US misadventure
film: PRIME VIDEO: The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh
Director: Satya Bhabha, Gail Mancuso, Carey Williams, Smriti Mundhra and Michael Showalter
Cast: Arjun Sriram, Sahana Srinivasan, Sindhu Vee, Naveen WS Andrews, Ashwin Sakhtivel, Megan Hilty, Nicholas Hamilton, Pete Holmes, Romy Rosemon
South Asian families at the centre stage of American sitcoms isn’t something new, especially after the popularity nods to ‘Never Have I Ever’ and ‘Ms Marvel’. So, to see the Pradeep family migrating to Pittsburgh in America all the way from Gujarat for laughs doesn’t evoke excitement.
The series opens with a quick introduction of each member of the Pradeep family and their quirks. It then shifts into an immigration investigation for causing a fire at the house of the white neighbours, the Mills.
The film incorporates various Indian elements and it works too. What doesn’t is the cliched stereotypes, which could have been avoided.
Even for the target audience of Indians, the series doesn’t really click. For instance, the elder son of the Pradeeps, Kamal Pradeep, played by Arjun Sriram, who suffers from all kinds of phobias, is far too overbearing. The same goes for the rebel Bhanu, who is obsessed with Mill’s only child, Stu. The rivalry between the two families stems from an identity crisis in a foreign land for the Pradeeps and the Mills’ denial to accept the change in their neighbourhood.
For creator Vijal Patel, to write a show based on his own experiences is an ambitious experiment. For, he was born in 1975 and transporting his immigration struggles into a contemporary series must have been a tough task. And then to hire an array of directors — Satya Bhabha, Gail Mancuso, Carey Williams, Smriti Mundhra and Michael Showalter — would have demanded a rare synergy.
The one thing that stands out is the non-linear pattern of narration when the five Pradeeps are questioned by the staff of the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service. As they try to prove their innocence, events are relayed to viewers from the perspective of each character and sometimes the interrogators.
The characters are likeable and evoke interest whereas the acting is average most of the times. Even Daddy Pradeep’s (Naveen Andrews) docile and friendly vibe as opposed to Mommy Pradeep’s (Sindhu Vee) bossy and controlling energy come off as classic textbook character portrayals for an Indian-Amercian series.
‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ is at best a time-filler series until one jumps to the next best thing.
