Summer of Asian talent across BBC

SYAL AND AHMED IN SERIES OF SHOWS

THE BBC announced a whole host of new shows on Tuesday (17) as part of their summer season cele­brating Asian talent.

The Big British Asian Sum­mer will feature a range of titles featuring stars such as Riz Ahmed and Meera Syal.

The shows, which will be broadcast on BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC Four, include feature films, documentaries, drama and live discussions.

It will also revisit classics such as political thriller The Reluctant Fundamentalist, starring Ahmed in his break­through role, and Syal’s Ani­ta & Me. Interviews featur­ing the pair are set to pre­cede the films.

“I wanted to record the lives of us – the first genera­tion of British Asian kids born here, and especially the lives of our parents,” Syal said of the film, which was adapted from her original novel in 2002.

“[Now, the story is part of the GCSE curriculum]… that’s monumental for me – we’re here, we contributed.”

Additional highlights in­clude The Big Asian Stand-up, hosted by comedian Ni­sh Kumar for BBC Two, where Asian comedians will have a chance to showcase their talents in front of a live audience in Leeds.

Comics expected to per­form include award-winning stars Tez Ilyas and Ahir Shah.

Origins of Asian music in the UK will also be explored as DJ Bobby Friction re­counts the rise and history of Bhangra music across Britain in the 1980s in Pump Up the Bhangra: The Sound of Asian Britain.

Many of the most influen­tial names from the Bhangra scene will partake in the film, including Balbir Bhu­jhangy; Gurcharan Mall; Heera; Apna Sangeet; Chani Singh; Bally Sagoo; Aki Nawaaz; JK and many more.

Programmes will also be broadcast on social media channels such as YouTube. My Asian Alter Ego is set to draw upon Asian social me­dia personalities as they ex­plore their British Asian identity. The show will be shown on BBC Three’s so­cial platforms.

The network has also launched a new survey, tak­en by 2,000 British Asians, which will explore topics on identity, faith and views on how tolerate contemporary Britain is.

Results will subsequently be reported on BBC News before the final figures are discussed in a live debate show, hosted by journalist Mobeen Azhar, on August 16.