this is that even McMansions can be “glass houses,” and all this insular judgment and backbiting is counterproductive and not really contributing to a pluralist society’s ultimate success.

Ali makes a delightful and just-snarky-enough tour guide to this self-consciously garish world.

The film’s limited point of view has a “Crazy Rich Asians” mandate. And while it isn’t as broad and cartoonish as that — narrowing its focus to people, their houses, their parties and their gossip — it seems more firmly footed in a relatable reality. No, it’s not quite as funny.

The character arcs are predictable, as are the melodramatic twists. But there’s a humanity in the messaging, a “Can these narcissistic boors be saved?” ethos.

It’s a lot less “spice” and a bit more “sweet” than I’d care for, but Malik has made a warm comedy that introduces, embraces and every-so-gently-chides an under-represented American community in all their glory, their fun and their foibles.

Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references

Cast: Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, Rish Shah, Anita Kalathara, Adil Hussain and Ved Sapru.

Credits: Scripted and directed by Geeta Malik. A Bleecker Street release (now streaming and on DVD)

Running time: 1:41

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India Sweets and Spices

2021, pg-13, 101 min. directed by geeta malik. starring sophia ali, manisha koirala, rish shah, deepti gupta, adil hussain, ved sapru, anita kalathara, kamran shaikh., reviewed by josh kupecki , fri., nov. 19, 2021.

One can never be too careful in educating the young. A year away at college in a liberal, West Coast university, for example, can turn any impressionable mind against you like that . For Alia (Ali), returning home for the summer from UCLA to her family home nestled in the very affluent neighborhood of Ruby Hill, N.J., this is demonstrated by drinking alcohol, falling for a young man below her caste, exposing family secrets, and generally just upending the rigid status quo, emphasis on status. And while India Sweets and Spices adds a veneer of depicting the contemporary Indian American experience, beyond the gorgeous lehengas and saris, past the insert shots of perfectly arrayed cuisine, lies a bland, uninspired story cut from a well worn template.

Not to say that cultural representation isn’t important, you just can’t have it do all the heavy lifting. Maybe add engaging characters involved in a compelling narrative into the mix? No? All right, I guess the “if it ain’t broke” model it is. Here then, is Alia, who, amidst the weekly extravagant parties thrown by the ultra rich community she grew up in, is lovestruck by Varun (Shah), the son of shopkeepers whose grocery store shares the film’s title. Alia invites Varun and his parents to one of the parties, leading to the usual class conflict snobbery/embarrassment scenario. Adding another wrinkle, it seems that Alia’s mom, Sheila (Koirala) and Varun’s mom Bhairavi (Gupta) went to college together in Delhi and were an integral part of an activist group for women’s rights, shaving their heads and getting arrested at protests. What happened, Alia wonders, to her mother, once a young idealist, now a shallow materialist under the thumb of the aunties, a circle of the wives and elders whose toxic gossip is the currency and the lifeblood that sustains this community? And more importantly, what can she do to not end up like her parents?

Sheila’s reconnecting with her past ends up eclipsing the “wrong side of the suburbs” love story, as mother and daughter reconcile. It was pretty half-hearted anyway, as was another plotline, this one involving Alia’s dad Ranjit (Hussain) and his numerous extramarital affairs coming to light. There is a running metaphor throughout India Sweets and Spices concerning books. In Alia’s house, they’re all fake, uncut props that match the carpet, whereas Varun’s parents have a veritable library strewn around the house (mostly paperbacks though, they are lower middle class, after all). It’s a lazy trope in a lazy film, and not even the airing of everyone’s dirty laundry at the summer’s end soirée comeuppance can lift this film out of its sitcom trappings. Positive ethnic portrayals are always refreshing, but unfortunately, homogenization rarely has any flavor.

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India Sweets and Spices , Geeta Malik , Sophia Ali , Manisha Koirala , Rish Shah , Deepti Gupta , Adil Hussain , Ved Sapru , Anita Kalathara , Kamran Shaikh

CULTURE MIX

Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘India Sweets and Spices,’ starring Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta, Rish Shah and Ved Sapru

Arts and Entertainment

Adil Hussain , Anita Kalathara , Ansh Nayak , comedy , Deepti Gupta , drama , Geeta Malik , India Sweets and Spices , Jia Patel , Kamran Shaikh , Manisha Koirala , movies , New Jersey , Priya Deva , Raj Kala , reviews , Rhea Patil , Rish Shah , Sophia Ali , Ved Sapru

January 19, 2022

by Carla Hay

“India Sweets and Spices”

Directed by Geeta Malik

Culture Representation: Taking place in the fictional city of Ruby Hill, New Jersey, and briefly in Los Angeles, the comedy/drama film “India Sweets and Spices” features a cast of characters of Indian heritage representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: While on a summer break after her first year in college, a young upper-middle-class woman has some conflicts with her parents, including her parents not approving of her working-class boyfriend, and how she’s affected when she finds out her parents’ biggest secrets.

