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A universal story of standing up for yourself, the (dys) functionality of family and the question of identity, East is East is a must see production.

BollySpice had the chance to plunge in deeper and get to know the issues provoked – even more closely.

A conversation with three East is East cast members resulted in an interview exploring multitude avenues.

Speaking exclusively to Amit Shah, Ashley Kumar and Rani Moorthy, we heavily explored identity, what finding oneself entails, the strengths and weaknesses of being human, the history of Bollywood, women’s power, suppression and even Shah Rukh Khan!

East is East is currently being performed at Trafalgar Studios, London.

Sibling Love. Identity. Being Human

In conversation with Amit Shah, Aka Abdul

Shah’s credits include Salim in theatre production “Bombay Dreams” and Mansur in “The Hundred Foot Journey” and awards include the Ian Charleson Commendation for The Alchemist at the...

Families.

Families are messy, complicated, confusing – no matter which part of the world or what generation one is born into. Perhaps for many it’s the family, that unit of supposed safety and belonging, which becomes the biggest catalyst for personal change and inevitably shakes up the boundaries of identity.

Ayub Khan Din’s play East is East, currently performed at Trafalgar Studios in London, is a high intensity drama exploring the vulnerability and strength of family and finding oneself as an individual.

Explored in particular is the South Asian Diaspora.

George Khan (Ayub Khan Din) is the father and the head of the house. He is a somewhat intimidating Muslim father obsessed with instilling Pakistani culture and roots into his half-English, half Muslim children.

We learn that George emigrated from India to the UK in 1936. He describes how he struggled, how he did not belong but eventually reached success.

A new play, ‘If Only Shahrukh Khan…’ by award winning theatre company Rasa premieres at Theatre in the Mill on Wednesday 23 October. Featuring writers and actors from Doctors, Eastenders, Casualty and Citizen Khan, the cast invite audiences to join the Shahrukh Khan fan club and prepare for a bumpy ride.

The international superstar Shahrukh Khan means different things to three Asian women, Rose, Pindy and Kasi who have shared a house for 25 years. In the interim years there might have been friendships, adventures, lost loves and limited work lives but now in their older years there is a strong sense that their best lives were left behind in their homeland, Kenya, along with their secrets. The fan club is their only joy and escape. If Only Shahrukh Kahn…. offers an intimate account of the inner lives and thoughts of these three very different women with in this powerful and exciting theatre performance.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is the inspiration behind a new play performing in Bradford in October.

If Only Shah Rukh Khan... features UK television writers and actors from Doctors, EastEnders, Casualty and Citizen Khan.

"If Only Shah Rukh Khan... tells the story of three South Asian spinsters who all reside at Serene Cottage. Although they lead separate lives, they come together in the communal lounge once a week for their Shah Rukh Khan fan club meetings," Irna Qureshi from Rasa Productions told Digital Spy.

"Their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a young man looking for his biological mother. As well as the Bollywood hook, the play incorporates themes of migration, identity, race and gender."

The play was written by Rani Moorthy, who plays Mrs Bilal in BBC Two sitcom Citizen Khan.

If Only Shah Rukh Khan... by Rasa Productions runs Wednesday, October 23 - Saturday, October 16 at Theatre in the Mill,...