I’ve wanted to see these exact scenarios on screen since the missed opportunities in the 2008 comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” And they casted acting legend Gerry Bednob as coffee shop owner!!! (Man, that could have been wild having Craig Robinson or Seth Rogen’s characters do this foul shit with Gerry looking over their shoulders.)

In “Coffee Shop Names,” three coworkers give personas to the names they use when purchasing beverages at a local coffee shop. I appreciated the traditional Indian music that accompanied their real names, which followed the text shots of their chosen Westernized names. Nice touch!

Deepak’s (Danny Pudi) “Derrick/Derek” spat was hilarious, and surprising! It totally worked! And that he didn’t get a full, imagined dream for his persona was a nice cherry 🍒 on top!

As soon as Rakhi (Kausar Mohammed) said her name was “Rachel,” I knew they were gonna make a “Friends” joke. And why the hell not?!!! That’s the most famous “Rachel” ever. 😂😂😂

Three things stood out: the diversity in camera angles for the three actors at the coffee shop, the editing and overall pacing. The quick transitions from a mid-shot to close-up back to mid-shots to single close-ups for each actor was a bit jarring and brought down the comedic momentum. I think I can see what the director (Deepak Sethi) was going for with the personas’ dream sequences, but the editing was a bit choppy.

Loved the actors!! I’ve admired Danny Pudi and Karan Soni‘s work, so I was really excited to see them shine—the masses needs more! And now I’ve been introduced to a new face to follow, Kausar Mohammed! She’s dope! Even the Bob Stephenson and Anders Holm cameos were nice surprises!

I’d love to see more from Sethi. He has a good eye, and these narratives are important conversation starters. This film reminded me of the 2020 “Hollywood Reporter” Drama Actors Roundtable where Yahya Abdul-Mateen II explained that he was approached to change his name to have a chance at a successful career in Hollywood. To me, the gall of this idea is preposterous and demeans a person’s existence, but Hollywood is notorious for this damaging behavior and non-ethical practices, so I get it. 😔😔

Thanks Deepak for the cool art! I could honestly see the aim of this short as one of those “The More You Know” ads in the future. (That’d be dope, actually.) Can’t wait to see more! ✨✨