Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

My top 10 Legendary British Asian traits by The Native Immigrants

Cling-film on remote controls: We never under­stood the concept of putting cling-film on remote controls in our houses growing up until you realise most of our dinners were consumed in front of the telly, and this handy conception alleviated the problem of getting oil and haldi-stained fingers all over the control. At the time, ridiculous, now look­ing back, genius!

Frozen coriander in ice cream tubs: You know the scenario: You’ve come home from being out in a scorching hot summer’s day. Yes, you can con­sume copious amounts of cold water to appease your dry throat, but where’s the fun in that? In this equation, ice cream is your only true solution. You gallop down to your freezer, pull out that triple chocolate Carte D’or tub, have your spoon at the ready, open the container and it’s frozen corian­der. Cue agonising delirium.


Stupidly expensive weddings inviting everyone you’ve met: As our recent shows have covered all the chaos of our own wedding, we also put the spotlight on Asian weddings in general. The idea of one-upmanship is so prevalent in our commu­nities that families are happier to go bankrupt rath­er than have a smaller wedding than their nearest and dearest. Gone are the days of paper plates in a school hall with your uncle playing some cassettes for music, in come the helicopter entrances and Bollywood stars brought in as special guests.

Elaborate tissue boxes: Both of us experienced this growing up, and still do to this day. The mini­malist classy look gets lost in Asian houses, as the overriding concept is ‘the gaudier the better!’ Nothing encompasses that more than over-elaborate tissue boxes. In the Swami Baracus family home, we’ve still got a killer dark blue box with gold trim­mings. It’s the kind of thing you’d find as part of a lost treasure in a Sinbad film.

Copper-plated African wall clocks: As discussed on one of our shows, there was a huge African contingent of Asians that emigrated to the UK. Most of these families from countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania brought over their business­es and established themselves successfully. How­ever, as a ‘tacky’ reminder of home, the great ma­jority had a copper-plated wall clock usually shaped like the African continent. If you were lucky, you may even have a 3D elephant or gazelle on there for extra authenticity!

Roman pillars on the porch: How this became a trend we’ll never really comprehend. Roman-style pillars on porches! We can understand if these were planted on six-bedroom mansions with acres of land for a garden, however the majority of these were in terraced houses or semi-detached at best. Maybe nothing says we’ve integrated more in this great nation of ours than installing some, erm, Ital­ian architecture.

Taking Indian snacks to the cinema: On episode eight of The Native Immigrants podcast, we dis­cuss Asian etiquette in cinemas, in that they don’t have any! With the worst being bringing their own pakoras and samosas to a film. Clearly popcorn, hot dogs or nachos don’t quite hit the taste buds as good as an onion bhaji. However the collective aromas from all these delicacies around you in a screen not only mean you’ll have to shower again as soon as you get home, but your clothes may need fumigating too.

Desi remedies: Clearly authenticated western medicine has zero clout around Asian circles, as not only do they refuse to take their meds as prescribed, they also stand by the miracles of desi remedies instead. Many a time have we had bruises, scrapes, illnesses, coughs, diseases, cuts and even broken limbs, and been told a glass of haldi doodh (turmeric milk) will fix that straight away. The annoying thing is it actually works to heal some of these.

Supporting Liverpool and Manchester United: As many of our listeners know, Swami Baracus is a massive Liverpool fan, as heard in the painful af­termath of their recent Champions League final defeat. However, he like thousands of other Asian football fans, have never been born or raised in Liverpool or Manchester, as in United the other popular club in this scenario. I’d like to think that as Asians we related to the working class nature of Liverpool’s industrial history, rather than the glory-grabbing rascals that we actually were growing up.

Only holidays to the motherland: Holidays back to our parental birthplaces were so common in our youth that you almost forgot there were other countries in the world that you can actually visit. We say ‘holidays’, but really these felt like torturous illness-ridden, family politics-based ordeals. Lugged around from one house to the other, cov­ered in mosquito bites with only the local stray dogs as playmates. Despite excitedly looking for­ward to the summer holidays, the start of the au­tumn school term just couldn’t come round quick enough.

  • Swami Baracus and Jyojo_B host The Native Immigrants podcast. Visit: Twitter & Instagram: @Nimmigrants, Facebook: @TheNativeImmigrants and Soundcloud: @nativeimmigrants

More For You

Unaccustomed Earth Netflix

Siddharth and Freida Pinto team up for Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories

Getty Images

Siddharth and Freida Pinto lead Netflix’s adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ centred on scandalous affair shaking an immigrant community

Highlights:

  • Siddharth to co-star with Freida Pinto in Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth
  • Series based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning short story collection
  • John Wells and Madhuri Shekar leading the adaptation with Ritesh Batra directing two episodes
  • Cast includes Indraneil Sengupta, Adi Roy, Sarayu Blue, and Iyla Sundarsingh Mckaig

Actor Siddharth has joined Freida Pinto in Unaccustomed Earth, Netflix’s highly anticipated adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s celebrated short story collection. The new drama, combining elements of family conflict with romance, marks Siddharth’s latest international outing. With Pinto leading the cast, the series promises to bring Lahiri’s themes of migration, love, and identity to a global audience.

Unaccustomed Earth Netflix Siddharth and Freida Pinto team up for Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Aamir Khan

Coolie hits £47m worldwide as fake ‘big mistake’ quote on Aamir Khan cameo goes viral

Instagram/sunpictures

Aamir Khan did not call his ‘Coolie’ cameo a mistake, fact-check confirms amid record-breaking run

Highlights:

  • Viral clipping claimed Aamir Khan called his cameo in Coolie “a big mistake”
  • The image showed fabricated quotes criticising the role and script
  • Fact checks confirm no credible record of Aamir making such remarks
  • Despite mixed reactions, Coolie has crossed £41.75 million (₹500 crore) globally

Aamir Khan, one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed stars, has become the subject of a viral claim alleging he regretted his cameo in Coolie. The Rajinikanth starrer, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, featured Aamir in a brief special appearance. Social media posts claimed Aamir called the cameo “a big mistake”, but fact checks have found no evidence he ever said this. The controversy surfaced as the film continues its strong box office run.

Aamir Khan Coolie hits £47m worldwide as fake ‘big mistake’ quote on Aamir Khan cameo goes viral Instagram/sunpictures

Keep ReadingShow less
Henry Cavill

The remake is being directed by Chad Stahelski

Getty Images

Henry Cavill injury pushes back ‘Highlander’ remake to 2026

Highlights:

  • Actor Henry Cavill injured during training before filming began on Highlander.
  • The remake of the 1986 fantasy-action classic will now start production in 2026.
  • Cast includes Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista.
  • Film directed by Chad Stahelski for Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists.

Injury delays production

British actor Henry Cavill has suffered an injury during pre-production training for the remake of Highlander. The incident occurred just days before filming was due to begin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As a result, production on the fantasy-action reboot has been pushed back and is now expected to begin in 2026.

Keep ReadingShow less
Coldplay Wembley record

Coldplay light up Wembley with a record 10-night run

Instagram/coldplay

Coldplay break Wembley Stadium record overtaking Taylor Swift as Chris Martin signals world tour pause

Highlights:

  • Coldplay end their record-breaking 10-night run at Wembley Stadium
  • The shows are part of their global Music of the Spheres Tour
  • The tour has now sold over 12 million tickets worldwide
  • Friday’s show was rescheduled after a transport strike in London

Coldplay have celebrated their record-breaking achievement at Wembley Stadium with a dazzling finale, making headlines as they set a new benchmark for live music. The British band’s 10-night stint marked the longest run of concerts ever at the venue, cementing their legacy while also driving massive global interest in their Wembley Stadium record. The marathon shows form part of their ongoing Music of the Spheres Tour, which has already sold more than 12 million tickets worldwide.

Coldplay light up Wembley with a record 10-night run Instagram/coldplay

Keep ReadingShow less