| Director:
Udayan Prasad
Written by: Hanif Qureshi
IMDB page: My
son the fanatic
Cast including: Om Puri, Akhbar
Kurtha, Harish Patel, Rachel Griffiths, Geoffrey Bateman
Pakistani immigrant Pervez (Om Puri), not exactly satisfied
with his lot in life after 25 years as a taxi driver in a
northern English town, is delighted and proud at his son Farid's
(Akhbar Kurtha) impending marriage to Madeline Fingerhut,
the very English daughter of the local Chief Inspector of
Police.
His pride soon turns to bemusement when Farid decides he
and his prospective bride have nothing in common and rebels,
ending the engagement, dispensing with western clothing and
goes back to basics; immersing himself totally in fundamentalist
Islam and denouncing the "immoral" behaviour he
sees in society. Meanwhile, the endlessly tolerant Pervez
acquires a new client; a big-tipping German (Stellan Starsgard)
over on business and with a taste for partying who asks Pervez
to arrange a prostitute for him, and is delighted when introduced
to Bettina (Rachel Griffiths), one of Pervez's regular cab-rides.
At home, things get worse when Farid agrees to play host
to an Imam from Pakistan, scouring the house to make it more
Islam friendly - including disposing of his fathers Scotch
and relegating him to the basement to listen to his unIslamic
jazz.
Pervez talks about his increasingly complex life to Bettina
as he ferries her around in his cab, and the two develop an
unlikely friendship that turns to love - sparking salacious
rumours that spread quickly within the oppressively close
Pakistani community. Denounced by his son for his shameful
behaviour, Pervez finally snaps when his wife is banished
to the kitchen; forbidden by the visiting Pakistani Imam to
eat in the same room as the men. When Farid and his fundamentalist
friends declare jihad on the local brothel, Pervez becomes
trapped between the moral fascism of his puritanical son and
the disrespect and hedonism of the German, with Bettina the
only apparently sane element left in his life.
In the wake of the London tube bombings and the ensuing
debate over the conflict between Islam and secular society,
director Udayan Prasad's fine film stands out as years ahead
of its time, taking on issues that were scarcely a glint in
the eye of the tabloid press when the film was made in 1992.
Although the story's central thread is fanatical Islam, the
theme could be applied equally well to any clash involving
another brand of religious, political or moral extremism.
The film's central character, Pervez, is brought to life
by a subtle and multi faceted performance by Om Puri, who
creates a believable portrait of a flawed but likeable man
whose deteriorating life seems to be slipping beyond his control,
and whose non-judgemental outlook stands in stark contrast
to those who surround him. The supporting cast contains many
faces familiar from other UK/South Asian themed films; in
particular the always enjoyable Harish Patel gives a good
performance as Pervez's more successful long time friend,
Fizzie.
Hanif Qureshi's sharp, dark and witty script beautifully
interweaves different narrative threads as it pokes a stick
irreverently into the murkier corners of modern multicultural
Britain, exposing lurking hypocrisies and intolerance with
dark humour and elegance. A brilliant and compelling film
that must rank as one of the best of the movies dealing with
South Asian culture in the UK.
Woody, February 2006 |
