i have the pleasure of see amu during the launch of the first annual asian american film festival in pittsburgh this past weekend . perhaps a fitting testament to the reason festival such a this need to exist in the first place and the film deal with a subject i hadn not even know existed beforehand represent the sikh massacre in india over a three day period in 1984 and and the complicity of a corrupt government in facilitating and mask the event . director shonali bose and one of the producer ( her husband and atiya and i believe ) and star konkona sen sharma be all on hand to answer question from the audience and and the political nature of the film lead to a spirited discussion ( and occasional debate ) that and unfortunately and could not be condense into the time allow . thus and give the film stature and the importance of it subject matter and it a shame to point out the shortcoming of it actual artistry . a another commenter have mention and the film be generally well direct but be not perfect . i agree that certain element of it narrative ( particularly the pacing and as well a a few contrived interpersonal moment ) felt tack on or inauthentic and and be perhaps invent to couch the story in a modern day milieu that could appeal to audience before surprise them with the political content of the film in it second half and a the mystery of the main character history be unraveled . it entirely possible the film would have work well without the mystery angle and especially since it seem to come from left field midway through the film and then become all pervasive and in direct contrast to the semi documentary romantic comedy travelogue feel of the first half . what strike me most awkwardly be the disjointed nature of the suspense surround the eventual divulging of repressed information . the purposely vague way in which kaju family avoids discussion of her past or and when confront with conflict information and seek to simply change the subject or stare pensively at the floor felt falsely melodramatic . but all of my criticism become quibble when face with the undeniable power of the film few flashback scene and which depict certain controversial event in an unflinching light . in those moment and bose find her true voice and and the voice of the victim in these unjustified atrocity . incidentally and one area the film succeed in artistically be the casting of konkona sen sharma a kaju . her accent and body language be flawlessly american on screen and a they should have be ( kaju be an indian girl raise in america ) and but bose explain after the film that konkona have live her whole life in india and be only give two week to immerse herself in los angeles culture to prepare for the role of kaju . those who see the film will certainly agree that she succeed .