Outsourced - the movie

Travelingbhat

Hey IMer's

I saw a great movie mostly filmed in mumbai/seattle over the weekend at the Seattle International Film Festival called Outsourced. Its about an american call center manager whose job is being outsourced to India and he has to go to India to train his replacement.

More about the movie at the official web site:
http://www.outsourcedthemovie.com/

Its a great movie in that it depicts the whole outsourcing/globalization issue with a funny, down to earth, real way instead of berating either western or indian cultures. I really enjoyed it, check it out if its playing in your local theatres. The executive producer and director of the movie were at the screening and it seemed like they got a lot out of their experience in India both filming and staying there (surprise surprise). They were so positive about it and told everyone in the audience that they MUST go to India in their lifetime.

Coming from India myself I was pleasantly surprised with their candor, enthusiasm and raw emotional feedback to a theatre audience of over 500!

lonelyaztec

I also read an article over the weekend, which says most Stand up comedians and talk show hosts - Jay leno, Bill mahal etc, have started cracking jokes on Indians and the Outsourcing industry.

If i were in America, i am not sure if i would have found it funny.

I don't like it when these talk show hosts call Indians Tech-Ops or Tech-Support.

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Prashant.M

I look at it this way: you have to be somebody to catch their attention. So doesn't that mean we are making a mark. Of course they will only pick on things that are funny and exaggerate it but that's their job.

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wurry

Hi, I'm new here, figured I'd make my first post something useful instead of just asking questions. It seems like there are a lot of movies featuring India coming out this year. Has anyone else seen the movie Outsourced? I really identified with the main character, Todd, who is sent to India to work there. The movie is sort of a love affair with India through US eyes, it follows the main character as he goes from ignorance, to abhorring to loving Indian culture and ways of living. It's a romantic comedy, yet I think it's a thought-provoking (and changing) film, and of course the reason I'm posting it here is that it's shot in India and the scenes (especially of Holi) are amazing and beautiful. Anyone else a fan? What'd you think about what the film says about outsourcing?

SitaParityaga

Welcome Wurry! Another fine Bay Area member

I checked out the link, then tried to find out if its playing near us...and its not!

Has anyone else seen it yet?

wurry

woot! Bay Area! Actually, it isn't screening in the theaters anymore, ya have to pick up the Outsourced DVD. The OP (and myself) both have a link to the website, there's a trailer and clips from the movie there so you can see if it's something you'd want to buy. I agree with the OP about how Outsourced is a tool for humanizing the globalization/outsourcing phenomenon. After the movie I thought "huh, what a nice sweet film", but then found myself still thinking about the issues it addresses weeks afterwards. Sneaky, in a good way.

New-South-Welshman

I read an article about this in the paper the other day. The writer said it wasn't your typical east meets west flick and it was one worth watching. If I ever have spare time from work, I may check it out.

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wonderwomanusa

I saw a review of it in the Chronicle about w months ago, but I don't think it stayed very long as I never found out where it was playing.

wurry

Yeah - it's a runaway independent film (kinda like My Big Fat Greek Wedding) so it didn't get to play for very long in any of the theaters where it screened, but it has a following now on DVD. I'm thinking it'll make a good xmas present. On the Outsourced website I found some stills from the film, my favorite scene is when the main character finally learns to love India during the Festival of Holi:
http://www.guerillapr.com/outsourced...n_1024x768.jpg

shashank.aggarwal

I just saw this one last night and its a wonderful movie...its very realistic in portrayal of most things and in some cinematic liberty has been taken by the director..however its an enjoyable movie..

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Random Reviews

kristinm

It's just opened here in a small cinema that shows lots of Indian movies (Fox Paris for any Sydneysiders) we're going to see it tonight - I'll let you know what we think!

kristinm

Well - its lovely, we all enjoyed it - very sweet, very funny, makes good points about the evils of globalisation - the actress is absolutely beautiful..! And the locations... gorgeous

Can anyone tell me exactly where the Indian scenes were shot - all it says is Mumbai, but in the movie its supposed to be somewhere a few hours from Mumbai and it looks like a beautiful village - with a colourful shrine in the middle and a square tank or pool with steps going down, and lovely big old houses - the house used as 'Aunty-Ji's Guesthouse' is really beautiful!

They also catch a ferry - I assume its to Elephanta Island - does anyone know?

wurry

I don't know anything about the geography of Outsourced. I loved the scene where they catch the ferry and Asha gets upset with Todd for asking Kali to destroy something. Speaking of which, what did you (anyone who has seen it) think of the way Kali was used in the film? What do you think the meaning of that was?

kristinm

I don't know enough to know.... My guess is they chose the freakiest looking god/goddess to add to the culture shock? Love the flashing heart shaped bed in that scene you referred to as well.

wurry

Yeah maybe so because Kali is the most scary to westerners because of being the goddess of destruction and that doesn't fit into the whole good/evil thing. I still couldn't help reading more into it, like when Asha says in the cab that "sometimes destruction is a good thing, it makes room for new beginnings" or whatever, I thought that the movie was saying that the destruction that's caused by globalization is a good thing because it causes a new beginning in cross-cultural communication and understanding.