Product Details

• Actors: Radhika Aggarwal, Lalita Ahmed, Joanna Bacon, William Beck, Shelley Conn
• Directors: Jon Sen
• Writers: Neil Biswas
• Producers: Catherine Wearing, Helen Flint, Mark Bentley, Nicolas Kent
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: July 5, 2005
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009KA7EA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,004 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Second Generation" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Set in London and Calcutta, Second Generation is a riveting, if occasionally overwrought melodrama about modern day Anglo-Indian life. Inspired by King Lear, the stylish TV movie revolves around prodigal daughter Heere (Parminder Nagra, Bend It Like Beckham), who is trying forge a life for herself, away from the smothering grasp of her family. Her fiancé is Anglo journalist Jack (Danny Dyer) and her disapproving father is curry factory owner Sharma (Om Puri, My Son the Fanatic). Her older sisters, Rina (Amita Dhiri) and Pria (Rita Wolf), work with him--and can't wait till Sharma dies, so they can sell the business. Then there's old flame Sam (Christopher Simpson), who runs a club and record label dedicated to the sounds of the "Asian Underground." Produced for Britain's Channel 4, Second Generation is a hip, sudsy soap opera set to a brisk bhangra-meets-hip-hop beat (provided by busy DJ/composer Nitan Sawhney). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham, ER) stars in a vivid drama set chiefly in the curry factories, night clubs, bedrooms, and kitchens of London’s Southall neighborhood. Part King Lear, part passionate romance, the story revolves around the fall of an aging patriarch (Om Puri, East is East) with three daughters. The youngest, Heere (Nagra), a runaway from her repressive family, is engaged to white music journalist Jack (Danny Dyer, Human Traffic). Her father’s illness and her sisters' treachery draw Heere back into the family circle and back into the arms of her first love, record label and club owner Sam Khan (Christopher Simpson, White Teeth). Also starring Bollywood superstar Anupam Kher and featuring an electrifying soundtrack by award-winning British-Asian musician Nitin Sawhney.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare but honest portrayl, August 11, 2005

By 

TF (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Generation (DVD)

There has been a recent deluge of movies that have tried to ride Bollywood's wave of bubble-gum popularity ("Bend it like Beckham", "Bride and Prejudice", etc.). While such movies are enjoyable in their own right, none of them offer any huge revelations about Indian families, and more importantly, never come remotely close to capturing the cultural and emotional complexities of Indian diaspora as does "Second Generation."

This is an insightful film that pulls no punches in portraying the pain, struggles, and strife found in immigrant South Asian families living in the West. Heere (Parminder Nagra) is a Hindu girl engaged to a white man and as a result, is practically ostracized by her family. Despite her best attempts to bring a semblance of normalcy into her life, she finds it impossible without the approval of her father (Om Puri). In addition to playing the daughter to the tragic patriarch, Parminder also appears as his dead wife, by whom he is haunted. Her past (and soon to be renewed) love interest, Sam (Sameer) brings another dimension to the film. He is the rebel Muslim who leads a double-life of clubbing, drinking, and illicit sex unknown to his father (Anupam Kher) and more shockingly, is in love with a Hindu Girl. Heere does eventually find herself and her true love in the end, but only after much emotional trauma and grief.

Parminder plays a more feisty character in this film than she did in "Bend it like Beckham." In her own words (according to a recent interview in the Guardian), she's "more outspoken, edgy and grown-up than Jess, who would never go against her parents." The movie is also definitely star-studded--alongside Parminder are venerable veterans such as Om Puri, Anupam Kher, and Roshan Seth. Granted, there are a few awkward scenes that don't flow too well, but these are minor flaws that are more than just redeemed by the rest of the production. Finally, the film has a fantastic soundtrack with memorable beats by the impressive Nitin Sawhney.

"Second Generation" is touching and poignant, and for those of us who truly are the second generation, it definitely hits close to home.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, July 7, 2005

By 

The End "arbiterelegantiarum" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Generation (DVD)

Shocked to see such a harsh review for this title below. It's enormously enjoyable, and I think some of the points highlighted in the negative review below can be explained by the fact that this drama is based on Shakespeare's King Lear (e.g. the mental father). Nagra and an ensemble cast of Anglo-Indian actors provide support to the storyline very well. It's obvious Ms. Nagra is a star on the rise and here her talents are showcased brilliantly.

3.0 out of 5 stars An engaging story of love and family, May 23, 2007

By 

El (Cyprus) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Generation (DVD)

As a second generation Cypriot born in London I could very much relate to this programme. Maybe not so much as an Indian person perhaps, but the similarities are there with regards to the oldies set in their ways and wanting to keep traditions and culture going whereas the young want to be free from all of that. I found Parminder Nagra's acting excellent and could really feel for her character and her inner turmoil. Some of the acting was forced but PN turned in a star performance.

Having watched the programme on Channel 4, I was very disappointed to watch the dvd and see that there was no subtitles for whenever any Bengali was spoken. Those parts where important to Heere and Sam's story and also with her mother's. There was actually no subtitles whatsoever - what of the deaf or hard of hearing? Very lazy and that goes to all who produce dvd's without subtitles. So for this reason the dvd automatically loses a star.

Overall, a small insight into Indian life which may not appeal to all but certainly appealed to me.