Movies
Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Best / Worst of the Decade
Wide Releases
Now In Theaters
49
2012
41
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
84
Avatar![]()
69
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
53
Blind Side
53
Book of Eli, The
55
Christmas Carol, A
57
Daybreakers
43
Dear John
27
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
55
Edge of Darkness
45
Extraordinary Measures
83
Fantastic Mr. Fox![]()
42
From Paris with Love
65
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The
74
Invictus
57
It's Complicated
34
Law Abiding Citizen
33
Leap Year
33
Legion
42
Lovely Bones, The
54
Men Who Stare At Goats, The
34
Ninja Assassin
19
Old Dogs
xx
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
39
Planet 51
79
Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
73
Princess & the Frog, The
64
Road, The
57
Sherlock Holmes
27
Spy Next Door, The
36
Tooth Fairy
44
Twilight Saga: New Moon, The
83
Up in the Air![]()
43
Valentine's Day
25
When in Rome
71
Where the Wild Things Are
xx
WolfMan, The
63
Youth in Revolt
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Limited Releases
Now In Theaters
46
44 Inch Chest
83
Ajami![]()
73
Amreeka
xx
Barefoot to Timbuktu
19
Bitch Slap
24
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The
76
Broken Embraces
64
Cloud 9
65
Coco Before Chanel
84
Cove, The![]()
84
Crazy Heart![]()
21
Crazy on the Outside
48
Creation
xx
Daddy Long Legs
81
Damned United, The![]()
68
Departures
62
District 13: Ultimatum
85
Education, An![]()
71
Eyes Wide Open
24
Falling Awake
81
Fish Tank![]()
56
For My Father
xx
From Mexico with Love
43
Frozen
68
Girl on the Train, The
52
Killing Kasztner
74
Last Station, The
43
Little Traitor, The
51
Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The
73
Me and Orson Welles
76
Messenger, The
57
Missing Person, The
67
Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The
xx
My Name is Khan
49
Nine
63
North Face
59
October Country
67
Off and Running
52
Paranoids, The
49
Pop Star on Ice
49
Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The
xx
Promised Lands (Re-release)
69
Red Riding Trilogy, The
29
Saint John of Las Vegas
69
September Issue, The
36
Serious Moonlight
63
Shinjuku Incident, The
77
Single Man, A
xx
Still Bill
76
Terribly Happy
74
That Evening Sun
19
To Save a Life
68
Town Called Panic, A
59
Until the Light Takes Us
57
Videocracy
65
Waiting for Armageddon
82
White Ribbon![]()
43
Women in Trouble
xx
Word is Out
64
Young Victoria, The
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
American Chai
EMAILPRINTMagic Lamp Distribution Services

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama
Written by: Anurag Mehta
Directed by: Anurag Mehta
Release Date:
Theatrical: April 5, 2002
Running Time: 92 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for some sexual dialogue
Starring Aalok Mehta, Paresh Rawal, Sheetal Sheth, Josh Ackerman, Ajay Naidu, Aasif Mandvi, Jamie Hurley, and Anand Chulani
A funny, heartfelt, coming-of-age story about Sureel, a first generation Indian-American college boy who can't tell his traditional parents he wants to be a musician, not a doctor. (Fusion Films)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Film Threat Merle Bertrand
This well made, slightly cornball and riotously comical romantic comedy not only extols the old fashioned American dream, but charmingly celebrates the virtues of the great American melting pot as well.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
The picture uses humor and a heartfelt conviction to tell a story about discovering your destination in life.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) David Ehrenstein
Full of fresh and unexpected observations about the cross-culturally complex lives of second-generation Indians living in the U.S.
Read Full Review >New York Post Megan Lehmann
Much of the movie's gentle charm comes from Mehta, the director's younger brother, making his acting debut.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Lawrence Van Gelder
American Chai may not tell a new story, but in its understanding, often funny way, it tells a story whose restatement is validated by the changing composition of the nation.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
The ethnicity of its leads is the only novel aspect of an otherwise bland exercise.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
There are no surprises in this movie -- not even in the Bollywood parodies, when the hero and heroine finally, subversively kiss. There is talent, though.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
This ethnic family sitcom thing is rapidly turning into wearisome cliche, and American Chai doesn't hold a candle to either "Beckham" or "Greek Wedding."
Read Full Review >Village Voice Ed Park
As earnest as a community-college advertisement, American Chai is enough to make you put away the guitar, sell the amp, and apply to medical school.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Mark Olsen
Chai's structure and pacing are disconcertingly slack. Missing the loose ends and ambiguities of actual conversation, the dialogue makes characters sound like they're delivering speeches rather than interacting.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
T. Thomas gave it an 8:
This movie makes a great point while making you laugh from time to time. I think it's one of the better Indian American movies made.
[Anonymous] gave it a 10:
This was a great movie. These critics say it makes u want to put away your musical instruments and go to medical school when it actually does the exact opposite. This movie has a great plot and some very funny parts to it. If it was focused only on comedy like "American Desi" then the plot wouldn't be as developed. "American Desi" is funny but has a very poor plot as compared to this movie.
J. K. gave it a 9:
I don't know what these reviewers are talking about...this movie is solid. Funny, touching and some great music.
Rajesh L. gave it a 10:
Funny!!
Tarik T. gave it an 8:
I actually thought it was funny considering I am not a fan of indian movies. Some reveiwers are stuped.
