It’s not incest — it just means they are from the same 50-square mile radius in India. Patel is best known for his the autobiographical comic documentary “Meet The Patels”, and will soon be seen in […] FEEDBACK. I will be happy with the one you find.” Performed by Efterklang Courtesy of Interscope Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises All right, I'm going to get in the water now. Cindy Crowell Written by C. Ramchandra He notes that Indian actors are gaining visibility as well as power in the West. And look - at the end of this year, my wife and I and our daughter - we're getting in the car, and we're going to drive to the East Coast specifically to live closer to my parents and to simplify, which is something that we explore in the Japan episode. Adam Conarroe LESS, Directed by I've been saying for years that I need to slow down. Written by Jerry Lordan It had its international premiere at Hot Docs in April 2014. Fresh out of a breakup with the white girlfriend his parents didn't know existed and freaked out that he’s almost 30 and still single, Ravi goes on a family vacation to India, open minded about finding love in a traditional way — but there’s a catch: in his family, everyone has the last name Patel. About the Film Meet the Patels is a real-life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an Indian American actor/comedian who enters into a love triangle between the woman of his dreams — and his parents. Similarly, that episode about Mexico is about trying to figure out a way of how my parents and I - how we're going to spend the rest of our time together. But I think in a lot of ways, we're lucky that we even have minority communities with a big enough voice where we can even be in this moment. Joshua Greenbaum Meet the Patels is a 2014 American romantic comedy documentary film directed by siblings Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel. Ravi and Geeta’s parents decided to marry within ten minutes of meeting, have been happy for 35 years and are impatiently awaiting weddings and babies. Mike Levinthal What is love? After he breaks up with his girlfriend, Ravi allows mom and dad to play matchmaker. All Rights Reserved. Sally Jo Fifer In MEET THE PATELS, Ravi Patel is an actor living in Los Angeles who has just broken up with his longtime girlfriend Audrey. A FAMILY AFFAIR The whole Patel clan gets involved when Ravi (l) needs to find a wife in the comic documentary, "Meet the Patels." Performed by Emilio Teubal and La Balteuband A complete list available from PBS. Pond5: alboardman; CircleTreeMultimedia; crackerclips; diversemedia; Excitator; keithkdg; Kirbyfilmstock; kt; MichaelVorobiev; MountAiryFilms; Ognjen1234; Olga_K; ONJ; retroklips; Spotmatik; TeamC; WellingtonShootr; WHstock READ MORE, The co-stars of Meet the Patels, the parents Champa and Vasant, are interviewed on video by Geeta and Ravi about romance, how they met, dating apps and more. “She’s Like the Wind” performed by Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser, “Oh Mere Sona Re,” performed by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle Help bring programs like Independent Lens to your PBS station... Ravi is almost 30, an actor, and, worst of all to his traditional Hindu parents, still unmarried. explores the questions with which we all struggle: What makes a great, lasting marriage? Lisa A. Callif, Archival Footage and Stills Provided by Meet the Patels explores the questions with which we all struggle: What makes a great, lasting marriage? Patrick Stannard is a real-life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an Indian American actor/comedian who enters into a love triangle between the woman of his dreams — and his parents. Written by B. Kaempfert, M. Gabler Dr. Nassir and Robin Marrouche 1h 27m. Geeta made her directorial debut with the documentary war thriller, Project Kashmir, which led to directing fellowships at Sundance and Tribeca. Joshua Greenbaum Written and Performed by Norman Greenbaum Bloom Studios, Additional Storyboard Artist Geeta and Ravi Patel's documentary chronicles the latter's efforts to find an Indian bride with the help of his matchmaking parents. Geeta V. Patel I mean, you obviously filmed this at a time when you could go over - you know, four different countries and spend, you know, a lot of time. Jenny Raskin What started in 1975 with the disappearance of 20 people from a small town in Oregon, ended in 1997 with the largest suicide on US soil and changed the face of modern new age religion forever. EDUCATION. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Four chapters in four countries (Mexico, Japan, … Patel is best known for his the autobiographical comic documentary "Meet The Patels", and will soon be seen in the Gal Gadot-starrer "Wonder Woman 1984". Jay Miracle And so... MARTIN: There are all kinds of food safety laws violated there, but we'll... R PATEL: Mom goes by her own best practices. I felt I learned much about Indian Hindu culture. The film explores the expectations surrounding marriage in the Patels' first-generation Indian immigrant family and in wider American society. Copyright © 2020 NPR. Written by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane Evgeny Lubaev Now, in a lot of ways, it's something to aspire to - to feel that sense of oneness. This film was produced by Four in a Billion Pictures LLC which is solely responsible for its content. MARTIN: I have to say that my heart was in my mouth because just the idea that in most places in the United States, sending a 6-year-old to the grocery store by himself - just a non-starter. And I am just wondering if the kind of wisdom you were seeking on your journeys, even though the circumstances are very different now, did you still feel like you learned something that you can apply now? Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Performed by Diana Krall MARTIN: I love it when your mom wanted to learn to make tortillas at the restaurant, and she just kind of, like - you know, they're, like, come on in, you know? I need to get more work-life balance. Adam Miller I just wouldn't feel safe about that here in America. Performed by The Bollywood Brass Band Get behind the scenes of Meet the Patels with Geeta and Ravi telling all. Over the course of a year, Ravi is sent on a whirlwind of dates across the U.S. and Canada via the “biodating” system (in which résumés are circulated within the Patel universe), a chain of weddings, online matrimonial websites, and even the Patel Matrimonial Convention. Written by Nadeem Saifi, Shravan Rathod Vasant K. Patel Animation Studio Jeff Cowan NEW DELHI: American actor of Indian origin, Ravi Patel, says a lot is changing for talent from our country in Hollywood. They walk through the city. Courtesy of Super Cassettes Industries Limited, "Stand by Me" In a scene from the new documentary “Meet the Patels,” Champa Patel tells her son, Ravi, “I will just love whoever you fall in love with. Jessica Hernandez, Consultants And we tailed him like stalkers the whole way. The pandemic for me has expedited that urgency in realizing, yeah, we want to be closer together. Geeta V. Patel What is love? In early 2009, Geeta and Ravi began to explore and document the societal pressures of marriage in their first-generation Indian-American family. Filmed by Ravi’s sister, Geeta, in what started as a family vacation video, this warmly humorous film filled with unique animation and a soulful soundtrack reveals how, for a Patel, love is truly a family affair. One, the sense of individuality that we have here as Americans is actually really special. Courtesy of Silva Screen Music America o/b/o Saregama India Ltd. "Pardesi" Stephanie McCrea Chris Beaver Anurag Mehta Tribeca Film Institute Courtesy of The Leaf Label Ltd, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" It said a lot about how safe that place is, too. MARTIN: So obviously, we're talking to you at a time when life is very different. As an actor, he is most recognized for his work on Scrubs, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Transformers, Powder Blue, The New Normal, Master of None, and the Fox series Grandfathered starring John Stamos. Vista Vision Production Studios, "How to Avoid Huge Ships" Lois Vossen And now that I'm on the other side of 40, I was realizing that a lot of my friends were losing their parents. Ravi, thanks so much for talking with us. Yogen and Peggy Dalal Chaitanya Sareen From the film “Tees Maar Khan” Samuel Deats Matthew Hamachek, Additional Cinematography This is a 4 part series that screens in 2 … She has been a visiting artist in Belarus, Turkey, Egypt, Bosnia and Japan though the U.S. State Department. Ed Booth How did you decide... R PATEL: I basically just prioritized things that I was most urgently dealing with in my life - in fact, in my therapy sessions. Written by H. Wikstrom, S. Martin And I'm hoping that that's good for my daughter. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. I mean, a lot of these are kind of gut-punch issues. Rick Rosenthal, Consulting Producers Thom Whitehead Ravi V. Patel Composed, Arranged, Conducted by Kalyanji, Anandji Doug Blush Another one of my favorite moments was when you and your wife, Mahaley, went to Japan and ended up following a 6-year-old on his first solo grocery run for his family. Hartley Film Foundation And they go into the grocery store, they get the groceries and they come back. Ravi also serves as co-CEO of This Bar Saves Lives, which he founded with actors Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, Kristen Bell, Jimmy Kimmel, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Kunal Nayyar, Alyssa Milano, Susan Sarandon, and many others. Ravi V. Patel Kevin and Donna Gruneich Silicon Valley Community Foundation Stream Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults on HBO Max. ... Ravi Patel… Performed by Asha Bhosle Ric Heitzman R PATEL: (Unintelligible). Courtesy of APM Music, "My Guru" Dave Vamos Samata Narra Rishika Advani Tartaglia, Written by Snehal Patel But beyond that, I think what we're going through right now as a country is the result of us trying to figure out how to be a family. Watch For Free. And even then, how do we keep it? R PATEL: That'd be terrible to lose a kid on television. Chicken & Egg Pictures eFootage Dr. Bapuji Narra Written by Sam Hasmukh (5RB) A well-oiled machine, the Patel network is instantly alerted to Ravi’s availability through his legendary matchmaker mother Champa and his jovial, advice-spouting father Vasant, both of whom expertly steer Ravi’s love life through a system that has brought happiness into the lives of all of Ravi’s cousins. As the marriages of his Patel family and friends all seem overwhelmingly happy, Ravi plunges into the foolproof Patel matchmaking system and embarks on a worldwide search for the perfect American Patel woman. Courtesy of Modern Hot Records, "Sheila Ki Jawani" Performed by Sammy Davis Jr. "Spirit in the Sky" M PATEL: Well, no, he said had to get something for dinner. Pure Motion Films Kyle Billingsley, Music Consultants Lenord Robinson, Animation Consultants Actor Ravi Patel documentary series Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness screens from Wednesday next week. She is also writer/director of the upcoming feature film Mouse, produced by Grant Hill (The Matrix, Tree of Life). ... MEET THE PATELS melds the documentary and narrative form. And my very best wishes to you and your family. Ronnie Williford, Additional Animator/Illustrator Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises, "High Society" And then, to explore immigration, you ended up in Denmark, which is known for its robust welfare system. The pandemic has forced me to do that because now I'm home every day, and I'm trying to figure out a way to work work into that life. © 2020 Independent Television Service (ITVS). Back at you - stay safe. Courtesy of APM. During the process, Ravi can’t seem to shake his documentarian sister who follows him around, inserting commentary at every turn. Willis Bulliner Mae Ryan, “Surfs Up Santa” All rights reserved. Stream thousands of hours of hit movies and TV shows, plus the latest in news, sports and pop culture. Written by Emilio Teubal Written and Performed by Norman Harris MARTIN: The series is called "Ravi Patel's Pursuit Of Happiness." I think one of the reasons why Denmark is known as one of the happiest places in the world and why in Japan they're able to send their kid to the grocery store is because there is a cultural homogeny in other countries that doesn't exist. And others. Written by Ib Glindemann Some tough topics - and also emotionally challenging, I think - and I just was wondering, like, what are some of your kind of top-line thoughts about those two? Shaheen Gandhi Jason Williams, Animators Courtesy of Alchemy hide caption Courtesy of Mr Bongo Records, "You Sexy Thing" So... M PATEL: Did we lose him? R PATEL: We'd never, never, ever do that. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "RAVI PATEL'S PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS"). You May Also Like. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. Ravi V. Patel (Director/Writer/Editor/Subject) made his directorial debut with Meet the Patels, which led to a writing/directing deal for a feature film adaptation for Fox Searchlight. Diego Suárez Staub Louie Granda But I haven't been able - or, I guess, willing - to figure out how to do it. The first episode of the show, which is about aging and retirement, in which I take my parents to one of the hottest retirement spots in Mexico for expats - that came about from a real moment in therapy where I told my therapist that I had never been to a funeral before. And I really think that in retrospect, this could very much end up being our Arab Spring. The last two episodes are set in countries that are dealing with some hard topics. Jay Miracle NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Ravi Patel about his new TV series Pursuit of Happiness. Courtesy of Transtone Productions, "Apache" Courtesy of XL Recordings by arrangement with Beggars Group Media Limited, "Blinuet" Funding Provided By Margaret Yen, Translators Ravi Patel Capturing Your Special Moments . Bruce Tinnin, Animation Supervising Director Be more independent. Performed by Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Dadlani Meet the Patels led to a writing/directing deal with Fox Searchlight for the feature film adaptation. Ryan Harrington Kellan Stover Ravi Patel's parents make him attend a matchmaking expo. "Jingle Bells" TBSL gives a life-saving meal packet to a child in need for every fruit and nut bar sold. Written by Jack Beaver Beth Janson We want to kind of get out of this culture of work and achievement. Courtesy of Moviebox Megastores International Ltd o/b/o Kamlee Records Limited, "Dear Santa" That's obviously what the episode in Korea is about. iStock/stuartbur, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” courtesy of Dharma Productions Accuracy and availability may vary. Directed by siblings Ravi Patel and Geeta Patel, this award-winning film comes to you from Producer Janet Eckholm (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) and Academy Award Winning Executive Producer Geralyn Dreyfous (BORN INTO BROTHELS/THE SQUARE) and PBS. And even then, how do we keep it? Filmed by Ravi’s sister, Geeta, in what started as a family vacation video, this warmly humorous film filled with unique animation and a soulful soundtrack reveals how, for a Patel, love is truly a family affair. And I'm super-grateful for it. And the way society is set up right now, we aren't as close to our relatives and with our parents in the way that we used to be because we're just not dependent in the way we used to be, and we live further apart. MARTIN: There are just some really poignant moments with your folks, of course, who are adorable. We're so lucky. Well, no one will be hiring us to babysit. Movie Info Filmmaker Geeta V. Patel follows her brother, Indian-American actor Ravi V. Patel, as he embarks on a quest to find a wife and make his family happy. They've got a little badge on - around their neck with a credit card and a phone that they can call their parents with. Caitlin Robertson, Animation Studio Executives Courtesy of Not Yet Records, "Cymbal Beat Variations" How do we find it? Aaron Romo And we're going to see this incredible groundswell, not just in arts and in culture but from the perspective of social impact. Over the course of a year, Ravi is sent on a whirlwind of dates across the U.S. and Canada via the “biodating” system (in which résumés are circulated within the Patel universe), a chain of weddings, online matrimonial websites, and even the Patel Matrimonial Convention. Courtesy of APM Music, "High Roller Mambo" Patels marry other Patels. INVESTMENT. Robles Video Performed by Zoot Sims Michael Steiner and Elizabeth King PG. Niraj Bhatia, Co-Executive Producers Ravi Patel's parents try to matchmake him at a wedding. But actor Ravi Patel wants to know, do Americans really know how to find it? © 2014 Four in a Billion Pictures, LLC. She began her career as a writer’s assistant in TV and then served as associate screenwriter on feature films, including The Fast and the Furious and Blue Crush. "Meet the Patels," a documentary directed by first-generation Indian-American siblings Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel about the latter's attempt to … Chris Watson Studios Meet the Patels is a co-production of Four in a Billion Pictures LLC, Impact Partners and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), in association with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Is an American actor Capturing your Special Moments able - or, I guess, willing to. Npr ’ s programming is the audio record your family award-winning film that also... Starring in an award-winning film that he also co-directed... meet the Patels explores the questions with which we struggle... 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