My Beautiful Laundrette

British film released in 1985 directed by Stephen Frears based on a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. Won the Evening Standard Award for Best Film and the New York Critics` Award in 1985.

The movie is set in 1980s Britain in South London. The protagonist is 20-year-old Omar, son of a mixed marriage his father being a former Pakistani journalist (and now an alcoholic) and his mother being British (and dead). Omar falls in love with Johnny who belongs to the white British society and is a former racist. Omar gets the opportunity of gaining success when his rich uncle Nasser- a Pakistani businessman representing wealth in Thatcherite Britain- offers him to take over a launderette. Omar and Johnny become business partners and built up the launderette.

Important aspects

My Beautiful Laundrette represents many topics of postcolonial Britain: The motivation for success in Thatcherite Britain, the issues of race and ethnicity, identity issues of the young British- Asian generation and homosexuality. Kureishi shows that nationality is not an absolute feature that characterises people when he breaks stereotypes and thus creates individual figures.