The Ode
Encyclopedia
The Odd is a 2008 film directed by Nilanjan Neil Lahiri and starring Sachin Bhatt
, Wilson Cruz
and Sakina Jaffrey
. The film is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel, Ode to Lata by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla. The biopic was shot on location in Kenya
and in Los Angeles
and produced by Ratna Maity, with Bharat Shah as executive producer.
Film Festival on July 17, 2008 to a sold-out audience. It was called "a beautiful portrait of the American experience for many first and second-generation Indian-Americans" (CineQueer, July 18, 2008) and a film with performances that are "memorable" and filled with "cinematic intensity" (Planet Homo, July 19, 2008). The UCLA Asia Institute praised it as a film that inspired "after-film contemplation" and boasting performances that are "noteworthy" (Asia Pacific Arts, August 8, 2008).
Ali flees to Hollywood, away from his overprotective mother and the memories of his father's violent death.
A successful banker by day, at night Ali's life unravels in a blur of alcohol, drugs, and sex as he grapples with love, loss and ultimately, forgiveness. When his mother comes to Los Angeles to visit Ali in a last ditch attempt to bring him back home and change his ways, the trapdoors of the past are flung open. Through Ali's struggle to break free and in his obsessive relationship with Richard (Diego Serrano), we glimpse into a troubled past he cannot escape and which threatens to destroy him unless he finds peace with his mother.
Sachin Bhatt
Sachin Bhatt is an American theatre, film and television actor of Indian origin.Bhatt is best known for his lead role as Ali in the 2008 film The Ode directed by Nilanjan Neil Lahiri...
, Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz is an American actor, known for playing Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life and a recurring character on Noah's Arc...
and Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey is an Indian American actress.Jaffrey was born in Manhattan, New York, the youngest daughter of Madhur Jaffrey and Saeed Jaffrey. She graduated from Vassar College in 1984. Jaffrey appeared with her father in the film Masala and with her mother in The Perfect Murder...
. The film is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel, Ode to Lata by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla. The biopic was shot on location in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and produced by Ratna Maity, with Bharat Shah as executive producer.
Screenings
The Ode premiered at the OutfestOutfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
Film Festival on July 17, 2008 to a sold-out audience. It was called "a beautiful portrait of the American experience for many first and second-generation Indian-Americans" (CineQueer, July 18, 2008) and a film with performances that are "memorable" and filled with "cinematic intensity" (Planet Homo, July 19, 2008). The UCLA Asia Institute praised it as a film that inspired "after-film contemplation" and boasting performances that are "noteworthy" (Asia Pacific Arts, August 8, 2008).
Synopsis
Thew storyline spans two generations of Indians. There is the doomed but passionate love story of Parin (Sakina Jaffrey) and Shiraz (Anil Kumar). This is intertwined with the life of their gay son Ali (Sachin Bhatt) who discovers that the past is always present no matter how far you run from it.Ali flees to Hollywood, away from his overprotective mother and the memories of his father's violent death.
A successful banker by day, at night Ali's life unravels in a blur of alcohol, drugs, and sex as he grapples with love, loss and ultimately, forgiveness. When his mother comes to Los Angeles to visit Ali in a last ditch attempt to bring him back home and change his ways, the trapdoors of the past are flung open. Through Ali's struggle to break free and in his obsessive relationship with Richard (Diego Serrano), we glimpse into a troubled past he cannot escape and which threatens to destroy him unless he finds peace with his mother.
Cast
- Sachin BhattSachin BhattSachin Bhatt is an American theatre, film and television actor of Indian origin.Bhatt is best known for his lead role as Ali in the 2008 film The Ode directed by Nilanjan Neil Lahiri...
as Ali - Wilson CruzWilson CruzWilson Cruz is an American actor, known for playing Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life and a recurring character on Noah's Arc...
as Adrian - Sakina JaffreySakina JaffreySakina Jaffrey is an Indian American actress.Jaffrey was born in Manhattan, New York, the youngest daughter of Madhur Jaffrey and Saeed Jaffrey. She graduated from Vassar College in 1984. Jaffrey appeared with her father in the film Masala and with her mother in The Perfect Murder...
as Parin - Parvesh CheenaParvesh CheenaParvesh Singh Cheena is an American character actor. He most recently played Gupta in the canceled NBC Universal TV series Outsourced. Cheena grew up in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and went to Waubonsie Valley High School. He studied musical theatre at the Chicago College of...
as Salman - Diego SerranoDiego SerranoDiego Serrano is an American actor.Serrano was born in Quito, Ecuador. He has appeared on The Young and the Restless as Diego Guittierez and the long-running, defunct soap opera, Another World as Tomas Rivera . In 2000, he starred alongside star Jennifer Love Hewitt on the Fox television series...
as Richard - Rebecca HazlewoodRebecca HazlewoodRebecca Hazlewood is an English actress of mixed English and Indian descent. Hazlewood was born in Wales and grew up in Kingswinford, England and studied English Literature at Bretton Hall...
as Young Parin - Philip Anthony-RodriguezPhilip Anthony-RodriguezPhilip Anthony-Rodriguez is an American actor and voice actor of Puerto Rican descent who is known for his roles on Jake 2.0 as Kyle Duarte and the voice of disc jockey Maurice Chavez in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. His voice is also heard in the 2010 video game Halo: Reach...
as Nelson - Lakshmi ManchuLakshmi ManchuLakshmi Prasanna Manchu is an Indian film actress, producer and a television host. She is the only daughter of actor Mohan Babu and his first wife late Vidya Devi. She graduated with a Bachelors in Theater Oklahoma City University. She has acted in the American Television series Las Vegas and...
as Najma - Enrique Almeida as Cholo (1)
- Noel GugliemiNoel GugliemiNoel Gugliemi is an American actor.He was born in Santa Monica, California, to an Italian-American father and a Mexican-American mother. Gugliemi voiced the character of Cortez in the video game 187 Ride or Die. He is most noted for portraying a stereotypical southern Californian Latino gang member...
as Cholo (2) - Ajay MehtaAjay MehtaAjay Mehta is an Indian-American actor.Mehta was born in New Delhi, India and he was educated in New Delhi, in Mayo College and St. Stephens College. After university, Ajay moved to Hong Kong to be a scriptwriter for the Hong Kong English TV channel TVB Pearl and occasionally appeared as cameo in...
as Mr. Surani - Anoush NeVart as Mrs. Surani (credited as Anna NeVart)
- Yasmine Delawari as Guli
- Anil Kumar as Shiraz