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George Khan (Om Puri) is one of these ghosts; long domiciled in England he remains unable to reconcile his internal conflicts. By marrying northern lass Ella (Linda Bassett) he should have been welcomed into society, yet after 25 years it still feels as though he's betraying his roots. That's why George tries to rule his large family with an iron fist, brooking no argument or dissension. He needs to be accepted by the Salford Pakistani population, so George aims to make amends through his offspring. The crux of East Is East is that they don't want to be good Pakistani's, they just want to be themselves. However, when eldest son Nazir (Ian Aspinall) makes this plain by fleeing at the alter, George's mind is set; the Khan tribe will endure no more disgrace.
What brings it all together for East Is East is superior acting by every single cast member. From the start they move as one body, moderating emotional pitch in synchronisation, just like a real family. George is no monster, merely a stubborn father reacting to circumstance by retreating into authoritarian tradition. Ella views the tribe from another perspective, understanding how much Saleem (Chris Bisson) gains at art school, turning a blind eye to Tariq's (Jimi Mistry) rebellious dalliances at the local disco. She allows Meenah (Archie Panjabi) to be a tomboy, lets quiet Abdul (Raji James) get on with life, loves devout Maneer (Emil Marwa) even as he attempts to obey George through religion. Moreover, Ella adores identity-confused Sajid (Jordan Routledge) as he hides in his sweaty parka.
This is a story firmly rooted in Salford's terraced streets, kids playing in the road, outdoor lavatories and George's chippie being where you eat once a week. An old-fashioned community that lags behind modern mores, it becomes lovingly rendered by East Is East. This setting, just down the road from Bradford, centre of Indian culture, is perfect for Ayub Khan-Din's closely observed study. It allows him, through director Damien O'Donnell, to pick up on the details of their cramped life; buckets for night-time urination, kids three to a bed, biscuits for breakfast. There's great humour here, in the sibling insults and snatched back-alley kisses. At times the movie is so funny it hurts, leaving you wracked in wonderful agony, and then it becomes serious; sometimes that's how events pan out.
For East Is East claims to be neither comedy nor tragedy, but a reflection of the gulf that separates first and second generations. George dreams that his adopted home offers opportunities unavailable elsewhere, but proves reluctant to allow his progeny the chance to make their own mistakes. George thinks that he wants respect, when he's really asking for submission before his vision of a true Pakistani. The kids can only attempt to draw the best from multiple cultures, attaining a personal balance while avoiding their father's provoked wrath. Against a background of Enoch Powell and subtle prejudice (even against other subcontinent immigrants), they're treading a delicate line.
Fundamentally East Is East is a film about tolerance for views that rub against your own. It shows how George, unable to channel frustration constructively, boils over into violence; a reaction against his nature but realistic in context. It also shows how Ella is torn between her love for George and her desire to protect and encourage their children, another difficult position. The charm of East Is East is its sympathy to the characters and their divisions, to the reality that great emotional resolutions do not in practice occur. Superb ensemble acting by the small-name cast ensures that you're gripped from beginning to end by their full, warm performances. Even better, Khan-Din both translates his stage play faithfully and transforms it to make use of cinema's visual possibilities. Altogether a great night out.
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