East Is East (1999)

In early 1970s England, a Pakistani father finds the authority he has previously maintained challenged by his increasingly Anglicized children.

Director:

Damien O'Donnell

Writers:

Ayub Khan-Din (play), Ayub Khan-Din (screenplay)

Stars:

Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Jordan Routledge

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 16 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Om Puri	...	George Khan
Linda Bassett	...	Ella Khan
Jordan Routledge	...	Sajid Khan
Archie Panjabi	...	Meenah Khan
Emil Marwa	...	Maneer Khan
Chris Bisson	...	Saleem Khan
Jimi Mistry	...	Tariq Khan
Raji James	...	Abdul Khan
Ian Aspinall	...	Nazir Khan
Lesley Nicol	...	Auntie Annie
Emma Rydal	...	Stella Moorhouse
Ruth Jones	...	Peggy
Ben Keaton	...	Priest
Kriss Dosanjh	...	Poppa Khalid
John Bardon	...	Mr. Moorhouse

Storyline

In 1971 Salford fish-and-chip shop owner George Khan expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani Muslim ways. But his children, with an English mother and having been born and brought up in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and start to reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general.

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Plot Keywords:

pakistani | muslim | england | 1970s | mixed marriage | 

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Taglines:

This holiday weekend, America is heading 'East'!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Om Puri felt that George was a fascinating character to play because of his contradicting personality.

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Goofs

The lamp posts are too new for 1971. It is possible that most side streets were still gas lit with ornate cast iron poles or with smaller concrete posts.

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Quotes

Ella Khan: The children have a right to know.
George Khan: What do you mean, "right"?

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks to ... and all the residents of Openshaw.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: American Beauty/Blue Streak/For Love of the Game (1999)

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Soundtracks

Allah-hu
(1999)
Written by Deborah Mollison and Rajan Kochhar
Performed by Latafat Ali Khan and Shahid Sunny

User Reviews

High-class movie

A bitter-sweet comedy with some moments of truly stark drama, this is a high-class movie. Yes, there are randy dogs and fat, ugly girls - but the piece is a class act because it mixes those "laugh-out-loud funny" comic set pieces with great drama so cleverly.

Very much a period piece, the movie is set in Salford in 1971 - a telling time for a part-Pakistani family with Enoch Powell's shadow never too far away and the break-away of East Pakistan (Bangladesh-to-be)unravelling as the film goes on. The poverty of 1971 Salford with the outside toilet, bedpans and tin bath is excellently portrayed. And at a more mundane level, the constant sight of a bright orange space-hopper and its comedic demise is truly nostalgic, especially to this reviewer whose own space-hopper suffered a similar fate around 1971.

Superb acting performances all round - Linda Bassett used to be one of the better-kept secrets on the UK stage, but now I suppose the secret is out. Highly recommended movie.

Details

Official Sites:

Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)

Country:

UK

Language:

English Urdu

Release Date:

2 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

East Is East

Filming Locations:

Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP1,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,569, 16 April 2000

Gross USA:

$4,177,818

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,177,818

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmFour, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Assassin Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1