Praying with Anger

Praying with Anger (1992) is the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan directed, produced, wrote and starred in the film, which was about a young Indian American's return to India. To date, the film has been shown primarily at film festivals and never received a wide release for mainstream distribution. It has gradually developed a cult following as a work exploring the clash of Western values with those of the Indian subcontinent.

Plot

Indian American Dev Raman (M. Night Shyamalan), who was raised in the United States, returns to his native country to spend a year as part of a college exchange program. He is initially reluctant, but his mother insists and he respects her wishes. While there, he discovers that his cold and distant father, now deceased, carried a quiet and profound affection towards him.^[1] While he is in India, he receives guidance from his friend Sanjay (Mike Muthu). As the visit progresses, Dev ignores Sanjay's suggestions, and the interaction between Indian and Western cultures quickly precipitates into misunderstanding and violence.^[2]

Dev realizes that one may pray to the deities of the Hindu pantheon in almost any emotional state except indifference. As he explores his past and sees the miscommunication between the two cultures, Dev is overwhelmed and finds himself only able to pray with anger.

South Asian American genre

The film joins a relatively limited roster of films dealing with coming of age themes in the South Asian American community. Other notable contributions include the classic American Desi, Green Card Fever, ABCD, American Chai, Americanizing Shelley, and The Namesake.

Cast

• M. Night Shyamalan – Dev Raman
• Mike Muthu – Sanjay
• Richa Ahuja – Rupal Mohan
• Sushma Ahuja – Mrs. Mohan

References

1. ↑ Stephen Holden (1992). "'Praying With Anger' Movie Review". New York Times. 
2. ↑ James Berardinelli (1993). "Review: Praying With Anger". Reelviews.net. 

External links

• Praying with Anger at the Internet Movie Database