UNindian is an uplifting Australian made Bollywood film directed by Anupam Sharma, written by Thushy Sathi, lensed by Martin McGrath and and marks the feature film debut of Aussie fast bowling legend Brett Lee.

The film finds Lee a little out of his element as an actor, but nevertheless he makes a fair impression of a likable and laid-back if somewhat stereotypical Aussie male.

This entertaining film has toned down the features that are characteristic of Bollywood extravaganzas and in doing so has introduced some thoughtful insights on lives caught between two cultures.

Will (Brett Lee) falls in love with Meera (the excellent Tannishtha Chatterjee), a young professional single mother of Indian background. Her parents do not approve and try to marry her to the arrogant Samir (convincingly played by Nicholas Brown).

Meera’s parents, played by Supriya Pathak and Akash Khurana, are at times caricatures of Indian parents. Binky Aunty, played by Kumud Merani, is in a similar vein, an extreme Indian aunty stereotype.

Will’s friends come from Anglo and Indian backgrounds and are indicative of the film’s multicultural pedigree. Adam Dunn as Mich and Arka Das as DK are a couple of ocker blokes that Will shares accommodation with, and typically have strong interests in beer, girls and pizza. They serve to forge a connection between cultures whilst providing humour.

The scenes shot in Sydney’s glorious photogenic locations and the presence of Brett Lee, along with other local actors John Howard, Tiriel Mora and Stephen Hunter provide evidence that this film is an Australian production.

Although there are a couple of scenes involving cricket practice, Lee’s superlative skills as a cricketer are not on display.  Will and his nemesis Samir play in the same suburban cricket team and the skill level is toned down to reflect the typical standard of park cricket, an endearing touch.

UNindian, a film about characters caught between two cultures also feels in some ways to be a film caught between genres, and it comes across awkwardly at times, though overall it works well. The Bollywood features such as dance, music, farce and caricature bring a strong element of fun to this film. This backdrop is also an effective means to explore racial discrimination, generate an interest in an unfamiliar culture and empathise with the migrant experience in modern Australia.

UNindian is currently playing in cinemas.