Culture Audience: “India Sweets and Spices” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching appealing but not particularly outstanding movies about Indian American culture.

As a blend of a romantic comedy and a family drama, “India Sweets and Spices” can be somewhat erratic in its tone and pacing. The second half of the movie is much better than the first half. It’s ultimately a charming story about a young woman finding her identity and coming to terms with how family baggage and family traditions affect her life. Written and directed by Geeta Malik, “India Sweets and Spices” benefits from having an engaging cast that can hold viewers’ interest, even when certain parts of the movie start to drag into a predictable formula.

Fortunately, there are some surprises in “India Sweets and Spices,” but they don’t come until the last half of the movie. The first half of the film gives the impression that’s it’s going to be a typical romantic comedy about a young woman who defies her parents’ wishes, by dating someone from a family that’s looked down on by her parents. In the second half of the movie, her parents’ secrets lead to the more dramatic parts of the story, which at times resembles a soap opera. “India Sweets and Spices” had its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

In the beginning of “India Sweets and Spices,” Alia Kapur (played by Sophia Ali) has just completed her freshman year at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and is about to go on a summer break. Her last party on campus before her vacation is a “social justice social,” which is the type of party she’s been going to on a regular basis. Alia gets drunk at the party and impulsively cuts her long hair into a mid-length bob.

Alia has already declared biology has her major. It seems that she’s planning to be a scientist or medical doctor, which would be a profession that her parents would approve of, since her father Ranjit Kapur (played by Adil Hussain) is a heart surgeon. Alia’s mother Sheila Kapur (played by Manisha Koirala) is a traditional homemaker. Alia has two siblings: sister Jiya Kapur (played by Rhea Patil) is about 13 or 14 years old, while brother Sahil Kapur (Ansh Nayak) is about 10 or 11 years old. Alia and her siblings were born in the United States, while their parents were born in India and immigrated to the U.S. not long after they got married.

The Kapur family lives in an upper-middle-class home in the fictional city of Ruby Hill, New Jersey. (“India Sweets and Spices” was actually filmed in Atlanta.) Alia is spending her vacation at her parents’ home. She’s looking forward to a summer of being free from school and hanging out with her childhood best friend Neha Bhatia (played by Anita Kalathara), who is a loyal and cheerful pal. However, since Alia and Neha follow their family traditions, they know they have to spend a lot of time at their parents’ social gatherings. These parties often take place at the Kapur family home.

Only other upper-middle-class or wealthy Indians in the area are invited to these parties. It soon becomes clear in the movie that these soirees are excuses for many of the party attendees to show off, brag about their lives, and gossip. Alia’s parents are extremely status-conscious and love to give the impression that they’re highly intellectual and cultured. As an example of their pretentiousness, there’s a scene later in the movie where Alia and her love interest are in the library of the Kapur family home, and she shows him that some of the “intellectual” books on the bookshelves are really just empty façades.

Alia’s love interest is Varun Dutta (played by Rish Shah), who works in his parents’ local convenience store that carries a lot of Southeast Asian food. The name of the store is India Sweets and Spices. Alia happens to go in the store one day to buy some biscuits for her family’s upcoming house party. The movie has a rom-com contrivance of Alia seeing Varun and being so instantly attracted him, she gets flustered and buys more biscuits than she needs.

Alia and Varun have their “meet cute” moment when they lock eyes and they strike up a flirty conversation. (In a self-deprecating nod to predictable “meet cute” moments in romantic comedies, the movie even has a wind-flowing-through-hair effect and angel sounds when Alia first sees Varun.) Alia tells Varun that she’s on a summer break from UCLA. And what a coincidence: Varun mentions that he’s completed community college and will be transferring to UCLA later that year when school starts again in the fall.

