''Second Generation'' is a 2003

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

two-part

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

directed by

Jon Sen Jon Sen (born 9 October 1974) is a British television and film director, writer and producer. After working as the executive producer of the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2018 to 2022, Sen began working as the executive producer of the BBC ...

, written by Neil Biswas, and stars

Parminder Nagra Parminder Kaur Nagra (born 5 October 1975) is a British actress of Indian Punjabi descent and Sikh heritage. She is known for portraying Jess Bhamra in the film ''Bend It Like Beckham'' (2002) and Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the NBC medical drama ...

Christopher Simpson Christopher Simpson (1602/1606–1669) was an English musician and composer, particularly associated with music for the viola da gamba. Life Simpson was born between 1602 and 1606, probably at Egton, North Yorkshire. He was the eldest son ...

and

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in '' Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy John ...

. Inspired by the Jacobean

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, the drama revolves around two childhood sweet-hearts who find the passion is still there when their paths cross. It was broadcast by

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

over two consecutive days on 14 September 2003 and 15 September 2003.

Plot

Part One

Estranged from her family for nine years, feisty, independent Heere (

) is living with her white, music journalist fiancé, Jack (

). When her father, Sharma (

Om Puri Om Prakash Puri (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Bengali, Kannada, English,Punjabi and one Telugu film, as well as independent and art films and also starr ...

), falls into a coma, her older sisters, Pria (

Rita Wolf Rita Wolf (born Rita Ghose, ) is an American British actress born in Kolkata, India. US theatre credits include premieres of work by Tony Kushner ("Homebody/Kabul" at NY Theatre Workshop, also at BAM) and Richard Nelson ("The Michaels" at The Pu ...

) and Rina ( Amita Dhiri), get back in touch. Meanwhile, Sam is recruiting Uzi (Sonnell Dadral) for his underground record label, Monsoon. Sharma's friend and employee, Khan ( Anupam Kher), (who is also Sam's father) intends on stopping the conniving Pria from selling Sharma's food factory, even though Mohan (

Roshan Seth Roshan Seth (born 2 April 1942) is a British-Indian actor, writer and theatre director who has worked in the United Kingdom, United States and India. He began his acting career in the early 1960s in the UK, but left acting the following decade ...

) warns Khan not to get involved and thinks it is justice for Sharma swindling them out of their share of the business. Jack and Heere go to Club 23 nightclub, where Heere meets Sam after years apart. They go back to his flat and embrace, but she regrets the encounter and leaves. Sharma wakes up on the day his daughters were set to turn off his life support machine. Sam continues his attempts to pursue Heere. Heere attends Sharma's

puja Puja or Pooja may refer to: Religion *Puja (Hinduism), a ritual to host, honor or of devotional worship, or one to celebrate an event * Puja (Buddhism), expressions of honour, worship and devotional attention * Puja, a wooden stick, sometimes lea ...

with Jack where she is disowned by Sharma. Heere turns up with a friend at a meeting Sam is having with Jack. After Sam tells his elder brother, Firoz (

Nitin Ganatra Nitin Chandra Ganatra (born 30 June 1967) is a Kenyan-born British actor. He is known for portraying Masood Ahmed in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. Early and personal life Ganatra was born on 30 June 1967 in Kenya. Both sides of Ganatra ...

), that he has met Heere, and Firoz passes this along to Rina, Pria then tells Heere that there is a rumour that Heere and Sam are having a sexual relationship. Heere confronts Sam and they end up having sexual intercourse. Sharma returns to work and sacks Khan after Khan reveals that Pria planned to sell the factory. Sam tells Khan (to Khan's dismay), that he wants to marry Heere. Firoz sides with the Sharmas and resents Khan for selling the factory. Khan then finds out Firoz and Rina are having an affair. After Heere rejects Sam, Sam ignores Khan's phone call and message and starts a sexual relationship with his colleague, Amba (

Shelley Conn Shelley Deborah Conn (born 21 September 1976) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Lady Mary Sharma in the hugely successful Netflix series '' Bridgerton'', as Isabella in the film ''Love Sarah'', as Dr Elizabeth Sh ...

). The next morning Sam finds Khan after he has hanged himself.

Part Two

Sam and Firoz attend Khan's

janazah Funerals and funeral prayers in Islam ( ar, جنازة, Janazah) follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial ...

