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Review

Gay Bollywood anyone? Achieving a milestone in Indian cinema, Mango Soufflé is the first openly gay male film from India and is an eye-opening exploration of gay sexuality and relationships in a culture far from accepting. This heartfelt melodrama begins when gay fashion designer Kamlesh (Ankur Vikal), reeling from a recently ended relationship, invites a group of friends – both gay men and straight women – for dinner at his parents' lavish summer home to gossip about their love lives – or lack thereof. The situation reaches the boiling point when his sister, Kiran (Rinkie Khanna), arrives with her new fiancé, Ed (Atul Kulkarni), a man with an explosive secret.

The action whips into a frenzy as the sexual tension builds and skeletons fly out of the closet. Writer/director Mahesh Dattani's colorful directorial debut (based on a play he wrote) is a breezy, tangy and colorful peek into the contemporary life of Indian gay culture.

 -- Lewis Tice