If surrealist filmmaker Danny Boyle were to make a film on modern British Asian culture, he'd find a muse in 'Londonstani'.

Penned by journalist turned novelist Gautam Malkani, Londonstani delivers an eerily familiar look at young desi ruffians in Southall.
Dubiously employed academic failures Jas, Har(d)jit, Amit and Ravi spend their days engaged in nouveau gangsta politics and nights dreaming of affluent lifestyles. Reflecting a plethora of south asian communities, the boys hide behind a criminal united front, balancing a delicate camaraderie with thinly veiled antagonism.

Literally, the characters are so incredibly accurate, they could be essayed by your goofy, gangsta brother; your preppy, overachieving cousin or your scheming neighbour. Jas, the protagonist who brings the novella to life, is a self prescribed "former coconut" who has since smartened up due to his affiliation with Rudeboy mentor Hardjit (formerly Harjit, but the reason behind the alteration should be obvious). Hardjit, the ring leader, is a handsome, typically martial Sikh who has taken it upon himself to "teach a lesson" to anyone willing to learn from him. Rival Muslim gangsters remain on top of his hit list, namely those who dare to get involved with women from the Sikh and Hindu communities he's sworn to protect and avenge.

The specific religious depictions are less descriptive, actually quite generic. But the assumption I made was that the lines between Hindu-Sikh relations and cultural distinction were blurred intentionally. The significance between these seemingly neutral groups is slight in contrast to the violent interactions with vilified Islamic characters. The uneasiness between young, seemingly modern teenagers is accurately depicted. They might be born and brought up outside the mamaland, but the gloves come flying off when the question of "izzat" arises. While references to racism amongst Asians in Britannia have consisted of Skinhead National Fronters beating the crap out of passive immigrants in the past, it seems as the present generation has reversed the trend with equally frightening results. You can get away with nationalist pride with celebrated pomp, just as long as detractors realize that they're the ones who pushed you in the corner to begin with. The issue of segregation is important; while leftist educators attempt to ease relationships and encourage assimilation into mainstream society, they fail to realize that some members already see themselves outside the cultural fringe. The desire to interact with Caucasian's is laughed off as "selling out"- not unsurprising since intimate relationships outside the comfort zone will ultimately lead to ostracization. You're either in or out, and once you've broken a Rudeboy Rule, you stand to get a lashing or a lecture.

Along with the violent lifestyle comes gangsta wealth- coined "bling bling economics". The insatiable thirst for wealth isn't limited to the generation of young adults, their parents are just as affected with the "Keeping up with the Jones" syndrome. The everyday interactions between the boys and their families are relatable. While the parents fancy themselves as modern, well versed parents with the regular social addictions to parties, showing each other up and pashmina shawls, they fail to see the growing void that gnaws away at their closest relationships. Most people, Desi or not, can relate to arguments regarding private skeletons and "complicated, family-related shit" becoming public consumption. There is always one prodigal child who will let their family dictate his/her life, in the case of Amit's brother Arun, with disastrous results. Women are categorized as meek good girls who stay within the family confines, or whores. The theme of excess is crucial throughout: more money, more fame, more notoriety and more izzat.

Malkani has succeeded brilliantly with his first attempt, not because he's mimicked an urban subculture, but because he has put his finger directly on the pulse of a generation. The linguistics are incredible. The crew speaks the common language of Asian Rudeboys: a mix of crude cockney slang and vulgarities with the Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi vernacular. To be this close, the writer would either have had to been in a similar dynamic and escaped to greener pastures, or watched from afar. A disturbing mix of neo racism and pop culture without apathy or sympathy.
Either way, it works.