Loins of Punjab Presents

Director, cowriter and actor Manish Acharya’s scrappy comedy refracts the quirks, pretensions and self-delusions of American-born desis (South Asians raised outside India) through the prism of “Desi Icon,” a music competition sponsored by New Jersey meat purveyor Loins of Punjab. The featured contestants include a foulmouthed gay bhangra rapper, a wealthy housewife (Azmi) looking to score philanthropic points by donating the winnings to charity, a white-boy wanna-be (Raimondi) and a talented teen (Sharma) desperate to escape her family’s stifling expectations. The more you know about Bollywood clichés, desi neuroses and Indian-on-Indian stereotypes, the funnier you’ll find Acharya’s merciless in-jokes.