Essex Card Shop on Avenue A is arguably the best mom-and-pop shop in the neighborhood. And today, its owner, Jayant Patel, celebrates the theatrical release of a movie based on his life. Patel serves as the executive producer of "Desperate Endeavors," which is playing at the Quad Cinema on East 13th Street.
The movie is adapted from Patel's 1991 book, "Seeking Home: An Immigrant's Realization." A little about the plot:
Derived from a true story, the film "Desperate Endeavors" revolves around the misadventures of newly arrived immigrant Ram Patel to NYC in 1973. Attempting to extricate himself from a self-dug hole, 'Ram' encounters more obstacles than he can count, and ultimately finds a remedy to his numerous problems by encountering a spiritual adviser, legendary 'Dada Bhagwan' played by Bollywood star Gulshan Grover. Also stars Michael Madsen, Robert Clohessy, Ismail Bashey & Samrat Chakrabarti.
If you've been in the store at any time in recent weeks, then you likely received a flyer for the movie. Several readers told me about the movie... apparently this word-of-mouth is how the book ever got into the hands of a filmmaker — through a customer in the film business who heard about the book and passed it along...
I look forward to seeing the film... even though I may know how it ends...