American Chai

92 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

American Chai is a 2001 comedy-drama film written and directed by Indian American director Anurag Mehta. His brother, Aalok Mehta, played the starring role opposite Sheetal Sheth, who had previously starred in the similar genre film ABCD. The film also had a minor role played by Paresh Rawal.

The film deals with an Indian American student who wants to pursue his love of music over the more "typical" academic endeavors of Indian Americans (e.g., medicine, engineering, and law).

The film won the Audience Award at the 2001 Slamdance Film Festival, with the New York Post describing it as a "slight but sweet film".

Sureel is a first generation Indian American college graduating senior music major whose controlling father still believes that he is pre-med. His desires in life conflict with both his family's traditional values, and the usual Indian way of assimilating into the United States by becoming a doctor or engineer. As graduation approaches, he has an opportunity to be nationally recognized for his music which will simplify telling his father the truth.

• Aalok Mehta – Sureel
• Sheetal Sheth – Maya
• Aasif Mandvi – Engineering Sam
• Josh Ackrman – Toby
• Ajay Naidu – Hari
• Paresh Rawal - Sureel's Dad
• Bharti Desai - Sureel's Mom
• Akshay Oberoi – Neel
• Rajiv Reddy – Young Sureel
• Jamie Hurley - Jen
• Reena Shah – Sejal
• Anand Chulani – Raju
• Jill Anderson – Lisa
• Kyle Koehl – Young Boy
• Marlee Kattler – Young Girl

The Philadelphia-based hip-hop band Fathead also appears in the film.

• American Chai at IMDb