Doubles With Slight Pepper - Analysis

This film, Doubles With Slight Pepper was birthed out of a recent experience of the producer's father who battled with a terminal illness. The producer, Ian Harnarine, stated that in the latter days of his father's life, his father became a person that was completely different from the man that he knew. This experience from his father led Harnarine to wonder what it would have been like to have never known a father until his final days. 

However, Harnarine wanted the story line of this film to be different from the standard immigrant story, so he thought of having a character that has failed in his new country and returned home. Although Trinidad is known for its distinctive food, language and music, the producer wanted the emotions of the film to resonate with a universal audience.

As the film begins, we see Dhani as he is prepared for the day's work to sell doubles by the market. However, when his father appeared and questions him about the how the doubles business is doing, Dhani realizes it is his dad and he is angered by seeing his father. 

This scene shows love - hate relationship between a father and his son. In many homes within the Caribbean this type of relationship can be seen regularly, where a child may resent their parent for leaving. Moreover, in this film Dhani questions his father's reasons for returning to Trinidad. Dhani's father (Ragbir) dreams and hopes for Canada were shattered when he arrived there. He wanted to send for Sumintra and Dhani to open a doubles business, but instead he ended up sharing an apartment and working in a cafeteria washing dishes. 

Due to poverty being a serious issue within the Caribbean many people takes this route an migrate America or Canada with hopes to have an easier life abroad. This film hits home in many ways because it showcases the reality of a returning national.

As the film progresses, Dhani  and his mother ask for the house to be transferred to their name and Ragbir instantly agrees, however, Dhani questions Ragbir of making this easy decision. When Dhani became aware about his father's sickness and he feels cheated because he thinks that is the only reason his father returned. As the film ends Dhani decides to help his father by donating his blood to his dad; however, Dhani soon realizes that his blood does not match. 

This film dealt  with a few social issues but the one that resonated with me was the relationship with Dhani and Ragbir. Although Dhani resented his father for numerous years, when he became aware of what his father undergo whilst in Canada and also knowing about the sickness, Dhani buried the hatchet and tried to help with father.