*Due to a schedule conflict, Gulshan Devaiah can no longer be on set for our film

About this film

From the writer behind the popular blog Stuff Desis Like, “For Here or To Go?” brings a fresh perspective on the choices faced by Indians living abroad, in light of the struggling U.S economy, as opposed to India’s booming economy and the warmth of being near family.

The story traces the lives and inner conflicts of two Indian immigrants who find themselves reflecting upon the choices and sacrifices made, in order to build a successful life away from home.

American in mind and Indian at heart, this is a contemporary story of ambition and ambivalence fueled by one’s immigration status that characterizes the dilemma of modern cultural displacement; a widely prevalent sentiment among Indian immigrants.

About our idea

There are approximately 25 million Indians living outside of India, and approximately 3.5 million Indians living in the United States. For Here or To Go is a story about those people making a home for themselves, away from home. We follow Vivek Pandit, a hard working immigrant in the Silicon Valley, who's visa is coming to an end. He is caught between fighting to keep everything he's worked for here, or start from scratch and return to his home country.

About our campaign

We began filming July 2013 & need all the help we can get from you, our audience to finish production. Your help will support our camera operators, production designers, and the rest of our key crew with materials. 

We have designed some fantastic perks for those who contribute to this campaign. Please share our Indiegogo link and help us get the word out!

The Perks

We are offering unique perks for our supporters. We are partners with From The Heart Productions, which means all of your donation are tax deductible. Be sure to check out all of our rewards and all the ways you can be a part of the film.

About our team

Many Cups of Chai is a team of creatives with backgrounds in design, film, art and business. Our approach to making movies is a blend of our film making experience, film school training and Silicon Valley professionalism.

Director

Rucha's known for her work with acclaimed Indian filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor. As Assistant Director and Art Director, she was instrumental in delivering indie hits such as Hyderabad Blues, Rockford and Bollywood Calling.Rucha fully relates to the story of For Here or To Go, having worked as lead interaction designer at eBay and StubHub.

Writer

Known for his blog Stuff Desis/ Brown People Like, Rishi works as a senior interaction designer at Gap Inc. Having worked many years in tech, Rishi lived the story of For Here or To go, and his experiences added another dimension of authenticity to our film.

Producer

 A graduate of The University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts. Vineet's last film, According to Plan A, was a hit in the festival circuits. With a strong business orientated work ethic, Vineet's dedication to this project will ensure we reach the widest audience possible.

Cast

We have put together the most amazing cast to portray the roles in this film. Please check them out and see their past works. We cannot wait for you to see them in For Here or To Go.

Q&A

We are sharing our vision with you for two reasons:

1. We want to showcase the nature of high profile support we have on this project and the large potential the story brings.
2. We would like for you to take part in the creation of this film.

Why are you making this film?


To borrow from Mira Nair - "If we don't tell our stories, no one else will" - and because this story has never been told.  No story has showcased the real lives of high skilled immigrants in the United States, and as an extremely highly contributing minority, we lack any authentic political or media representation. Our vision with this film is to change that.



How much should I contribute?


Every little contribution goes a very long way. 

After over 2 years of hard work and hustle, we've brought the film to a stage where it is already in production. Filmmaking is expensive but this story absolutely must be brought to audiences worldwide, hence we chug along. There are some great incentives listed on the right side of this page & your donations will be tax exempt.

 


Do you have any other assets to share?


We do! Check out the Visuals page on manycupsofchai.com for our film poster and animatics.



What if you don't meet that target?


This film will be shot this summer. We want to meet the target because we want to make something timeless, memorable and perhaps even historic. No film has focused on high-skilled immigration stories and we believe the times are extremely relevant to bring this subject to the forefront in the form of a film. If we don't make the target, we will do the most natural of human things - survive within the constraints. That said, we do know that the community who this film is about definitely has the financial might to support this story. We are hoping to garner enough champions from within it.


Are you sure "For Here or To Go?" will be shown at a theatre near me?

We cannot guarantee that. If we don't make our targets, we won't have funds for marketing and distribution efforts. But it will certainly play in high profile film festivals.



Is the Many Cups of Chai team the best team to make this film? 


Absolutely. We have lived the lives we are depicting on screen and we have the right mix of backgrounds to make this film. In fact, our belief is that no other filmmakers have such deep intimacy and understanding of the core sentiment of the film. You know us as people and you know our respective track records. That is why the first thing we are doing is reaching out to you.


I can't contribute monetarily to your film, what else can I do?


Thanks for asking. Please share our campaign to your friends and families to help us get the word out. You can also send us an email with the subject "I want to help" and empty body. We will let you know how you can help.


Interesting project, are you sure it will work?


We will need yours as well as the larger community's support to realize an undertaking of this nature. The story has fantastic reviews and we would not have been able to put a team together or convince such high profile people to endorse us if it were lacking substance.

 We believe in telling stories that are entertaining, timely and socially relevant. Things that keep us going include our passion for movies, our dedication to the stories we tell and many cups of chai.