What's Down With the Brown?
Director's Cut

By Deepti Paul

Last week my dad called me after he’d been watching the TV show On the Lot. He said one of the contestants made movies like me, and even looked like me. Apparently, even my dad can’t tell Indian people apart. However that may be the best thing to have happened since my feature doc Made in India? embarked upon the screening rounds. My dad actually acknowledged me as a filmmaker and compared me to another one.

The worst thing? Well, it’s not actually that bad, but I am a little annoyed by some of the close-minded comments made by viewers on YouTube who only watched the 5-minute trailer. Comments like “India's culture is not something u should make fun of.” and “I hope once after knowing the tradition of swayamwar you will know what really is called 'Made in India'.” I guess some kind of reaction is better than none!

Made in India? has now shown at 9 film festivals and been showcased at 5 colleges, in cities like St. John’s, Canada, Tacoma, Washington, and of course here in NY. Only after attending these screenings did I realize the impact it has on people from a wide range of societies. I have been delighted to see how many people can empathize with it, in spite of their differing cultural background. 

I am very excited about the upcoming final screening of the film but it will also be bittersweet because the fun part will be over. Thank God there’s always the next project to work on!