Amir is an illegal Pakistani immigrant smuggled into England in the 1960's to work, to send money to his family and perhaps even bring them over with him. A skilled laborer, he is forced to do unskilled work like shoveling sheep dung and processing wool. He lives in a boarding house with nearly a dozen other men, under the supervision of Hussein Shah. He befriends a young student, Sakib, who dreams of being a writer. Their existence is punctuated by secret movies, a visiting prostitute, fear of detection and deportation, and the gangster-like smuggler who comes by for his take every week. The household is shaken up by the arrival of a white girl, Shah's girlfriend, and the sense of femininity and family she brings.
Cast
Om Puri
Hussein Shah
Angeline Ball
Mary
Ace Bhatti
Irshad
Bhasker Patel
Gholam
Pavan Malhotra
Amir
Pravesh Kumar
Sakib
Badi Uzzaman
Old Ram
Harmage Singh Kalirai
Sher Baz
Kumall Grewal
Akbar Dal
Marc Anwar
Raja (as Omar Salimi)
Pal Aron
Zamara
Shiv Grewal
Shona Mian
Lesley Clare O'Neill
Prostitute
Kulvinder Ghir
Agent
Riz Abbasi
Asif
Freddie Fletcher
Redway
June Broughton
Beryl
William Maxwell
Doctor
Huggy Leaver
Market Porter
Aftab Sachak
Sakib's Uncle
John Lambert
Registrar
Tich Saund
Driver (as Tich Saunders)
Judy Monahan
Nurse
Peter Silverleaf
Belgian Docker
Maria Redmond
Nurse O'Malley
Mellan Mitchell
Cafe Owner
Shereen Wheeks
Baby Michael
Sian Holland
Baby Michael
Luke Johnson
Baby Michael
Shadin Khosru
Household Ensemble #1
Shekhar Bassi
Household Ensemble #2
Balraj Singh Somal
Household Ensemble #3
Steven Nijjar
Household Ensemble #4
Sanjit Sil
Household Ensemble #5
Rez Kempton
Household Ensemble #6
Asheer Kaleem
Household Ensemble #7
Vimal Stephens
Household Ensemble #8 (as Noel Stephens)
Peter Jacques
Priest (uncredited)
Crew
Udayan Prasad
Director
Robert Buckler
Writer, Producer
Abdullah Hussein
Novel
Barrie Vince
Editor
Alan Almond
Director of Photography
David MacDonald
First Assistant Director
Mel Nortcliffe
Second Assistant Director
Gary Pickering
Third Assistant Director
Jane Robertson
Assistant Production Coordinator
Danielle Fox
Production Coordinator
George Faber
Executive Producer
Peter Jaques
Production Supervisor
Chris Townsend
Production Design
Howard Smith
Steadicam Operator
Orla Maxwell
Casting Assistant
Lucinda Syson
Casting
Andrea Galer
Costume Designer
Diane Murphy
Wardrobe Master
Deborah Taylor
Makeup & Hair
Nick Adams
Sound Editor
Graham Headicar
Sound Editor
Paul Hamblin
Sound Mixer
Roger Slater
Sound Recordist
John Markwell
Special Effects Supervisor
Stephen Warbeck
Original Music Composer
Richard Booz
Transportation Captain
Susan Nicholson
Production Accountant
Rajeshree Patel
Assistant Accountant
John Bush
Set Decoration
Lucinda Sturgis
Set Decoration Buyer
Ian Newton
Props
Oliver Upton
Still Photographer
Ellie Gleave
Script Supervisor
Carl Powell
Electrician
John Gracey
Electrician
Andy Curling
Best Boy Electric
Crispin Buxton
Location Manager
Mark Stephenson
Location Manager
Danny Euston
Property Master
James Bloom
Clapper Loader
Paul Westcott
Draughtsman
Steve Swannell
Gaffer
Joanna Ball
Title Designer
Tony Breeze
Focus Puller
Chris Polden
Generator Operator
Mike Stallion
Art Direction