How is that for a Monday? Review

Debutant director-writer Sripal Sama's coolly titled film, "How's That For A Monday?", takes us through an extraordinary day in the life of Shyam Kumar (Kaushik Ghantasala), an Indian techie navigating life in the US. Waking up on that fateful Monday, he never could have imagined his day would revolve around counterfeit bills and Olympic medals. That by mid-morning he would be fired from his job, and be pawning his gold chain to settle his credit card debt, all on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, no less.

"It's bad luck to let go of your gold today," his desi girlfriend warns over the phone, and indeed, it looks to be "How's That..." rounds up an eclectic group of characters - a billionaire, a renowned athlete, a cop and a gang of thieves - into its taut script about finding humanity in odd places. Shot on a shoestring budget - the movie was largely financed by Sama himself - "How's that..." relies on the script and performances - more so than on its visuals or background score - to carry the film's narrative weight.

With dry humour, the film highlights the impersonal aspects of American life that often bewilder us outsiders - for example, a drive-thru restaurant refuses to serve a hungry man simply because he is not in a car, citing a "health and safety policy"; and a robotic bank customer service agent repeatedly "apologises for any inconvenience" but refuses to stop inconveniencing.

Emphasizing the plot over character development, the film relies on eccentric coincidences and chance meetings to craft an impressively unified narrative. It also unexpectedly centres on the Black Lives Matter movement, which adds emotional depth to the story. Some of the plot twists are predictable, but many come as delightful surprises. And remarkably, references to George Floyd and BLM protests really do find an apt place in the story without seeming superficial.

Yet, there is a glaring lack of urgency or distinctive style in the film's pacing and execution. At the beginning, there is a momentary cause for tension as Shyam is on a deadline to pay his credit card bill before the end of the day - but this thread gets dropped midway. Sluggishness takes over, even in scenes that demand quick action and physicality. And a deliberate quality to Shyam's movements and dialogues weighs down the vibe of the film.

Kaushik Ghantasala struggles to enunciate some of the lengthier English dialogues. It's clear that he is much more at home with Telugu - he comes alive the few times he talks in his mother tongue - while English words drop out of him in clumsy jumble, detracting from some of the film's best-written best scenes. Take for instance the scene in which Kaushik questions a drive-thru agent regarding their service policies. He can't understand why they'd turn away a hungry man, so what if he is not in a car. To him, it is one of those very American quirks: following the rules at the cost of humanity. This confrontation demands a rapid exchange of words, comedic timing and witty repartee to give outlet to Shyam's bewilderment, but Kaushik is rather flat and monotonous. In fact, throughout much of the film, his performance remains one-note, displaying minimal variation in his reactions. Amid the generally commendable performances of the American actors, Kaushik sticks out in the wrong way as if operating on a distinct wavelength.

Despite its stylistic austerity, "How's That..." is still a worthwhile film, and a rarity considering its hybrid setting. It serves as a reminder that there is a goldmine of unexplored stories about the diaspora in the US - those who have schlepped it out for years inside this "green card jail" of a country and finally settled down there. Who will be the ones to tell their stories?