It is rare, even in 2024, to see Kiwi Indian representation on the big screen. Despite being New Zealand's most lucrative migrant demographic for advertisers and the most keen ethnic group in terms of seeing themselves on TV, Kiwi Indians remain elusive in the cultural context of film and television. When it comes to New Zealand television and movies, we have yet to star in a single one of them despite making up 5% of the population.
In that spirit, it's admirable to see something like STRANDED PEARL - a totally independent, self-funded, romantic adventure film with a Kiwi Indian lead and helmed Kiwi-Indian directors - get made. And the fact that it attempts at being a commercial, wide-audience, genre film and is screening in over 35 cinemas nationwide makes it all the more remarkable.
Telling the story of Julia (HOME & AWAY's Kirsty Wright) and Sidharth (CURRY MUNCHER'S aka VINDALOO EMPIRE'S" Aunanda Naaido, also the film's producer) who play a spoilt American heiress and a curmudgeonly Indian deckhand, respectively, that find themselves shipwrecked in the Cook Islands after a cyclone while Julia's husband John (Robert Reitano) canoodles with attractive resort worker Anita (Aleisha Rose) and tries to undermine the whole reason Julia came to the South Pacific in the first place. What follows is a series of betrayals, a story of survival against the elements and the gradual emergence of mutual respect and romantic love in a hostile, yet beautiful, tropical setting.
In addition to this are a couple of notable supporting roles, played by Kiwi veteran actors Rawiri Paratene (WHALE RIDER and GOLDEN BOY) and Ray Woolf (NOTHING TRIVIAL), and a lot of stunning Cook Island scenery which make up much of the film while Julia and Sid race against time to get rescued and put a stop John's nefarious plans.
Shot on a shoe-string budget, and on-location, by a passionate crew, STRANDED PEARL cannot help but be rough around some of the edges. However it is rough films like this one that still need to be produced in order for the diversity of Kiwi Indian, kiwis and Rarotongan talents to be platformed for the world to see and for its filmmakers to grow and catch up to their professional counterparts who have had a century's head-start.
And there is much to see in this film that is genuinely enjoy, from its two female leads (Aleisha Rose being the standout), the gorgeous tropical locations, the fusion of Kiwi ingenuity filmmaking meets Island-life vibes, its subversion of the genre by having an Indian male lead and its laid back, Mills & Boon-style, castaway romance at the heart of the film.
Jagdish Punja (Popular Kiwi Indian Entertainer/Actor), Richard Halpin, Stan Wolfgram, and Rob-kipa Williams round off the cast of Kiwi actors, providing great support and moments of levity. Their performances add depth and humour to the film, complementing the central cast's dynamic and enhancing the overall viewing experience.
If any of what I'm describing to you sounds like a very old-fashioned movie, then you would be right in your assumption. STRANDED PEARL feels like a deliberate throwback to odd-couple adventure films like SIX DAYS SEVEN NIGHTS, ROMANCING THE STONE or SWEPT AWAY, but with a Cook Island / Kiwi-Indian twist. And it is twists like this that we need to see more in modern cinema - let alone New Zealand cinema - in order to accurately represent ourselves on the big screen.
(Stranded Pearl is in Cinemas now (M, 91mins), Directed by Ken Khan & Prashanth Gunasekaran)