Recounting tales of the East End - ‘Brick Lane’
Posted on 22 April 2008 by Aliya Razaaq
Out on DVD, ‘Brick Lane’ is a film that comprises many threads; love, passion, political unrest, and most of all a personification of the hundreds of women who come to Britain each year in the predicament of an arranged marriage.
Adapted from Monica Ali’s bestselling novel of the same name, Brick Lane is the story of Nazneen, (Tannishtha Chatterjee) a vibrant young Bengali woman who is forced to leave behind her beloved homeland for 1980’s London. Married to Chanu, (Satish Kaushi) an ‘entrepreneur’ who is almost twenty years her senior, Brick Lane is not just a tale of a woman who struggles to adapt to her surroundings, it is the heartfelt story of being a ‘stranger in a crowd.’ The fertile plains, drenching monsoons, and flora and fauna of Bangladesh are effectively exchanged for a boxed high rise flat, in dreary 1980’s Tower Hamlets.
Trapped amongst her own soul-destroying boredom and within a marriage that lacks spark and drive, Nazneen sinks into a bewildering depression. Though a stranger in a foreign land, she finds herself the more liberal party when it comes to bringing up her daughters. Her fraught battles with her husband, who opposes the westernization of her children often end in violence. Her sister, conveying her illustrious adventures back home in Bangladesh through letters, transports Nazneen to the times of her childhood, when her vibrant spirit beckoned. She looks to regain her spirit in other ways, and takes up a sewing business. It is this simple twist of fate that leads her to meet young Karim, (Christopher Simpson) who calls regularly to deliver her work materials.
Karim represents the Muslim youth of the 20th century; westernized in such a fashion, but fiercely defensive of his religion and family. He represents something Nazneen is intrigued by. In her cloud of depression, she initially eyes him warily. However, borne down by her husband Chanu’s temperamental moods, and financial difficulties, Nazneen finds solace in Karim, and a relationship develops. The post 9-11 era sees Karim become politicized and a distance forges between the pair.
Chanu’s increasing suspicion of Nazneen means the atmosphere in the film is often cut with a knife. Chanu’s hopes of returning to Bangladesh, due to the unrest in England, frustrates their British-born daughters, and leads to tension. Nazneen arrived as a stranger to Britain, a moth trying to catch a flame, but unknowingly, the West has crept up on Nazneen. She decides not to return to Bangladesh. The tale is poignant, in that despite her secret affair with Karim and all their difficulties, Nazneen realizes she has developed an underlying love for her husband Chanu.
The film depicts that sometimes adapting and growing up are often painful experiences, as in Nazneens’ case. Despite elements of comedy in certain places, Brick Lane is really a sobering tale of the experiences of many Bangladeshi’s in East End London. The doom and gloom of a monotonous existence is conveyed perfectly. It is the story of being a million miles from home, and finding solace in the weirdest of places. It is about relating closely to people, who have been brought up in the most different way to you.
Rating 7 out of 10
  (10 votes. Average: 4.4 out of 5) |
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April 22nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Great read! I watched the film a while ago and was caught off guard by how well they managed to portray the characters - giving them a realism unsurpassed by any other depiction of a similar domain.
I didn’t realise however the male lead character was played by an Irish lad?! :O
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Being a proud Bangali women living in London I felt embarrassed when this book came out. It was about the lowest type of Bangladeshi people in the UK. Yes it is a novel, but being the first book that brings Bangladeshi’s into the mainstream global media - I was upset by her (Monica Ali)focus on such a negative area.
We Bangladeshi’s are more then what her book portrayed. It is like the whole world being told that all British White Folk are Chav’s and live in building estates, and nothing else.
Placing prejudice aside, I did not like the book, it was not particularly well written and the ending a let down. I was forced to watch the film by a friend. However when I watched the film I was very pleasantly surprised. Tannishtha Chatterjee portrayal of Nazneen captured my emotion. The film was directed very well, the subtle suffering, the discrete building of the Nazneen’s inner strength, the conflict with right and wrong. I ended up not only crying but falling in love with the characters (the little daughter that fights to stay and the fumbling but kind husband).
The film showed the beauty of the Bangladeshi paddy fields and the constant need for 1st generation Bangladeshi’s (and most South Asians) to go home. They do not consider England to be their home. England is a place to survive where Bangladesh is beauty, freedom and home.
This is a rare occasion where the film is better then the book.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
and also, Very well written review Aliya 5/5
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Agree with the above comment, it’s a very well written article. :)
I found Tannishtha Chatterjee is this film rather attractive (obscure thing to say… but I’ve got it off my chest now lol).
April 30th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
still fancying Tannishtha Chatterjee :D
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Thank you for your comments.
‘East End’ glad that this article brought out some hidden emotions for you lol. Who said writing didnt encourage us to be expressive hey?!
‘Bengali Pride,’, in response to your comments, there was a lot of controversy surrouding the book when it was originally released. A lot of people in the community echoed your exact sentiments. People worried that Monical Ali had portrayed Bengalis in a negative and crass way.
The arguments were very complex and multidimensional, but one of the interesting issues that came out was one of ‘authenticity,’
‘How could Monica Ali, as a British bengali of mixed parentage, write a book centring around a character such as Nazneen?’, people questioned.
The authors response to this was that writing is not a linear experience and she describes very personal experiences motivating her to write the book. I do in a way agree with her sentiments that the beauty of a writer is to transform themselves into other people’s lives, and view things from a different perspective. i wondered what other people thought on this issue? Was her portrayal of Nazneen effective enough, considering it is not a personal experience?
May 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Aliya: perhaps this is why i did not connect with the book as much as i did the film. how can a middle class essentially white person possibly have true understanding. i think she just exploited a genre, played the ethnic card to get notoriety.
then again it did not bother me that the actor playing her Bengali love interest is not a desi.
East End: It is true what they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nazneen did look stunning in the green top and has definite beauty in her.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Hello to all
I must admit I enjoyed the book a lot more than the film. I picked up this book after I was told about the controversy surrounding it and I was curious…
I thought it was very well written. I didn’t see it as a bengali family I saw Nazneen in the same light as any other female coming from a third world country to a world of strangers…I especially loved the comparison of the different lives of the sisters where both feel the other is living a better a life…however in reality that was not the case…
The film as always can not take everything from the book and can only show selective scenes, and to be honest the emotions did not grip me the way the emotions in the book gripped me.
I am bengali and I did not find it offensive at all. I think you should just read articles etc with an open mind. I did not see myself in the character as I don’t come from that kind of background however the little insights on what happens to women backhome was an eye opener…
Kind Regards
Kamona xx
May 31st, 2008 at 10:16 pm
“It was about the lowest type of Bangladeshi people in the UK.”
i thought this quote was abit out of order
i aint bengali bt i have friends tht r , no country shud have the lowest common denominator of people, we all equal
in reference 2 the review, it was a gud book & enjoyable film
it gave insights rather force views dwn yer throat
i wud reccommend it 2 any1 , hugely a great film even greater book…
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The book was awful but the film was prtty good, excellent acting by the main actress and the film was brilliantly shot.