Om Puri

A Punjabi do-gooder sets out on a quest to track down the king of the Australian underworld, only to find that a positive attitude and a sense of basic human dignity will get him further in life than he ever could have imagined. Everyone in Happy Singh's small village is sick and tired of the boundless enthusiasm displayed by this optimistic youngster. In order to get rid of Happy, the villagers send him to bring back the nefarious head of the Australian underworld, who just so happens to be from the same village. Not only is the crime kingpin ruining his village's reputation from abroad, but his ailing parents are deeply concerned about his livelihood as well. After missing his flight to Australia, Happy winds up finding love amongst the Egyptian pyramids and is crowned king of Kangaroo Land. Though numerous other obstacles may appear in his path, Happy always manages to overcome the odds thanks to his proverbial heart of gold. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Director Rahul Rawail teams with screenwriter Anand Sivakumaran for this cutting black comedy about greed, corpses, cold hard cash, and funerals. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Produced by Tom Hanks, written by Aaron Sorkin, and directed by Mike Nichols, this adaptation of George Crile III's incendiary bestseller tells the remarkable story of the Texas congressman whose efforts to prevent the Red Army from overtaking Afghanistan eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union while simultaneously fueling the rise of radical Islam. In the early 1980s, a hastily assembled army of Afghan "freedom fighters" achieved the remarkable feat of fending off Soviet invaders despite the fact that the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against them. At the time, Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a key member of the hugely powerful House Appropriations Committee. Illuminated to the specifics of this remarkable war by a high-profile Houston socialite, Wilson spearheaded an effort to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and training to the Mujahideen with more than a little help from brilliant but prickly CIA operative Gust Avrokotos. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An Indian narcotics officer concocts an ingenious plan to capture a notorious drug lord, only to discover too little too late just how wrong even the most well-executed plan can go in this Bollywood action thriller from director Farhan Akhtar. As drug trafficking between Asia and Europe rockets to an all-time high, DCP DeSilva vows to bring one of the world's most notorious drug cartels to justice no matter what the cost. Though many believe the powerful operation to be run by the dreaded Singhania, it is actually trusted lieutenant Don who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. DCP DeSilva knows well that the ruthless and power-mad Don is the true mastermind behind the actions of the cartel, and upon capturing the elusive drug trafficker he sets into motion a complicated plan designed to bring down the elaborately conceived operation once and for all. DeSilva's secret weapon is a man named Vijay. Not only is Vijay the spitting image of Don, but he has studied Don's mannerisms extensively and now possesses the skills needed to infiltrate the group and deceive even the sharp-eyed Singhania. Trouble arises, however, when DeSilva is unexpectedly killed during a raid on the cartel and the only people Vijay can turn to for help are woman who has infiltrated the gang to avenge the death of her brother, and the man who once entrusted Vijay with his son and now owes the frantic undercover cop a sizable favor. But now the ruse has been revealed, and with the police closing in on one side and the vengeful gangsters gaining ground on the other, time is quickly running out for the hunted undercover cop without an identity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A woman in jeopardy has to deal with a growing number of men who've fallen in love with her, as well as a pair of thugs who want her dead, in this Bollywood musical comedy. Tanya (Rimi Sen) is a beautiful young woman who is in love with Karan (Shahid Kapoor), a sweet and handsome boy who happens to live down the street. However, when Tanya stumbles upon some information about a pair of local gangsters, she finds herself in great danger and must leave town for her own good. Tanya sets out for Dubai, but it isn't long before Karan misses her so much that he decides to find her. Not knowing where she's gone, Karan hires a private investigator, Rocky (Akshay Kumar), to follow her trail, but while Rocky is able to find Tanya easily enough, when he sees her he immediately falls head over heels for her and isn't especially interested in handing her over to Karan. Sanju (Suniel Shetty) is another young man who carries a torch for Tanya, and after she goes away he also sets out to find her; when he discovers Rocky wants to make her his own, he is determined to stop him, even though he's handicapped. And is this the end of the parade of men falling for Tanya? Not by a long shot. Deewane Huye Pagal was shot on location in India, Dubai, and Las Vegas, NV. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A woman is uncertain of what path to take when she loses the love of her life in this romantic drama from India. Avi (Salman Khan) is a bright and ambitious young man who, after completing his education in the United States, comes home to take his place in the successful business run by his father, Balraaj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan). Avi meets a beautiful young artist named Millie (Rani Mukherjee) and the two fall in love. They wed, give birth to a son, and are enjoying their lives with their new family when Avi is suddenly killed in an auto accident. Millie is emotionally shattered by Avi's death and she is uncertain about what to do next. Balraaj believes his daughter-in-law needs to remarry and start life over again; he knows that Millie's friend Rajat (John Abraham), a musician, has long had feelings for her, and he tries to bring the two of two of them together. But Millie must decide if she's ready for a new love while her life with Avi is still fresh in her mind. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Directed by Mani Ratnam, Yuva follows three very different youngsters: idealistic student and aspiring politician Michael (Ajay Devgan); Arjun (Vivek Oberoi), who dreams of immigrating to the United States; and Lallan (Abhishek Bachchan) from the wrong side of the tracks. The three cross paths after an accident on a local bridge, and before any of them realize what has happened, they've embarked on a life-altering exchange of ideas, perspectives, and far-reaching life experiences. The film features Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherjee, Esha Deol, and Kareena Kapoor. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Second Generation stars Parminder Nagra as the free-thinking daughter in a traditional Indian family who has torn herself away from the restrictive traditions of her parents. A family emergency brings her back into the fold, where the entire family must contend with how their world sometimes is at odds with the modern London world they inhabit. In addition to the struggles with her family, the daughter is caught in a love triangle involving her British fiancé and her old flame. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast in the United Kingdom, the two-part miniseries White Teeth was based on Zadie Smith's 2000 bestseller about the perils of cultural assimilation in modern day North London. Taking place in the years 1974 to 1992 and set in the melting-pot community of Willesden Green, the story focuses on three different families. The Jamaican-English Archie Jones (Phil Davis) is a professional envelope-folder, while his wife, Clara (Naomie Harris), is a lapsed Jehovah's Witness. Archie's old army buddy Samad Iqbal (Om Puri) is a Bengalese waiter who hails from Bangladesh, also the home country of his sharp-tongued spouse, Alsana (Archie Panjabi). And the Malfen family, headed by Joyce and Marcus (Geraldine James, Robert Bathurst), are fiercely dedicated charter members of the Keepers of the Eternal and Victorious Islamic Nation (or KEVIN for short). Deftly combining comedy, drama, melodrama, and pathos, the Dickensian interactions and interrelationships among the three families manage to accommodate a variety of dizzying plot convolutions involving disenchanted youngsters, racial prejudice, social pretensions, cult worship, misguided animal activists, a genetically modified mouse, a Nazi war criminal, and a bizarre but brilliant kidnapping scheme. In the United States, White Teeth first aired May 11, 2003, as part of the PBS Masterpiece Theatre anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide