By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
The whitewashed Ghost in the Shell is likely to be this weekend’s number one movie, but you do have another option.
It’s a timely Asian American film that has played at more than a dozen film festivals in the United States, Canada, India, Australia and London.
For Here or to Go? opens this Friday at theaters nationwide in 12 states and the District of Columbia.
For here or to go? It’s a question asked at the counter of numerous fast food restaurants.
Unfortunately for countless immigrants to the United States waiting for a visa, it’s a question that haunts them for sometimes their entire stay in the USA.
It certainly haunted writer-producer Rishi Bhilawadikar who came to the United States in 2005 and who has experienced everything in the film.
“There’s a big of me in all the characters,” said Bhilawadikar to AsAmNews.
From Here or to Go? stars Ali Fazal who plays a young Silicon Valley software engineer Vivek Pandit. Pandit is all set for his dream job until the company about to hire him realizes his work visa has less than a year to go. Unwilling to hire somebody who’s status in this country is in limbo, the job offer is yanked from Pandit.
Pandit sets out to get his H1B visa as the clock ticks. According to Bhilawadikar, 1.5 million Indians are in a similar position in the United States. He knows that first hand. He’s one of them.
“If you put a human face on something, it becomes a lot more relatable,” he said.
That’s why he spent seven years working on the film, his first feature film ever.
It’s the reason director Rucha Humnabadkar joined Bhilawadikar in his quest to get the film shown on the big screen.
She’s worked as an Assistant Director and Art director on such indie hits as Bollywood Calling, Rockford and Hyderabad Blues.
Her short Arranged Marriage was featured in the Smithsonian touring exhibit, Beyond Bollywood.
“I’ve gone through all the steps of immigration,” said Humnabadkar who is now a U.S. citizen. “I connected with the story. It’s everyone’s story.”
The film also stars Melanie Kannokada who has a flirtatious budding relationship with Pandit. Pandit learns his uncertain immigration status even has an impact on his dates.
Pandit’s roommate is played by Omi Vaidya who is not only having a battle with immigration status, but his sexuality as well.
From Here or to Go is an engaging movie that will draw you in. Unfortunately it is hampered by what I’m sure was a relatively small budget. The iconic scenes of the San Francisco Bay Area looked as if they were taken more than a decade ago. It looked like stock footage that was purchased on a budget. The scene where Fazal and Kannokada first meet seems dated. Do people really speed date anymore? But I’m nitpicking.
From Here or to Go? gets three stars on a four star scale. This is a film that is worth supporting.
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