Brick Lane

Nov 16 2007 Evening Chronicle

SINCE its publication in 2003, Brick Lane by Monica Ali has inspired adulation and condemnation with equal fervour.

The debut novel was nominated for the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction, the George Orwell Prize for political writing, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and The Guardian Fiction Prize.

Ali herself won Newcomer Of The Year at the 2004 British Book Awards.

However, some residents of the area of east London depicted in the novel were not so lavish with their praise.

They alleged the Brick Lane of Ali’s rich invention bore scant resemblance to the place they call home, and that the book portrayed the Bangladeshi community in a deeply negative light.

When director Sarah Gavron announced her intention to shoot a film version on location, the media fanned the flames of controversy with reports of protests and uproar.

Adding fuel to the fire, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall pulled out of a high-profile charity screening of Gavron’s film.

As a result, for only the second time since the Second World War, there was no Royal Film Performance this year.

The story revolves around 17-year-old Nazneen (Chatterjee), who enters into an arranged marriage to portly Chanu (Kaushik) – a man old enough to be her father – and leaves rural Bangladesh for a housing estate in London.

Nazneen dutifully follows the path that life has chosen for her, bearing two daughters – Shahana (Begum) and Bibi (Rahman).

Venturing outside the four walls of her home, Nazneen befriends neighbour Razia (Virdi), who encourages the young wife to earn extra money by sewing garments for local businessman Karim (Simpson).

The moment Razia meets the handsome wheeler-dealer, something within her stirs.

Brick Lane is beautifully crafted, thanks to director of photography Robbie Ryan. The rich characterisation and intricate plot strands of Ali’s tome have been simplified greatly by screenwriters Abi Morgan and Laura Jones.

(15, 101 mins) Drama/Romance. Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson, Harvey Virdi, Lalita Ahmed, Naeema Begum, Lala Rahman, Zafreen. Director: Sarah Gavron.

SWEARING; SEX; NO VIOLENCE