During this conversation, Alia also meets Varun’s parents—father Kamlesh Dutta (played by Kamran Shaikh) and mother Bhairavi “Peru” Dutta (played by Deepti Gupta)—and Varun’s sister Puja Dutta (played by Jia Patel), who’s about 12 or 13, and who helps out in the family store. Alia finds out that the Dutta family recently moved to the area. The entire family is friendly, so Alia impulsively invites Varun and his parents to her family’s house party. They happily accept the invitation.

Not everyone is happy about this invitation. Alia’s mother Sheila, who is a very uptight snob, is annoyed that this working-class family was invited to the party without Sheila being consulted first. And sure enough, when the Dutta family arrives, Sheila and her husband Ranjit treat the Duttas somewhat dismissively. And so do many other people at party, when they find out that the Duttas make their living by owning a convenience store.

The Duttas graciously brought food to the party as a gift, but Sheila turns her nose up that too, because the food is in a plastic Tupperware container instead of a more upscale container. Sheila is also somewhat annoyed by the gift because she sees herself as a socialite who hosts parties where guests don’t need to bring their own food and drinks. As Alia tells Varun later, Sheila is the type of person who looks down on anyone who isn’t wearing designer clothes. When Alia and Varun go upstairs to an empty room to make out with each other, they see something that turns Alia’s world upside down. It’s her father’s big secret.

Alia’s parents make it clear to Alia that they think it’s more appropriate that she date someone who can afford to pay for the privileged lifestyle in which Alia has been raised. The parents think an ideal match would be Rahul Singh (played by Ved Sapru), the son of their longtime friends Gurvinder Singh (played by Raj Kala) and Uma Singh (played by Priya Deva), who apparently have more money than the Kapur family. Alia and Rahul have known each other since childhood, but there aren’t any real romantic sparks between them. Rahul, who’s a student at Duke University, can be conceited and arrogant, but he’s not a complete jerk.

Even though Alia’s parents think that the Dutta family isn’t good enough to be in their social circle, Alia has a mind of her own and starts dating Varun anyway. As Varun and Alia get to know each other, and their feelings for each other grow stronger, they find out that their parents had very different courtships. Alia’s parents had an arranged marriage, while Varun’s parents married for love and of their own free will.

The differences between these two sets of parents cause tensions between the two families, mainly because Alia’s parents treat Varun and his family as if they’re second-class citizens. It’s not quite a “Romeo and Juliet” story, because there are other complications besides family disapproval of a romance. It turns out that when Varun’s mother Bhairavi saw Alia’s mother Sheila at the party, Bhairavi immediately recognized Sheila as a former friend she knew when they were students at Delhi University. Bhairavi hugged Sheila, who responded in a standoffish way and pretended not to know Bhairavi.

Eventually, Sheila admits that she and Bhairavi knew each other, but Sheila says she’s a different person now. How different? When she was in college, Sheila was a progressive feminist who formed a women’s rights activist group with some other female students. Bhairavi was one of those students. (This isn’t spoiler information because it’s already revealed in the movie’s trailer.)

Alia, who considers herself to be a liberal feminist, is shocked to find out that her mother used to be a liberal feminist too when Sheila was Alia’s age. Sheila has completely opposite beliefs now. What happened to make Sheila change so drastically? That’s the secret that Sheila doesn’t want a lot of people to know.

“India Sweets and Spices” is by no means a boring movie, but it seems like writer/director Malik tried to cram in too many ideas that sometimes don’t flow too well together. The first half of the movie is almost like a breezy, lightweight comedy about Alia and Kapur’s budding romance, but the second half takes a very different and much more serious tone as Sheila has to deal with the secrets that she finds out about both of her parents. Both of these secrets will have negative effects on their parents’ reputations if these secrets are revealed to the people in their stuck-up and judgmental social circle.

The movie takes an interesting look at how upwardly mobile immigrant families in the United States can act to assimilate into American culture and achieve the American Dream. Alia’s family represents the toxicity of what can happen when any family puts too much emphasis on appearances and wealth and not on being genuine and compassionate human beings. Alia thinks she’s not like her image-conscious and materialistic parents, but there’s some friction in her relationship with Varun when he points out to Alia the ways in which she behaves like an elitist snob.

All of the cast members are convincing in their roles, but Ali as Alia and Koirala as Sheila are the ones who get to show the most acting range. That’s because Alia and Sheila are the ones who have the most depth to their personalities in this movie. Even though “India Sweets and Spices” does have a boyfriend-girlfriend romance as a big part of the story, the mother-daughter relationship is ultimately the one that has the most impact and will be remembered by viewers the most.

