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:

A comedy with attitude about finding your way in a home with no latitude.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)

Country:

UK

Language:

English Urdu

Release Date:

2 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Kelet az Kelet

Filming Locations:

Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£1,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£435,627 (United Kingdom), 7 November 1999, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,569, 16 April 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,170,647, 10 September 2000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ruth Jones and Emma Rydal would both go on to the TV series Stella (2012), in which Jones plays the title character. Coincidentally, in East is East Rydal's character is named Stella.

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Goofs

Meenah's sari (in the second to last scene) is not being consistently worn: it switches from showing most of her stomach, to none of her stomach.

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Quotes

Sajid Khan: Mum! Mum! The Pakis are here!

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Features The Clangers (1969)

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Soundtracks

Chaudvin Ka chand Ho Ya Aaftaab Ho
(uncredited)
Sung by Mohammad Rafi in the film clip from Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)

User Reviews

And never the twain shall meet?

A blistering condemnation of traditional Pakistani values that is purported to be a comedy.

Set in 1971, East is East is more drama than comedy (with the much-touted randy dog only appearing twice) and is extremely well acted. Yet it shows no respect for it's subject matter, casting the father of a mixed-race family, George Khan (Om Puri, excellent) as a vicious, foul-mouthed wife beater. This also causes a severe narrative conflict, where the warm-hearted George undergoes a complete character change halfway through the film.

George is married to the English, white, Ella, yet we are asked to believe that he is a traditionalist and still upholds his religion. While many have slated the stereotypical portrayal of George, who is at first extremely humorous, later extremely violent, what is not often brought into question is the attitude of the children. As anti a representation as the father, they rally against circumcision and arranged marriage while drinking, dating white girls and eating bacon. It is this extreme characterisation that seems determined to cause offence.

In technical terms, the film cannot be faulted. It is adequately directed, and the script by Ayub Khan-Din from his own stage play is full of witty lines. Acting is what truly saves it, though, with strong performances in particular from Tariq (Jimi Mistry) and Saleem (Chris Bisson). And, of course, Jordan Routledge as Sajid gets most of the best lines. But the film does not suggest any easy solutions. George's ideology (who's frequent use of the Urdu for "sisterf*****" is tellingly not subtitled) is discarded out of hand. There is no display of how his traditional values could be accepted by his family. So too, there is no suggestion that the two values could be combined, or that a compromise is available. Instead, what the film seems to promote is that the values George holds dear as wrong and that the western way of life is the only correct way for society.

Political correctness, for all its goodness, saves this film. Negative reviews are virtually unheard in England where no one would criticise a minority work. And the fact that the production is written by an Asian rescues it from the "racist" tag. However, making a film that openly lambastes a culture and a belief is not a positive statement. There is, thankfully, an ever-increasing market for Asian culture in modern British society, and the country looks forward to the first successful British-Asian film. East is East, unfortunately, isn't it.