COFFEE SHOP NAMES

Three co-workers wait. Three people -- Deepak, Sathya and Rakhi -- work together at the same company. They're waiting in a cafe for their drinks, all of which are under English names: Derek, Scott and Rachel. As they wait, they chat over the perceived necessity of using English names to avoid sometimes comical mispronunciations. But as they chat about why they chose the names they did and compare these names to their real ones, they learn to embrace who they are. Directed and written by Deepak Sethi, this witty, nimble short comedy takes the premise of "What's in a name?" as a springboard to explore identity and cultural heritage, and how we smooth the edges to fit into different spaces and situations. Deepak, Sathya and Rakhi are all South Indian young professionals who use English monikers at their local coffee shop, avoiding the need for baristas to call out and often mispronounce their Indian names. This is initially a strategy of practicality, helping to avoid confusion. But their chosen names have taken on a life of their own in their minds, revealing the gaps between their realities and fantasies, as well as the small but poignant ways they accommodate and sometimes minimize their cultural identities to fit in. Shot with smoothly polished, even-toned light and cinematography, the framing of the narrative is essentially the three main characters chatting as they wait for the cafe drinks, and the smart, clever dialogue is a strong foundation to convey its themes, discussing the discomfort of having one's name butchered in public. But the fun and humor come as Deepak, Sathya and Rakhi discuss not only why they feel compelled to use the names, but what their coffee shop names mean to them, brought to life in stylized, exaggerated sequences that fit the individual fantasy. "Scott" is a heroic firefighter type, though he can't quite shake off Sathya's slightly gamer geek vibe. "Rachel" is an avatar for Rakhi's dreams of retro-glamour and stardom, brought to life in an all-too-brief, vivid, colorful musical sequence that offers a fun contrast to the polished California gleam of the "real-life" scenes. Meanwhile, Derek is an ultra-cool airline pilot. As an ensemble, actors Danny Pudi, Karan Soni and Kausar Mohammed deftly balance the bemusement and resignation at having to use coffee shop names with the more outlandish comedic notes of their alter egos. As they share their stories, they decide to embrace the discomfort of authenticity and use their given names in the future. COFFEE SHOP NAMES is a briskly paced, entertaining piece that doesn't wear out its welcome (though we're a little disappointed that Derek never got his full story as well). It ends with a note of high irony, demonstrating that no matter their efforts, busy baristas will always find some way to take liberties with your name. You might as well embrace both your identity and imperfection, and maybe rethink the complicated order. COFFEE SHOP NAMES. Courtesy of Deepak Sethi at https://imdb.com/title/tt10919250.