Seema Bowri, Ameet Chana, Goly Notay, Pravesh Kumar, Rameet Rauli and Viraj Juneja at the Little English premiere. Image: Little English/LIFF

Slough Director’s film is a sell out success at the blue orchid Hotel’s London Indian Film Festival.

The independent British-South Asian romantic-comedy, premiered BFI Southbank at London Indian Film Festival on Friday 24 June.

Set in sunny Slough, Punjabi newlywed Simmy, unexpectedly faces disappointment when her British Asian husband does a runner on the wedding night.  With only a basic grasp of English, she is unable to leave the house, surrounded by her kooky in-laws. She finds an unlikely ally in her wayward brother-in-law, Harry, and a secret romance blossoms.

Celebrities turned out in force for a star-studded red-carpet event to mark the world premiere of Slough-based director Pravesh Kumar MBE’s debut film Little English, at The Blue Orchid Hotels London Indian Film Festival at the British Film Institute.

The cast and crew were joined by local MP for Slough Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, BBC radio presenters Sunny and Shay Grewal and Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha.

Rameet Rauli plays Simmy, a newly imported bride from India whose husband has done a runner but discovers an unlikely ally in her wayward and misunderstood brother-in law Harry, played by Viraj Juneja.

The premiere was a huge success, with a 450 strong audience selling out the main auditorium at the British Film Institute and receiving critical acclaim from film director Gurinder Chadha, who praised Kumar for creating a truly ‘authentic’ film and being blessed with an incredibly talented cast.

In an interview with Asian Sunday, director Pravesh Kumar, who has worked in theatre for 20 years said:

“As a writer, I think everything comes from real life, and this is based on many true stories, that I’ve heard, some things, that happened within my own extended family, and some things I made up, but it was inspired by real-life events that took place in and around his life.

“Its made from inside the community, its not someone observing it, so very often when I see people of colour, especially British south Asians on screen, or in theatre, its an observed look at, often the writer, directors and the makers are white, even though the people on stage or on screen are people of colour”.

The film stars British emerging talent Rameet Raul and Viraj Juneja as Simmy and Harry, supported by an impressive cast including Seema Bowri, Madhav Sharma, Goldy Notay, Ameet Chana and Nikki Patel.

Also featuring Sanjeev Kohli, Yasmeen Khan and Shin Parwana this film is an fun romp through Asian taboos, set against the romantic backdrop of suburban Slough.

Written and directed by Pravesh Kumar, Little English was produced by Resource Productions, shot by Leigh Alner, designed by Andy Kumar, edited by Kam Parmar with Philip Moroz as sound editor and music by Niraj Chag.

Produced by Slough-based Resource Productions and shot in Slough, Little English is a stage-to-film adaptation and is billed as the first British romantic comedy with two British South Asian actors cast as the romantic leads.