Product Details

• Actors: Om Puri, Linda Bassett
• Directors: Damien O'Donnel
• Writers: Ayub Khan-Din
• Producers: Leslee Udwin
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: January 6, 2012
• Run Time: 1 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004UCHA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,942 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "East Is East" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Here's the hilarious, good-time comedy about two bachelors who were having the time of their lives… until their father started picking their wives! For George "Genghis" Khan (Om Puri), life is a never-ending struggle to teach his kids traditional family values. His modern, fun-loving sons Tony (Jimi Mistry) and Abdul (Raji James), on the other hand, think they have everything figured out! So when the boys discover that dad has secretly arranged their marriages, youthful rebellion rules the day! Named "Best Picture of the Year" by the London Film Critics' Choice- you'll laugh along with this outrageous look at waht happens when two cultures clash in one family!

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

This product is expected to play back in DVD Video "play only" devices, and may not play in other DVD devices, including recorders and PC drives.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely phenomonal work July 21, 2000

By "atammal"

Format:VHS Tape

I admit, I cried during this movie. It was difficult to watch the entire Khan family, all seven kids plus mom Ella and dad George, struggle with an identity that not only identified them as individuals, but as a family. It hits a chord not only with immigrant families, but all families. It relates the struggles of finding a balance between parental power and individual control. But despite all that mushy stuff, it's absolutely hilarious. Not only are the accents adorably amusing, the children remind you of what it was like to be young again and caught by your parents doing something you shouldn't have been. The opening scene lends to this as it follows the kids running through alleys so their father, a strict Muslim, doesn't see them marching in a Catholic parade. You can't help but laugh at their antics. The film is able to embrace both tradition and progress without becoming too boring. Definitely an A+!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Culture clash March 28, 2001

By Dan Balogh

Format:DVD

What begins as a lighthearted and whimsical examination of the cultural differences between East and West escalates into a very serious and often dark study of the negative ramifications those irreconcilable differences can cause when strictly observed by those who lose track of the impact on those they love.

Om Puri is magnificent as Muslim George Khan, the traditional father of a very untraditional group of seven children, the offspring of his marriage with British wife Ella, played by Linda Bassett. Born and raised in England, his six sons and one daughter have grown to enjoy the high degree of cultural freedom not present in Pakistan. When George senses that he is losing the control of his family that he once enjoyed, he becomes an intransigent martinet and inadvertently manages to alienate them all.

Built on the foundation of quaint humor, the dramatic frissons, when they come, are stunning. And there's never a false note, as confident newcomer Damien O'Donnell directs Ayub Khan-Din's story with aplomb, a story which is partially autobiographical and based on Khan-Din's own play of the same name.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your average family flick July 31, 2001

By "scifiwasabi"

Format:VHS Tape

I know people who were very offended by this film's portrayal of Pakistanis and I can say from my own experience that not all mixed families have the same problems as the Khans, but I still think that East is East is an excellent movie. The story is about George Khan, a Pakistani in England who married an English woman and begins to fear that his seven children are becoming too Westernized as they grow up. Anyone who comes from a multicultural family will be able to relate to the struggles of the Khan children to reconcile their father's wishes with their lives in 1971 Manchester. The movie isn't really for children and has a brutal and violent climax, but it teaches an important lesson about being at peace with one's decisions and growing up between cultures. On top of everything,the movie has a great soundtrack, with both English and Pakistani songs from the period and touches on significant historical events such as the rise of immigrant-basher Enoch Powell and the Bangladeshi war that may not be familiar to American audiences. All in all, it's an edgy, funny movie that will leave you crying with laughter and wishing it was an hour longer. If you were a fan of Zadie Smith's novel "White Teeth", you will probably like this.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars East is East : Great British-Asian humour June 22, 2000

By A Customer

Format:DVD

Not out until September here in the US, 'East is East' is a hilarious British film. Having seen it in UK cinema last year, let me humbly suggest it's a 'must see' for everyone who just enjoys pure fun from an evening's viewing.

The film centres on an British-Asian family who live in present day Bradford (near Manchester), and relates the hilarious antics of the sons of the family as they attempt to avoid their traditional 'arranged weddings' with the daughters of other asian families.

What's so great about the film is that you don't need to be Asian (or British!) to really enjoy the film. Some of you may have seen the top rated BBC Asian TV comedy show 'Goodness Gracious Me!' - this film is in exactly the same style.

'East is East' flew high in the UK Cinema charts last year - it may not be a huge seller here in the US, but those of you who see it won't be disappointed.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of those gems you've never heard of ... February 13, 2003

By David A. Hester

Format:DVD

If you happen to catch the trailer on another Miramax release, you might order the movie on the off chance that it'll turn out to be a quirky enjoyable comedy - I did, and it is. However, the movie is MUCH more than what is portrayed in the trailer, and in my opinion deserves better exposure than it got. It is a true comedy, but it tackles the very serious issues faced by multi-cultural and immigrant families, accurately portraying the conflicts between family, tradition, and society at large. A movie that can be appreciated by anyone, it is certain to strike a special chord in the hearts of those whose traditions and values differ from those of the country they have chosen to call home.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Funny, Yet Serious Film September 23, 2002

By D. M. Farmbrough

Format:VHS Tape

Much of the publicity surrounding this film rested on its comedy elements. And yet this is only half the story. The humour is terrific - ranging from coarse humour and cheap laughs to subtle jokes about dialect and the period on which the film is set. But the rest of the film is a mature, post-colonial take on the topics of immigration, integration, and miscgenation.

The humour in this film is great. The lovely Archie Punjabi and the boys supply most of this, while their parents deal in more serious matters. Om Puri convinces despite being a bit of a stereotyped Pakistani Dad, and the whole film glides along at a cracking pace, thanks to the humour. Despite dealing with serious subjects such as spousal abuse and cultural identity, the humour prevents any dragging.

Mr Khan has lived in England for 25 years, and this is significant because 1946 is the year before Indian independence, and a time when many Indians and Pakistanis came to Britain. The second great influx of Asians came in the late 1960s with the independence of Uganda and Kenya and their respective new governments repatriating the Asian communities. These latter immigrants would have formed the lion's share of the Asian Communities in Salford and Bradford, and for this reason Mr Khan is out of place with the recent immigrants (all of whom have more knowledge of Pakistan - formed after his departure from India - than he) just as he has not entirely settled in England (he still only speaks pidgin English, despite being there 25 years). Despite being entrenched in his ways and violent to his family, you can't help but have sympathy for this fish out of water and hope that he comes to terms with life in Britain soon.

I recommend this to anyone interested in the Anglo-Asian Community, but also to anyone who likes a good laugh.