Story: Manchester, England, 1975. The family of Pakistani Brit, George/Jehangir Khan (Om Puri) may have reduced in size with most of his sons having walked out of house, but his troubles haven't ended. His youngest son Sajid (Aqib Khan), plagued by bullies in school, is growing unruly and rebellious. In order to tame him, George takes him to Pakistan to spend time with his first wife (Ila Arun) and the family he abandoned twenty years ago. But getting back isn't as easy as it seems, specially when his English wife (Linda Bassett) chooses to join him....
Movie Review: The film is essentially a sequel to East is East, the film that focused on the travails of a Pakistani-British family trying to cope with the cultural divide. But West is West stands on its own, even though it carries forward the story of the man who struggles between his twin identities: George Khan, the Pakistani-Brit who runs a modest eatery and Jehangir Khan, the Pakistani farmer, with family, property and roots in rural Pakistan. And that's because the film carries one simple message that needs to be reiterated, the world over: East may be East, West may be West, but people are the same, despite their superficial differences.
The highpoint of the film is young Aqib Khan who not only renders a scintillating performance as the pubescent Sajid, but becomes a metaphor for the whole film. Sajid's journey of self discovery, which begins with extreme hate for the dustbowl of Pakistan grows to a gentle fondness for his origins, and becomes the story of each and every character in the film. Acceptance must come from both sides, be it Jehangir Khan's abandoned family or his culturally diverse English family. In a seminal sequence, the two wives manage to communicate despite their language barriers, and touch your heart, while they do it.
The performances are all impressive, specially by Om Puri and Ila Arun. The humour is delightful. But what finally takes your breath away is the soulful music of the film rendered by the nomadic Sufi Saeen Zahoor. Do stay for the last number, Aik Alif.
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