Second Generation Film Review

Second Generation tells the story of the interconnections of a Bengali family with three daughters and a Muslim family with two sons, all living in Britain. It is loosely based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, with a father gone mad and a defiant daughter who pushes the boundaries of her father’s control. A passionate love affair occurs between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy, while in the background, family secrets and betrayals between friends are revealed. All in all, this film is a melancholy drama about the cultural and emotional complexities of the lives of second generation South Asians.

Second Generation was first aired as a mini-series on British television in 2003, and is now available on DVD at select outlets such as IndianFlix.ca. It stars Parminder Nagra and it can be categorized under the South Asian cross-over/ fusion genre along with films like Bend It Like Beckham and Bollywood Hollywood. Where this film differs from other films in this genre is in its meaningful depictions of characters through intricate plot lines and multi-dimensional characters. I was impressed by this film for two reasons, one of which was the film’s fearlessness in dealing with issues beyond the surface level; it does not shy away from intense topics such as sex, madness, extramarital affairs, and racism, to name a few. Where other cross-over films dance around such issues and present such topics in a grandma-approved manner, Second Generation is bold. That is why Jon Sen and his crew have produced something evocative and interesting.

The second reason I am impressed with this films is because of the ease and gracefulness in which it weaves South Asian culture with British/Western culture. One of the main characters, Sam (played by Christopher Simpson), is a club owner and scenes involving the club are always an interesting amalgamation of Indian and British influences. For example, there is a holi party in the club where club goers throw coloured powder on each other while dancing to a mix of old school Bollywood tracks with electronica, house, and funk. The soundtrack for this film is refreshingly cool, reflecting this mixing of cultures without sounding like its trying to hard. Music is a central theme throughout the film and it parallels the lives of the characters- trying to live modernly without losing tradition and authenticity.

Heree, as played by Parminder Nagra, is the defiant daughter in the film and while Nagra does a great job playing such an intense character, I was more interested in Heree’s love interest. Through the character of Sam, the film sends out subtle yet poignant messages of what it means to be South Asian and British. Some of Sam’s lines are memorable for me, and give the movie depth. The following lines throughout the film quietly reflect the filmmaker’s agenda: “It’s so easy for you people to put us all into one big brown group […] I don’t want it to be a fashion statement for people to like our music, like having an Asian girlfriend.” While Sam’s role as a guardian of culture is not the focus of the film, I found him far more interesting than the poor oppressed Indian girl, which we have all seen before. It is Sam’s redefining, contesting, and embracing of the culture that seems to stand out. It was amusing to watch his character want to sign a 75 year old Pakistani ghazal singer to his record label while his partner responds, “As long as he can break dance.” I recommend this film for those who enjoy reading between the lines.