Jadoo

Inspired by his own upbringing, writer and director Amit Gupta presents Jadoo, a film about a love for food and family. The film sees the newly-engaged Shalini (Amara Karan) resolve to reunite her father Raja (Harish Patel) with his estranged younger brother Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir) in time for her wedding. Though they once ran a family restaurant together, the mulish brothers now own rivalling establishments and have not spoken for ten years for reasons unknown to their family – though an introductory note describes the fallout as “a spicy s*** storm”.

From this introduction, Jadoo promises to be witty and charming, and does not disappoint. Gupta’s script is funny, vivacious and clever, while also offering real depth and a solid plot history. At the centre of it all, onscreen brothers Patel and Ghir are simply enthralling. Their stubborn portrayals are so well-matched that it’s very easy to believe these men grew up together. Patel gives his Raja an obstinacy tempered by a subtle tenderness towards his daughter, while Ghir’s Jagi lights up with passion when he so much as talks about cooking. Playing the bumbling outsider, Tom Mison is endearing and comedic as Shalini’s bemused fiancé Mark. Meanwhile, Karan’s determined Shalini is the very anchor of the film, an easy and likable heroine.

Oscar-nominee Roger Pratt truly does the culinary heart of the movie justice with his beautiful cinematography. The picture is lush, vibrant and – particularly in the scene where a paint-splattered Shalini celebrates Holi – rather striking. Pratt’s work brings out the absolute best in the many, many shots of beautiful gourmet spreads that will have audiences salivating. Jadoo explores British-Asian culture in a way that hasn’t really been seen before, celebrating the wealth of exciting cuisine to be found all around us today.

This is an absolute must-watch for foodies, families and film lovers – Jadoo is sure to be a crowd-pleaser in general! The hot-headed brotherly feud will invite giggles and coos, but the real star of this movie is all the gorgeous, mouth-watering food.

Aoife O’Driscoll

Jadoo is released nationwide on 6^th September 2013.

Watch the trailer for Jadoo here: