Once she arrives in India, however, she learns that her company’s use of her research actually harms farmers. Watt (Brie Larsen), a scientist who creates a new kind of rice to improve rice production in India. In his film, the idea of personal responsibility infuses the story of Dr. “The film is about having responsibility for others, about tikkun olam.” “Growing up, I was surrounded by ideas about how to make the world a better place,” Baron says.

While Basmati Blues journeys from New York City to India, its essence, Baron says, goes back to his secular Jewish upbringing and lessons learned from his Russian “Baba” and his politically active parents, Evelyn and Eugene Baron of Oak Park. Or that most of their film would be shot in India. Little did the Detroit friends imagine their script would attract Academy Award-winning actors Brie Larson and Donald Sutherland, who makes his singing debut in the film, along with Utkarsh Ambudkar ( Pitch Perfect, The Mindy Project), Scott Bakula and Tyne Daly. Danny Baron and Brie Larson discuss a scene in a rice field. “Jeff and I wrote and acted in a play about my grandparents and their immigrant experience coming to America,” he says. It was directed by Baron, now based in Los Angeles, and produced by Jeffrey Soros, Ruedi Gerber and executive producer Monique Caulfield, Baron’s wife.īaron remembers his first writing project with Dorchen at age 13 - the two worked on their graduation project together at the Jewish Parent Institute at the Jewish Community Center of Oak Park. This week, Basmati Blues finally premieres around the country, including Metro Detroit, and can be viewed On Demand. There he was joined by Jeff Dorchen, from Farmington Hills, and Danny Thompson, from Ferndale, to create the story they called Basmati Blues. Even more, the story would take place in India and be a musical.ĭanny Baron, born and bred in Oak Park and a graduate of Berkley High School, the University of Michigan and New York University, eventually taught screenwriting at U-M in Ann Arbor. They had a bold idea - to make a romantic comedy with a moral dilemma at its core. A new film by native Detroiter Danny Baron brings elements of his Jewish upbringing to the screen.Ī dozen years ago, three Detroit friends brainstormed a concept for a film.

Basmati blues soundtrack