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Review by: Graeme Kay | Rating:
Two
EXUBERANT Bollywood love story set in the East End of London.
Geena (Preeya Kalidas) is the daughter of a successful Indian
businessman who runs a clothes-making factory in the Brick Lane
area of London. She is pretty, she is stylish and she is most
definitely third-generation Anglo-Asian.
Okay, she wears a Sari when she’s working in the family
shop, but she’s got jeans and trainers on underneath.
Oh yeah, and she and her friends have formed a three-piece R&B
group which she has to keep secret from her tradition bound folks
and over-protective brothers.
So life is already pretty complicated, and it gets even more
so when Geena is, literally, bowled over in the street by Jay
(James McAvoy), a West-country white boy who has travelled up
to the big smoke in search of adventure.
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It’s love at first sight, but, of course, its not going
to be easy, because for one thing there’s the race thing;
for another, Geena is virtually engaged to a nice Indian boy who’s
doing very well for himself, while Jay has little more to his
name than the clothes he stands up in; and, for a third, Jay and
his slippery brother work for Geena’s dad’s bitterest
business rival.
But destiny cannot be thwarted and after several clandestine
trysts Geena has dumped the lump, much to the distress of her
aunties, thrown in her lot with Jay, and run off to the country.
However, for all her rebelliousness Geena is still a dutiful
daughter and she soon realises that she must go back to London
to make the peace with her family. But will they take her back?
Things are about to get interesting….
Directed by Jeremy Wooding, making his feature film debut, Bollywood
Queen, has all the ingredients of a classic Bollywood film; the
star-crossed lovers, feuding families and extravagant all-singing,
all-dancing set-pieces.
But in its setting and styling it’s thoroughly contemporary
and great to watch. See it for a fun night out. Then go for a
curry.
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