East is East

East is East - 1999 | 96 mins | Comedy | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Damien O'Donnell.
Producer: Leslee Udwin.
Script: Ayub Khan Din.
Cinematography: Brian Tufano.
Editing: Michael Parker.
Art Direction: Henry Harris.
Production Design: Tom Conroy.
Costume Design: Lorna Marie Mugan.
Make-up Department: Mary Hillman and Penny Smith.
Sound Department: Christian Wangler.
Original Music: Deborah Mollison.

The Cast

Om Puri - George Khan
Linda Bassett - Ella
Jordan Routledge - Sajid Khan
Archie Panjabi - Meenah Khan
Emil Marwa - Maneer Khan
Chris Bisson - Saleem Khan
Jimi Mistry - Tariq Khan

Plot Synopsis

East is East is a comedy based in Salford, 1971. Proud Pakistani chip-shop owner George Khan lives in a terraced house with his white wife Ella and their seven children. Determined to raise them as traditional Muslims, George sends sons Nazir, Abdul, Tariq, Saleem, Maneer and Sajid to the mosque and makes daughter Meenah dress in saris, but the kids rebel.

When George arranges a marriage for eldest son Nazir, he flees mid-ceremony. Undeterred, George plots to bring Tariq and Abdul into line by marrying them to the daughters of Bradford butcher Mr Shah. When Tariq discovers the plan, he smashes the gold watches George has bought as wedding gifts. Maneer refuses to tell George who was responsible; as Ella tries to stop George beating him, George turns on her. Nazir returns home but a bruised Ella tells him to leave before George gets back. The next day the Shahs pay a patronising visit with their daughters. Art student Saleem arrives with his latest artwork - a lifesize, latex pudenda -which accidentally falls into Mrs Shah's lap. As the Shahs leave in disgust, George turns on Ella, who tells him that if he can't accept his family as they are he should leave. He does. Ella finds a tearful George sitting alone in the chip shop and they drink a cup of tea together.