Big trouble. Little sister.|Apr. 27, 2023|United Kingdom|103 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Action;Adventure;Comedy
Description: “Polite Society,” a 2023 British action comedy-drama, marks the feature film debut of writer-director Nida Manzoor. Starring Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri, Shona Babayemi, Shobu Kapoor, and Jeff Mirza, the film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21 and was released in the UK and US on April 28 by Focus Features. It received positive reviews from critics.
Set in London, the story follows British-Pakistani teenager Ria Khan, who dreams of becoming a stuntwoman like her idol, Eunice Huthart. With her alter-ego “The Fury,” Ria films martial arts training videos with the help of her older sister, Lena, who has returned home after dropping out of art school. Their traditional parents, Fatima and Rafe, discourage Ria’s ambitions while urging her to pursue a more conventional career. At school, Ria is close with her friends Clara and Alba, but her teacher disapproves of her aspirations. Despite her attempts to connect with Eunice for mentorship, Ria receives no response and faces defeat against the school bully, Kovacs.
The Khan family attends an Eid Mubarak party hosted by Raheela, a prominent member of Fatima’s social circle. Ria discovers the event is a setup for Raheela’s son, Salim, a successful geneticist, to find a match. To Ria’s dismay, Lena is charmed by Salim and agrees to marry him, planning to move to Singapore. Though their parents support the union, Ria is convinced there is more to Salim’s intentions and enlists her friends to investigate. Despite their efforts, they find no evidence to support her suspicions, leading to tension between the sisters.
Cast director: Nida Manzoor
Cast actor: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Shobu Kapoor, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayemi, Nimra Bucha, Jeff Mirza, Akshay Khanna, Renu Brindle
Original name: Polite Society