Well, I only went and won an RTS! What a wonderful, unexpected bonus after making the most important piece of TV I’ve ever made. My Family, Partition and Me told the story of the Partition of India, the brutal end of the Raj. Not only my story, the story of millions. My motivation for making it was realising, based on the reaction to my Who Do You Think You Are?, how little people know about this momentous period in history.
British Asians are the biggest ethnic group in the UK, numbering over 3 million. Of this group the majority are young people, with around 60% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Brits and just over 40% of Indians being under 30. The BBC is looking to represent the diverse culture of young British Asians in particular, dispelling the notion that they are a homogenous group and celebrating both the multiple countries of origin and distinct religions of the populations.
The series will also celebrate the cultural as well as artistic contributions of Asian Britons as well as exploring the fractious nature of white and non-white Britain and its subsequent tensions.
"The Big British Asian Summer is a wonderfully rich season of programmes from across the BBC exploring the cultural, social and familial impact of these two regions of the world coming together. From Bollywood to Sharwoods,” said Alison Kirkham, Controller of Factual Commissioning.
