****SOME SPOILERS**** American Desi is an amateur production which is not nuanced, comical, or even close to the reality it pokes fun at. The term "DESI" is Indian for native and is colloquially used outside South Asia by Indians to refer to anyone or anything that has an Indian flavor. Considering the lead character's determination to distance himself from things Indian, the title is misplaced. Particularly so, when it becomes clear that the film is made from an Indian-American perspective i.e. Americans of Indian descent who do not necessarily know much about India.<br /><br />The characters of this movie are all one-dimensional stereotypes - the overly garrulous Sikh (played rather badly by someone of Bengali descent who could not enunciate the Punjabi accent), the ridiculous TA who speaks with his fly open, the uptight Indian girl who won't kiss the guy, and the crooked shopkeeper who overcharges the customers. The film appears to be a diatribe of dislike against Indians. Moreover, it is riven by confusion. The heroine's confusion in leading on the lead character and then slapping him for kissing her, the confusion as to whether the Indian roommates are Indian (as in FOB's - fresh off the boat immigrants) or ABCDs(American born confused desis), and confusion as to the objective of the movie - identity questions of the lead character or a general comedy about stupid Indian bumpkins.<br /><br />Adding to this mess are crucial details - a north-Indian aarti (prayer invocation) performed by an obviously south-Indian family, problems about the details of Muslims praying are examples.<br /><br />In short, the film is about how Indians are perceived by Indian-Americans, not about their lives. It is only marginally more accurate than the horrific unPC portrayals of Indians (and other South Asians) in Hollywood movies. As an aside, while APu from the SImpsons is not the best (as in accurate) representation, his character is developed enough to be funny and is fairly well researched.<br /><br />In the end, the viewer is left mystified as to the object of the movie apart from making a few crude jokes about Indians. Perhaps this is the result of angst against "Mummy, Daddy" translated into celluloid. Don't get me wrong, I can take any jokes about Indians and Bhaji on the Beach, Bend it Like Beckham, The Kumars at No.42 (BBC TV series) are great examples of sharply humorous images of expatriate Indians; but this film's humor is based on the crudest of devices and failed to amuse me.