What It's About:

Wealthy Hindu father Lalit Verma (Shah) and his wife Pimmi (Lillete Dubey) are frantically trying to finalize preparations for the lavish arranged marriage of their daughter Aditi (Das) to Hemant Rai (Parvin Dabas), an engineer from Houston. An events planner is hired, relatives start flying in from far-flung locales all over the world, and emotions are running at a high pitch. Only problem is, Aditi's got grave doubts, and against the advice of her cousin Ria (Shefali Shetty), scurries off to rendezvous with her former lover. Will wedding bells ring?

Why I Love It:

This exhilarating Punjabi comedy of manners by the talented Mira Nair ("Salaam Bombay!") fuses Bollywood-style antics (and one extravagant dance sequence!) with crisp social observation. As chaos consumes the tradition-minded Verma and Rai clans, all bets are off-and some new ones are made-on who's pairing up with whom. Declan Quinn's roving camera spotlights the large and eccentric cast, but standouts are Shah and Vijay Raaz, the marigold-chewing nuptials planner who has eyes on a comely maid. Addressing the collision between West and East, as well as class differences in the hustle and bustle of modern Delhi, "Monsoon" is a buoyant, multifaceted work that's as thoughtful and rich as a weighty novel.