Bleecker Street released “India Sweets and Spices” in select U.S. cinemas on November 19, 2021, and on digital and VOD on December 7, 2021.

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India Sweets and Spices Movie Review

Starring Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain, the Geeta Malik directed film India Sweets and Spices opens in theatres in North America on November 19th. Featuring Sophia Ali, the cast also includes Rish Shah, Deepti Gupta, Ved Sapru, Anita Kalathara, Richa Chandra, among many others.

A glimpse into the life of an Indian American family, India Sweets and Spices focuses on the story of Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali), who returns home and the family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year at UCLA. She quickly discovers that she is ready to trade in the lavish Saturday-night dinner parties and gossiping “aunties” of her community for a more authentic, worthwhile existence — even if she doesn’t quite know what that looks like yet. However, during her summer stay, Alia accidentally uncovers some family secrets about her straight-laced mom Sheila (Manisha Koirala) and her seemingly perfect dad Ranjit (Adil Hussain) that will have consequences for everyone involved. However, I don’t want to spoil the chai so you must see the film to find out the whole story.

To give you an idea of the tale of India Sweets and Spices , here is the trailer.

India Sweets and Spices is a unique film that is funny, moving, romantic, thought-provoking, and even more.

One of the best things about India Sweets and Spices is how the story unfolds. It begins simply with a college girl coming home for summer vacation. It then takes you inside the lavish parties with everyone trying to one-up another. However, there is an underlying current that eventually plays out. As the full truth reveals itself, the movie transforms. One huge event creates a chain reaction in Alia’s life. With each new revelation, the movie continues to surprise and transform. You will be in awe of this story and the journey it takes you on. I don’t want to say too much because you have to experience this yourself; you HAVE too. It is an exceptional screenplay by Geeta Malik, who deserves a standing ovation. I almost did at one point, and in the end, I cheered. Yes, I cheered at my computer, watching the screener.

Geeta Mailk’s direction must also be praised, traversing this challenging story, with a cast of hundreds, she never hits a wrong note. She created a real world and a fascinating story. Every moment felt authentic and is a testament to her directing style. I cannot wait to see her next film.

The performances are absolutely brilliant! Everyone in the cast is so real on reel and are their character to a tee. From the men, aka the uncles, to Sheila’s particular friends – the ladies who lunch and also the “aunties”, they are perfectly played within the India Sweets and Spices world.

Shout out must be given to Anita Kalathara, who plays Alia’s best friend, Neha. Though not seen as much, in every scene she was in; she was terrific. Both Ved Sapru as Rohan and Rish Shah as Varun are perfectly cast and wonderful in the film. The scene where Varun yells at Alia is really, really good.

Sophia Ali is fantastic as Alia. She has to carry the entire movie and accomplishes that utterly without ever feeling like she gets out of character. The arc this character goes through is astonishing, and Sophia portrays each part so, so wonderfully. She really shines in the latter part of the film. That is when she truly comes into her own in every aspect.

Adil Hussain is always, always good in his films. With India Sweets and Spices , he takes on a different character than he usually portrays in Indian cinema. This one is lighter in essence. He is amazing in a representation of the “typical of Indian men of his generation”, but when his story expands, he really takes his performance and even more the film to a higher level. The ending scene with him… just wow. He is incredible!

Manisha Koirala is absolutely outstanding, phenomenal, extraordinary, and many other adjectives. In the beginning, her character Sheila is very proper and always is living like what she thinks is the perfect and the right way to act in her life. She plays that so well, so much so that you dislike this character. However, I always noticed a look in her eyes, and it was not until later I saw it as desperation. It was always there, but she revealed it more and more as the story unfolded. That is a testament to her brilliance. In all the emotional scenes – she gives a brava-worthy performance. She is so honest and genuinely authentic. She is superb in EVERY scene. I have always loved her acting, but she proves how magnificent an actress she is with this role. When you see what her story really is, you will be in awe of her portrayal of Sheila. Did I say BRAVA?

I also must mention Deepti Gupta as Bhairavi. So many of the emotions the character feels are shown in her eyes without a word being spoken. But, when she does deliver her lines, it is so good. She is exceptional and really adds so much to this film.

