A depressed middle-aged woman finds passion and connection in unexpected places in writer/director Tejal Desai’s charming short film Cowboys and Hindus. Asha (Priya Deva) accompanies her controlling husband Suresh (Sameer Khan) on a business trip to a nearby cattle ranch. While Suresh plans to tear down the property and build a motel, Asha is drawn to the location and its animals. After meeting the warm owner Sally (Paula Saletnik), she’s energized as she learns what it really takes to be a cowboy. A cattle ranch provides a beautiful backdrop for Asha’s rebirth as she finds herself drawn to rustic American life.
Asha’s journey is one of female empowerment and perseverance as she learns to make space for herself. From the film’s opening moments, we see the way that Asha shrinks in the presence of her husband, rendered almost invisible as they step onto the ranch. In a nice contrast, Sally immediately forces Asha into action as soon as they meet, enlisting her help as she frantically tries to wrangle a loose chicken. Ranch life and Sally’s gentle encouragement seem to open her up and trigger an unrealized passion as she embraces cowboy culture, lassos and all. Sally and Asha’s slowly budding friendship lies at the heart of the story, two struggling women from very different walks of life who give each other the support and strength they need to keep going.
Desai strikes a sentimental but lighthearted tonal balance, tempering Asha’s poignant story with broad physical comedy and highlighting her status as a fish out of water as she learns the ropes and pushes herself out of her comfort zone. These moments of levity are predictably fun and high energy, but they’re somewhat hindered by inconsistent editing and pacing, which leaves a little too much air for the humor to fully land.
Desai’s script is sparse, the limited dialogue allowing E.J. Enriquez’s cinematography to capture the film’s literal and figurative warmth. The bulk of the story unfolds in montage, showcasing Asha as she works her way across the ranch with Sally, dappled in sunlight and filled with determination. Her powerful transformation from wallflower to cowgirl is coupled with a vibrant and multicultural score by Aditya Rao, emphasizing the fusion of Indian and American identities throughout the story.
The film is anchored by Deva’s winning performance that deftly manages the nuances of Asha’s emotional arc. Whether suffering in silence next to her husband or desperately trying to reason with an obstinate horse, she is thoroughly engaging to watch in moments large and small. Deva is bolstered by a solid supporting cast. Saletnik feels at home on a ranch, fitting in perfectly to the film’s setting. Tara Amin is also a highlight as Meera, Suresh’s mother. Given almost no dialogue, Meera exists mostly as an observer and surrogate for the audience, keenly watching Asha as she comes alive through her work at the ranch and finding inspiration in her daughter-in-law’s strength.
A sweet story about the power of a new beginning, Cowboys and Hindus lives up to its name as a Hindu woman discovers a renewed sense of self in her own blend of American and Indian culture.
