Cockney Curry

Colourful prose8226;The young British Asian success story of 2006 looks set to be author Gautam Malkani. Only in his 20s, his debut script ...

Subcontinental doers
8226;Britain8217;s leading life coach, Fiona Harrold, whose clients include captains of industry, politicians and celebrities, has been inspired by subcontinental work ethic. She includes a couple of Asian entrepreneurs in her new book, The 7 Rules of Success Hodder 038; Stoughton. Among those whose 8216;8216;can do8217;8217; attitude she uses to illustrate her philosophy, is that of entrepreneur Jojar Dhinsa, 29, known as Joe, who made millions of pounds while still a schoolboy. The son of Punjabi parents who emigrated to Britain in the 8217;60s and who were both illiterate, Dhinsa was raised in Coventry. His sixth form teacher declared he would be a nobody. Ironically, it was this teacher, Estelle Morris, who later resigned as Education Minister, admitting that she was 8216;8216;not up to the job8217;8217;.

Colourful prose
8226;The young British Asian success story of 2006 looks set to be author Gautam Malkani. Only in his 20s, his debut script caused a frenzy at the Frankfurt Book Fair, from which Malkani emerged with a smile: Fourth Estate publishers part of HarperCollins would pay him a whopping six-figure-sum for a two-book deal. Malkani, born in Hounslow, working at the Financial Times, has drawn comparisons with writer Irvine Walsh. His Londonstani, described as 8216;8216;electrifying8217;8217;, is set among Hounslow8217;s Asian community. The strengths of the novel is the colourful language of the male protagonists: a mixture of Hindi, bastardised gangsta rap, local patois and Bollywood influences.

8216;8216;After spittin his words out Hardjit stopped for a second, like he expected one of us to write them down or someshit. Then he adds an exclamation mark by kickin the white kid in the face again.

8212;Shudn8217;t b callin us pakis, innit, u dutty gora.8217;

Again, punctuation was provided with a kick, but with his left foot this time so it was more like a semi-colon.

8212;Call me or any a ma bredrens a paki again an I8217;ma mash u an ur family.8217;8217; In8217;t dat da truth, pakis?8217;8217;

Sweet sour
8226;The Tamarind restaurant in Mayfair has long attracted A-listers. When Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman lived in London they would specially request a Tamarind take-out. Now its sister looks set to become a new star of its own. Imli, on Soho8217;s Wardour Street, is more affordable, trendier version. Food critic Fay Maschler describes it thus: 8216;8216;This offshoot of Tamarind offers food as beguiling and vivacious as its decor is dull and sobering.8217;8217;

Robina Dam is Editor of Shoo Magazinewww.shoomagazine.com