(funeral prayer). During Khan's wake, Heere's attempts to console Sam fall on deaf ears. A drunk Mohan tells Sharma the truth about Khan and Sharma's daughters. Sharma realises the truth and gives his employees paid leave until the problems are sorted out. Sam goes to work to find that Jez (Jay Simpson) and Paul ( William Beck), from the non-independent label Zenon, are pitching a deal for Uzi to his business partner, Parv (Chris Ryman). Sam fears that they want to buy out Uzi, and turn Monsoon from a community-based label into a commercial product. This distresses Sam because he thinks artistic development is more important than money. Meanwhile, Pria, Rina, and Firoz have Sharma sectioned with the help of Rina's GP husband, Arun (Shiv Grewal). Heere visits Sharma, who mistakes her for her mother, Sonali. Jack refuses Heere's request for Sharma to move in with them. Sam reluctantly signs a takeover deal for Monsoon to join Zenon. At the celebration boat party, Heere rejects Uzi's advances; and Jack suspects Sam and Heere are having sex, leading to a fight with Sam. Meanwhile, Rina plans on leaving Arun for Firoz. Heere brings Sharma to her house, where he breaks down. Out of guilt, Firoz breaks up with Rina. Pria reveals to Heere that she found their mother after she committed suicide and resents their father for abandoning their mother. Heere's application to be Sharma's carer fails and she reconciles with her sisters. Pria sells the factory and Firoz is made the managing director. Heere ends her relationship with Jack, goes to Club 23, tells Sam how she feels about him and that she is leaving for India, and with Mohan's help smuggles Sharma out of the care home onto a flight to India. Sam apologises to Amba, gives Parv sole ownership of Monsoon and leaves the nightclub. Sam meets Heere and Sharma in Calcutta. Sam and Heere rekindle their romantic relationship.

Cast

as Heere Sharma/Sonali Sharma *

as Sam Khan *

as Jack Woodford *

as Sharma * Anupam Kher as Khan *

as Pria Sharma * Amita Dhiri as Rina Chatterjee *Radhika Aggarwal as DJ Sita *

as Firoz Khan *

as Amba *Chris Ryman as Parv *

as Mohan *Shiv Grewal as Arun Chatterjee *Sonnell Dadral as Uzi

Overview

Set in east London and Calcutta, ''Second Generation'' tells the story tangled relationships of two Indian Bengali families, who emigrated to Britain in the 1970s. The families have a deep-rooted, shared history, one factory-owning Hindu suburbanites, the other put-upon Muslims from Whitechapel. When Heere meets Sam, the passion is still there - and with it comes trouble. In flight from the past, in turmoil about the future. Sam and Heere need to work out what they want - and where they belong.

Production

The two-part £2.5 million drama was a cornerstone of Channel 4's efforts to emphasise that it is conscious of and in tune with ethnic minorities in the UK. It was the first drama to be produced by Oxford Film and Television. It was written, directed, and almost exclusively acted by Asians.

Nitin Sawhney Nitin Sawhney , D.Mus (; born 1964) is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian an ...

composed the soundtrack, for which he was nominated for the

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

for Film and TV Composition.

Release

''Second Generation'' was broadcast on

over two consecutive nights on 14 September 2003 and 15 September 2003. On 26 July 2006, the DVD of the drama was released in the United States.

Reception

Gareth McLean Gareth McLean (born c.1975) is a Scottish journalist and screenwriter who has written for ''The Guardian'' newspaper and on soap operas for the ''Radio Times'' magazine. McLean graduated with an MA (Hons) in English from the University of Aberdee ...

of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' described the drama as a "sweeping and rather splendid story of love, ambition, betrayal, secrets and lies... religion. And race. And big issues of identity, belonging... so it was enormously enjoyable." Sukhdev Sandhu of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' called the drama "an epic saga that takes in madness, suicide and the agonies and ecstasies of migration." Kathryn Flett of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

'' said it was "rapturous to look at thanks to the most handsome collection of actors in living memory and some evanescent photography, it was elegantly acted... brilliantly written... one of the year's most memorable dramas." ''

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on w ...

'' thought the drama was "the sort of ambitious, edgy drama Channel 4 was made for... Romantic original and exciting." ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...

'' thought it was "glamorous and romantic... it had all the authentic energy and passion of a contemporary ''

My Beautiful Laundrette ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' is a 1985 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. The film was also one of the first films released by Working Title Films. The story is set in London durin ...

'' or ''

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...

''." ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'' said "there is a complex dramatic energy behind ''Second Generation'' and, above all, it rings true." ''

'' said it "was not only an engrossing, beautifully produced drama but also an accurate reflection of the lives and concerns of British Asians today." Ross Peter of ''

Sunday Herald The ''Sunday Herald'' was a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published between 7 February 1999 and 2 September 2018. Originally a broadsheet, it was published in compact format from 20 November 2005. The paper was known for having combined a cent ...

'' described it as "''King Lear'' meets ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' in clubland." ''Redhotcurry.com'' called the drama an "explosive story about love, family and identity." ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' described it as "vibrant, vivid drama full of love and betrayal." ''

Broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

'' hailed it "truly remarkable".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * *
Oxford Film and Television
{{DEFAULTSORT:Second Generation (Film) 2003 television films 2003 films 2003 romantic drama films British Indian films British romantic drama films 2000s Bengali-language films Channel 4 original programming Films based on King Lear Films set in London Films shot in London Films set in West Bengal Films shot in West Bengal 2000s English-language films 2000s British films British drama television films