WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Playing the part. In normal conditions, meaning non-ethnically or racially hostile environments filled with unqualified, blind idiocy, this concept would be perfectly ok. Choosing to go along with what is given to you should not be within the context of overt stereotyping, much less blatant profiling. Heck, isn’t that latter term left for the FBI when tracking down CRIMINALS?? I mean, you LOOK like one, but–are you? Injustice due to his brown skin color is only scratching the surface of the ignorance and utter disregard struggling actor Tejas Desai (Pritesh Shah) is encountering during his attempts to score a part–ANY part–that doesn’t get him painfully, maddeningly typecast. Yet, no matter what he seems to do to get himself out from under the “image” others have of him, it only causes his plight to get worse and casting agents more unenlightened. Yet, despite the frustrating disenchantment and discouragement, even Tejas has to discover room to admit that at least sometimes, the “invisibility” he feels might just go both ways.
Next, my Mind:
Pigeonholed, categorized, and cliché-ridden to the point of dejected exhaustion. These hallmarks of definitively obvious (and obliviously-driven) incomprehension, outrageous levels of prejudice, and the uphill battle to really be “SEEN” as a human being are all put on comedic display through intentionally over-the-top hilariousness (with JUST a touch of seriously necessary awareness-raising thrown in) found in this 13-minute short film from director Roxy Shih, writers Pritesh Shah and Dennis MaGee Fallon, producers Jamie Bradley, Tammy Hunt, Mark Myers, and Pritesh Shah plus executive producer Jay Patel. Another project screened as its NYC Premier at the 2021 NYC South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota USA and hosted by Festival Director/Jingo Media Founder Jitin Hingorani and Artistic Director Ambica Dev, this is the exact style of entertainingly gleeful, sportively scathing satirical poke at the Hollywood machine that this critic couldn’t feel was more than ever warranted and unreservedly imperative to share.
Expanding on the notions I mentioned in the paragraph above, the narrative acutely and with absolute purpose showcases so many of the pitfalls and shortcomings the film industry contains as witnessed and unfortunately experienced through the eyes of one Indian-American “brown man”, his perspective of the odds being stacked so firmly against him to score a part that DOESN’T get determined BY his ethnicity and the misconceptions that end up being assigned to it becomes more and more tainted as he ventures forth. The ideas of utilizing various “tools” to gain better momentum and make it to the desired success are also presented in quite witty ways and via wonderful visual execution, effectively communicating very pronounced assertions addressing racial bias and taking a comical stab at the people in the industry who truly believe they’re “in the know” when it’s undoubtedly clear they aren’t. Parental expectations and concerns (accompanied by some public embarrassment to boot) are also given their just due here as well.
Even when the film’s finale rolls around where we believe our intrepid “brown man” is about to get his more than earned reprieve from the chaos beforehand, it still goes awry, but then delivers the more genuinely contemplative sequence which offers a return to the idea of being “seen”, suddenly applied to ANY and ALL circumstances where stereotyping occurs, and makes for a conclusive exclamation point to the events that have transpired along the way. While it might be understood that there will always be “those people” out there, especially but not at all limited to an image-driven mechanism like Hollywood, who just cannot get beyond their predisposition for intolerant, discriminatory stances, even if just a PART of what we see in this film is true, there needs to be such a fundamental shift to rectify what I can only fathom is some of the most annoying, angering, and wholeheartedly numbing encounters actors of color run into. I truly hope this film can actually be a voice of change, even if just a little bit, to assuage these attitudes.
As a final point that struck me as well, I love the fact the film wasn’t afraid to also advise us to look inwardly at ourselves, because there could be those moments where WE have to acknowledge we’re exuding some of the exact same frame of mind those we’re pointing at are. The mirror is often NOT a pleasant mistress to stare into the eyes of, eh? Shah is a fantastically natural force of engaging and fully entertaining jocularity from start to finish, even flexing the dramatic muscles for a quick spell, in his role as Tejas, a “brown man” actor in Hollywood simply craving an opportunity to show the film industry what he’s got to offer, but consistently gets stymied by profusely prolific numbers of those who refuse to look beyond the color and typecasts he represents to them. Through thick and thin, restaurants to bedrooms and beyond, Tejas maintains he WILL find the means to make it, and watching now Shah guides his character through this mess is so deliciously hysterical to watch, his comic timing just ideally suited for the film’s stylistic intent.
Supporting roles arrive through Sunil Narkar and Mona Sishodia as Tejas’ parents Naresh and Kavita, Richa Moorjani as his sister Seema, Leann Lei, Luke Barnett, Bob Sherer, and Krystal Ker as casting reps Tejas tries desperately to convince he’s worth SO much more than their ethnically blinded eyes are perceiving, in addition to appearances by Li Lu, Steven James Olson, and David Parkman. So, in total, “Invisible Brown Man” stands as an attestation and, while overall humorously so here still sad in some ways, exemplification of our contemporary society’s deep-seated need for change, to end the prejudices that poison so much of the world, and return to a place where the respect, dignity, and acknowledgement we share comes from a sincere heart of FINALLY returning to actually seeing each other and the talents we each uniquely bring as we should–REAL and HUMAN.
Miss viewing “Invisible Brown Man” at either physical festival? Worry not! You can still check out the film for a few more days online as it currently screens as part of Virtual SAFF 2021!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
