In the first weeks of its release in Canada, A Touch of Pink -- the romantic comedy directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid -- is receiving much critical acclaim as well as some critical disdain. On the surface, the film comes across as a feel-good romantic comedy about a gay couple coming out to their respective families. Yet it also addresses issues concerning cultural stereotypes, lingering neocolonialism, mixed cultural identities, and interracial relationships - the makings of a complex storyline to be sure. 

The film opens with Alim (Jimi Mistry), a Canadian Ismaili working as a
photographer in London, and his boyfriend Giles (Kristen Holden-Reid),
a British economist with UNICEF. The couple is thrown a surprise
anniversary party by Giles's sister at a gay club in London where Giles's
parents apprehensively survey the scene. The parent's discomfort with
their son's choice of partner becomes clear when the father learns what
exactly it's the anniversary of.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Alim's mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew)
remembers her dead husband and misses her estranged son as she
helps with preparations for her nephew's wedding. Flying off to London
to see her Alim, Nuru finds friendship with Giles, who shows her around
the city. Through Giles' efforts, Nuru is able to feel like Doris Day for a
brief moment, a dream that was deferred in her youth, since, as Nuru
points out, Hollywood did not (and still may not) have space for an
Indian Doris Day.  Later, back in Toronto, both mother and son struggle
to come to terms with their individual and shared identities.

Rashid's film fits into a growing canon of instantly memorable films
such as American Desi, Bend it Like Beckham, and Monsoon Wedding.
His film also differentiates itself by choosing to depict Ismaili Muslims.

While Rashid effectively shows some Ismaili traditions, such as the
puro, or bridal shower, audience members might also rightfully take
issue with the way some Ismailis were represented, particularly through
Nuru's sister Dolly, who comes across as kitsch and hypocritical -- yet
manages to maintain a veneer of respectability.
 
Other contentious moves might also include Rashid's use of the image
of the Aga Khan (the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims), whose
photo was held up by Alim's imaginary Hollywood friend/father figure
Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan) -- a move that elicited some mixed
responses from the audience. While Grant also works as an effective
character foil for Alim throughout the film, his lines (although designed
to make him seem humorously antiquated) sometimes backfired as a
result of bad scripting.

Overall the film's main thrust makes it an endearing romantic comedy
and certainly worth the price of admission. The love story between Alim
and Giles speaks to the universality of romance while the renewed bond
between mother and son reminds us of the enduring and accepting
potential of family love.

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