I must give a nod to the cool references to Bollywood. When Alia first sees Varun, and the wind blows, it was a ‘chef kiss’ moment. A homage to Indian films, of course, I immediately thought of the many films where that moment happens when there is that gust of wind from nowhere when the heroine first sees the hero. Also, the use of the song ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ was very apt, but you will learn why if you read our upcoming interview with Geeta Malik. There were also many other Bollywood songs and references, so Hindi film fans see if you can catch them!

I really, really enjoyed this film; what made it so good was the story ended up being not at all what I expected. It was so much more. Did I say the performances were outstanding? I highly recommend that you see India Sweets and Spices – this is a film not to be missed.

A Bleecker Street film, India Sweets and Spice , was produced by Sidney Kimmel (The Lincoln Lawyer, The Age of Adaline), John Penotti (Crazy Rich Asians, Hell or High Water), Gigi Pritzker (Drive, Hell or High Water), and Naomi Despres (Kill the Messenger, High Crimes). This excellent film releases in theatres on November 19th.

Stay tuned for our interviews with director Geeta Malik and star Sophia Ali coming up soon!

Local US theater/showtime information can be found here .

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What is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate the Islamic holiday?

FILE - Youths light firecrackers and flares as they celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Islam follows a lunar calendar and so Ramadan and Eid cycle through the seasons. In 2024, the first day of Eid al-Fitr is expected to be on or around April 10; the exact date may vary among countries and Muslim communities. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

FILE - Muslims try to catch balloons distributed after Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan outside al-Seddik mosque in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan outside al-Seddik mosque in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - Muslims hug and greet each other after offering Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

FILE - Shiites attend Eid al-Fitr prayers at Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, April 22, 2023, to mark the end of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

FILE - Imam Souleimane Konaté, left, leads worshippers in Eid al-Fitr prayer in New York on Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr., File)

FILE - A woman and child peer out their car window as bubbles are blown into their car by volunteers from the Muslim Community Center as part of an Eid al-Fitr ceremony celebrating the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, Sunday, May 24, 2020, in New York. Because of the need for social distancing due to coronavirus, the celebration was a drive-by celebration in which sweets and toys were handed out. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

FILE - Men and children attend a prayer service at Masjid Al-Farooq for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, Friday, June 15, 2018, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

FILE - Muslims gather for Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on a street in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File)

FILE - People wait for the buses that will take them to their hometowns at Kalideres bus terminal, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, a week before the Eid-al Fitr holiday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

FILE - Shiites observe the crescent moon to determine the start of the tenth Islamic month of Shawwal, which marks the end of a month-long fasting of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

FILE - Muslims girls display their hands painted with traditional henna to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad, File)

FILE - People buy sweets at a shop in preparation for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, May 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad, File)

FILE - Muslims offer sweets to police officers on duty after offering prayers on Eid al-Fitr in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Muslims are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation. (AP Photo/Bikas Das, File)

FILE - Women and children gather before Eid al-Fitr prayers, Friday, April 21, 2023, at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - People ride a motorbike as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr feast, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, July 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

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CAIRO (AP) — Muslims around the world will soon bid farewell to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and start celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is marked with congregational prayers and festivities that typically include family visits, gatherings and new clothes.

This year, Eid will come just after the Israel-Hamas war crosses the somber milestone of having stretched on for half a year. During Ramadan, as Muslims around the world savored the traditions of their diverse communities , advocacy, prayers and charity for Palestinians in Gaza were high on the minds of many.

What’s Eid al-Fitr?

It’s an Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the month when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is a time of increased worship, charity, and good deeds.

Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast.

FILE - Imam Souleimane Konaté, left, leads worshippers in Eid al-Fitr prayer in New York on Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr., File)

When is Eid al Fitr?

Islam follows a lunar calendar and so Ramadan and Eid cycle through the seasons. This year, the first day of Eid al-Fitr is expected to be on or around April 10; the exact date may vary among countries and Muslim communities.

What are some common Eid greetings?

FILE - People wait for the buses that will take them to their hometowns at Kalideres bus terminal, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, a week before the Eid-al Fitr holiday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

Eid Mubarak, or Blessed Eid, and Happy Eid.

What are some of the traditions and customs associated with Eid al-Fitr?

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, many people embark on an exodus to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. This year, an estimated 193.6 million travelers are expected to crisscross the vast archipelago for Eid in a homecoming tradition known locally as “mudik.”

