British Comedy Guide

Jimi Mistry

  • Actor

Press clippings

This Bafta-winner set around a Salford chippie had a budget of less than £2million but grossed more than $30million worldwide.

Based on the award-winning play by Ayub Khan-Din, it's a comedy peppered by some deeply dark, dramatic moments, and centres on a dysfunctional Anglo-Pakistani family ruled over by the gruff and stubborn Mr Khan (a towering, complex portrait by Om Puri).

As his seven children (including Jimi Mistry) grow up, they struggle between their father's expectations and wanting to live their own lives in 1970s Britain.

It's a choppy route their mum (Linda Bassett) tries to help them navigate while staying loyal to her beloved hubby. Anarchic and edgy as well as ultimately feel-good, it ducks some of the usual racial/religious clichés, unlike the many cringe-inducing imitators it spawned, including its own, belated, and best-forgotten sequel, West Is West.

Carol Carter and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Metro, 6th February 2014

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