This film reminds me of "Crazy Rich Asians". The storyline is okay, wasn't that interesting. The acting is definitely so-so. But I am very impressed with how gorgeous the Indian costumes. The costume department absolutely did a great job!!
15 Reviews
not so sweet and spicy
deepudp20 March 2022
A family drama with all the sweet and spicy ingredients. Should have fared better in any of the Indian languages.
The whole thing looked like fish out of water. The script somehow failed to adapt to the English set up.
The whole thing looked like fish out of water. The script somehow failed to adapt to the English set up.
Simple, revealing, almost really good
TheNamelessCzar1 July 2022
I came into this movie expecting another Bollywood mishmash of action/drama/comedy/romance. What I found with something original and different. The movie revealed the dark side of Indian culture with its gossip and rumormongering. Being of Indian descent, I know this is a reality although the movie obviously amplified it for entertainment purposes. The movie was entertaining but like lacked a little depth and made a few plot decisions which didn't make much sense. Overall, it could've been fantastic but ended up being a sweet, not too spicy, and fun watch.
Completely average in just about every way
benjaminskylerhill19 November 2021
Entertaining With Depth
Moviegoer1911 December 2021
I enjoyed this film. Visually it's often quite beautiful, especially if you're someone like me who loves the Indian aesthetic. It's also at times amusing and at other times addressing deep issues. More than once it reminded me of what I consider to be one of the greatest films of all time, The Graduate. Not that India Sweets and Spices approaches The Graduate's greatness, but they have a few things in common. This includes a main character who is twenty-ish, exploring life and her own role in it, and grappling with the phoniness, hypocrisy and superficiality of the adults in her life. Oh, and of course, there's the scene in which she attempts to escape the world around her by exhaling bubbles while sitting at the bottom of her parents' pool.
Added to this in India Sweets is something The Graduate does not have, i.e., the implications, both subtle and not, of what women have to tolerate in a male-driven culture. The message comes across, loud and clear!
Added to this in India Sweets is something The Graduate does not have, i.e., the implications, both subtle and not, of what women have to tolerate in a male-driven culture. The message comes across, loud and clear!
I missed the comedy part :(
windsorenquirer8 December 2021
Fun and lively
johndoe-6878126 January 2022
Bolly Boring
westsideschl14 April 2022
Relatable and enjoyable
a_filmcritter7 December 2021
I think my review will be a bit bias considering I can definitely relate to what happened in the movie. Parents relationship, community dynamic, being an independent/rebellious girl in the family, etc.
With that said, this movie was very enjoyable. The story was interesting and dramatic. The acting was mediocre but I believe that was the script's fault. Overall, a great movie.
With that said, this movie was very enjoyable. The story was interesting and dramatic. The acting was mediocre but I believe that was the script's fault. Overall, a great movie.
Great casting, story, and underlying message...definitely worth watching.
varkala-2177911 February 2022
Having lived in India for a few years I am familiar with Indian culture, but am unfamiliar with the Indian American culture. The casting in INDIA Sweets and Spices is spot on. I know different real life versions of several of the characters in the family. I also felt inspired to be truer to myself and the ideals and dreams I remember from my University days. The challenges in bridging the gaps between what we present to others as our image and the true self within are well illustrated and I also thought the movie ended well, with the decisions that need to be made in flux.
Wise, lovely, original with a stunning lead performance
andrewbunney2 February 2022
Home from college, Alia (Sophia Ali), returns to her family's swank suburban New Jersey home. Smitten by Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery, she invites his family to a dinner gathering with her parents' wealthy friends. Snobbery ensues but Alia is surprised to learn of her conservative mother's radical past with Varun's mother. But there are more secrets still, turning on the idea of women's place in Indian society and also on the custom of arranged marriage.
This is a smart, modern film with sharp dialogue exploring both universal themes including hypocrisy and those relating to Indian culture. The soundtrack is excellent too, including modern music. It's about family, truth-telling and hopes of reconciliation. Writer and director Geeta Malik is a powerful artist and her star, Sophia Ali is a dominating and compelling presence, creating a charismatic character.
Wise, lovely, original with a stunning lead performance, India Sweets and Spices is outstanding storytelling.
This is a smart, modern film with sharp dialogue exploring both universal themes including hypocrisy and those relating to Indian culture. The soundtrack is excellent too, including modern music. It's about family, truth-telling and hopes of reconciliation. Writer and director Geeta Malik is a powerful artist and her star, Sophia Ali is a dominating and compelling presence, creating a charismatic character.
Wise, lovely, original with a stunning lead performance, India Sweets and Spices is outstanding storytelling.
Very enjoyable
hilary_mae-912-8056121 November 2021
I'm giving the movie 10 stars because it's upsetting the traditionalists who don't like to see the Indian culture being shown as real people, with real problems. Not on this page, but on other pages there have been some men who don't like to see their culture come out of the closet. Well, welcome to the real world.. I know people of that culture who had arranged marriages and it can become a real misery. Not for all, but for many - this happens.
Aside from my delighting in being petty towards the other people it's a pretty good movie. Fun, lively, the protagonist actress is good and it kept my attention until the end. It's worth a watch. It's nice to see Lifetime channel make a movie where the protagonist is intelligent, gutsy, no nonsense and is courageous about her life. Her bf's mother is a gem.
Well worth a watch, enjoy.
Aside from my delighting in being petty towards the other people it's a pretty good movie. Fun, lively, the protagonist actress is good and it kept my attention until the end. It's worth a watch. It's nice to see Lifetime channel make a movie where the protagonist is intelligent, gutsy, no nonsense and is courageous about her life. Her bf's mother is a gem.
Well worth a watch, enjoy.
An amazing take on classism in Indian culture
hillaryherbert-6812427 December 2021
This movie provides a perfect look into the Indian marital system and how women make sacrifices for culture over their hearts. A charming transition from a patriarchal society into the modern world of how young Indian women navigate society while keeping true to their culture yet spurning the patriarchy that has held women down for centuries. What a refreshing view on the evolution of feminism in Indian culture.
Surprisingly smart and insightful. Rich Indians are full of it.
krzysiektom28 January 2023
I am pleasantly surprised how smart the script is. Calling this film a comedy is misleading and a mistake, but it's definitely worth a watch. It doesn't glamorize and idealize the Indian culture, it presents how rich, upper "class" is snobbish and conceited. The main character is an interesting, intelligent girl from the "upper class", whose personal life suddenly gets complicated because she falls for a poor Indian man. It's fascinating to see that the Indian diaspora keeps the old prejudices and flaws of the traditional Indian society despite living and being successful in modern America. Apparently you can get an Indian out of India but it's much more difficult to get India out of an Indian...
Outstanding cultural drama
indiedavid23 February 2022
It would be hard not to enjoy any film that features Sophia Ali. However, beauty aside, this film has substance. Outstanding performances by the entire cast and a dramatic, compelling portrayal of American-Indian communities to which everybody can relate, regardless of our family origin or dynamic. There were some really great lines in this film. My favorite "Our families are full of surprises? Our families are full of SH$T". I laughed out loud on my flight when she said that. Great visuals.
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