FILE - A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defense missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Aug. 7, 2022. An incoming attack by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles Sunday, April 14, 2024, poses the latest challenge to Israel’s air defense system, which already has been working overtime to cope with incoming rocket, drone and missile attacks throughout the six-month war against Hamas. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

In the past two years of Eid celebrations, Indonesians crammed into trains, ferries, buses and onto motorcycles as they poured out of major cities amid severe traffic congestion to return to their villages to celebrate the holiday with families. Flights were overbooked and anxious relatives, weighed down with boxes of gifts, formed long lines at bus and train stations for the journeys.

FILE - People buy sweets at a shop in preparation for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, May 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad, File)

Before the holiday, popular markets teem with shoppers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets.

In Malaysia, Muslims also have a homecoming tradition for Eid. The first day usually begins with a morning prayer in the mosque, seeking forgiveness from family and friends, and visiting loved ones’ graves.

There’s an “open house” spirit that sees friends and families trading visits to celebrate Eid and enjoy traditional delicacies such as ketupat, rice cooked in a palm leaf pouch, and rendang, a meat dish stewed in spices and braised in coconut milk.

Older Muslims give money in green packets to children and guests who visit their homes.

FILE - Shiites observe the crescent moon to determine the start of the tenth Islamic month of Shawwal, which marks the end of a month-long fasting of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

In Egypt, families partake in Eid prayers amid a festive atmosphere. Many visit relatives, friends or neighbors and some travel to vacation spots. Children, usually wearing new Eid outfits, receive traditional cash gifts known as “eidiya.”

Making or buying Eid cookies dusted with powdered sugar is another fixture of marking the holiday in the country.

In the United States, where Muslims make up an ethnically and racially diverse minority, many come together for Eid prayers and for festivals featuring fun activities for children and families. These often include such things as face painting and balloon twisting.

FILE - Men and children attend a prayer service at Masjid Al-Farooq for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, Friday, June 15, 2018, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

COMMENTS

India Sweets and Spices movie review (2021)
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India Sweets and Spices
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"India Sweets and Spices" is a gentle but firm take on the costs of keeping up with the Joneses, or the Devis in this case. Without sacrificing comedic buoyancy, Malik and her ensemble make ...
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'India Sweets and Spices' Review: Spirited Intergenerational Dramedy Serves Up a Hearty Indian American Tale Reviewed at Tribeca Festival (online), June 11, 2021. Running time: 101 MIN.
India Sweets and Spices Movie Review
Kids say: Not yet rated Rate movie. This fun film is part coming-of-age story, part family dramedy, and part Real Housewives of New Jersey seen through an Indian American filter. In short, it's very entertaining, with lots of heart. India Sweets and Spices helps expand Asian representation on-screen, highlighting the often neglected South Asian ...
India Sweets and Spices review
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Written and directed by Geeta Malik, "India Sweets and Spices" is a heartfelt family dramedy about no longer tolerating hurtful pasts and calling out hypocrisy. Malik's second feature is ...
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India Sweets and Spices: Directed by Geeta Malik. With Sophia Ali, Rish Shah, Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain. When college freshman Alia returns home for the summer, she discovers secrets and lies in her parents' past that make her question everything she thought she knew about her family.
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India Sweets and Spices had its North American premiere during the Tribeca Festival on June 10, 2021. The film is 101 minutes long and is not yet rated. India Sweets and Spices has a lot of overall great ideas and themes, even if it doesn't always rise up to the potential of its setup and story.
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India Sweets and Spices is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Geeta Malik. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 19, 2021. The film stars Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, Rish Shah, and Adil Hussain. The film is based on Geeta Malik's own script "Dinner With Friends" that won the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in screen-writing.
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India Sweets and Spices
India Sweets and Spices 2021, PG-13, 101 min. Directed by Geeta Malik. Starring Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, Rish Shah, Deepti Gupta, Adil Hussain, Ved Sapru, Anita Kalathara, Kamran Shaikh.
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"India Sweets and Spices" had its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. In the beginning of "India Sweets and Spices," Alia Kapur (played by Sophia Ali) has just completed her freshman year at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and is about to go on a summer break.
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Starring Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain, the Geeta Malik directed film India Sweets and Spices opens in theatres in North America on November 19th. Featuring Sophia Ali, the cast also includes Ri…
What is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate the Islamic holiday?
FILE - Muslims offer sweets to police officers on duty after offering prayers on Eid al-Fitr in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Muslims are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation.

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