Sujata Day reached the breaking point. There was a year during pilot season when all of the Indian American female roles were tied to some kind of arranged marriage plotline, she tells the American-Statesman over the phone last week. “I was just like, ‘Oh my god, I can t do this anymore,’ because me and my Indian American friends growing up, that s not something that we ever experienced with our parents or our families. Although there are some great movies and TV shows that have a plot line like that, it just doesn t have to be every single plot line.”
So, Day started writing her own roles. The Pittsburgh native makes a star turn as Monica Chowdry, a former spelling bee champ turned slacker, in the comedy-drama “Definition Please.” She also directed and produced the film, which will be the closing night feature for the Austin Asian American Film Festival’s virtual/in-person hybrid event this year.
Events - Monday, May 31, 2021 - The Austin Chronicle
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Cruella review: Emma Stone rocks the frocks, but the story? Woof
Austin 360
Who is “Cruella,” a coming-of-age movie about a woman who grows up to skin Dalmatians, for exactly? I have seen the movie; I have no idea.
I do know that stars Emma Stone and Emma Thompson spend 134 minutes chewing on scenery like it’s made of rawhide, while they model sumptuous 1970s fashions everything from Carnaby Street couture to Vivienne Westwood punk glam, all as seen through a Disney imagineer’s peepers.
The latest in Disney’s quest to revive all its intellectual property for maximum merchandising opportunities, “Cruella” is a dubiously faithful prequel to the “101 Dalmatians” franchise. An origin story for infamous rogue Cruella de Vil, it’s out in theaters on Friday, as well as available to stream on Disney+ for an added fee.