Diary of an Outsider review - An excellent take on contemporary issues in India and the US

A poignant tale that takes a deep dive into the socio-political dynamics in the US and India.

Diary of an Outsider

The film’s overarching theme revolves around one’s haunting sense of alienation. It is subtly superimposed in the narrative which already puts under the microscope the evolving socio-political fabric in the US and India. The differences and similarities the countries share are also ingrained in the narrative. Each frame in the film has a socio-political message of its own to convey.

A part of the film's narrative is about a group of of Indian students who bully the protagonist, harass women, hold prejudicial attitudes towards other communities, and buy into whatever propaganda is served to them, which is ironic, considering they are in a country built by immigrants and multiple communities. The director, Sandeep Ravindranath, ensures that the audience does not miss this point. This also feeds into the idea how intolerant the American society has become towards immigrants during the last decade, which interestingly shares a similarity with the Indian society, which has become more xenophobic during the same time period.

The entire cast in the film put in an impressive performance, which enhances the screenplay. The actor who plays Kishore, Siddhartha Rajan, offers a nuanced portrayal of a man who is reflecting on the struggles that have consumed him in a short span of time. The cultural differences Kishore experiences through his Indian roommates, his American classmate, and his Indian-American date is similar to a close read of a literary text that has subtle political messages within the story. The film also questions the juxtaposition as what defines one's love for their homeland - is it the hypernationalism projected through some of the characters? Or is it the contempt shown by the woman Kishore has dinner with?Or is it the acceptance of the good and the bad depicted through Kishore? 

The ending of Diary of an Outsider perfectly conveys the idea of not belonging - a feeling that haunts millions of people across the globe. 

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