Thanks to Santosh Daniel for pointing me to this very interesting reality-film 4 weeks in Bombay.

Here is Santosh's report of the film project on hollywoodmasala.

After reading through the report, I am kind of intrigued at the numerous ways in which South Asian Americans will find ways to seek their identity. They will send an an average white-American guy to Bombay for four weeks with 20 dollars. Bombay, now Mumbai, the diaspora still like to use the word Bombay, not Mumbai. This diaspora likes to acknowledge titles only of the good ole' India. Part of the first-generation legacy.

The concept is very simple. We have hired a typical/average American - Phil Mikal - and he has to survive in Bombay for 4 weeks. And, you can watch snippets of his daily struggles.

The South Asian American film makers have already assumed that the guy is going to struggle in India. With just 20$ for 4 weeks, your going to be struggling in any large city anywhere in the world! So this reality documentary has bitten of into its imagined reality of India. Big Mistake. How about not working with assumptions of struggle?

Will he get a job, will he sleep on the streets, will someone steal his money and passport, or will he simply give up? Each day, this displaced American will face a new challenge! Essentially, an ordinary person with minimal disadvantages will be placed into an extraordinary situation.

The displaced American as we read is going to face a new challenge each day, the challenges assumed are - a stolen passport, sleeping on the street. He could very well have done that in the ghettos of New York City, why come all the way to Mumbai.

An ordinary white guy living on the streets of a big Indian city, with only 20$ is not an extraordinary situation, it is a highly unlikely situation. Trying to make it real for 4 weeks is akin to what the hippies did way back in the 70's.

It is all but natural that the South Asian Diaspora in the USA, particularly the gen-x desis have a very Americanized world view, nothing wrong with that. But from my observations the American academia and other intellectual/political lobbies have always compartmentalized its citizens along ethnic, racial, economic, political and social lines. This has given rise to stereotypes. And India is stereotyped as a land of struggle and petty passport rogues. Very objectionable!

The project puts an American dude on the streets of Mumbai and inferences will be drawn on the reality of India from the video clips. I am afraid life on the streets of Mumbai is going to be seen as the average "Indian" life. This is called seeing what you want to see.

I doubt I am going to watch this reality show, because it is hardly real for anyone except for Phil.

All the best, hope India receives him with open arms and the journey is without struggle.