'Call me or any a ma bredrens a Paki again an I'ma mash u an yo family," declares one of... Not your merrie olde London
'Call me or any a ma bredrens a Paki again an I'ma mash u an yo family," declares one of the characters in Londonstani, a novel that explosively and unapologetically represents the new London of hip hop-influenced, market-driven and libido-heightened youth. The words above introduce the first scene, in which desi (South Asian) characters punctuate their bravado by kicking in the face of a gora (white) boy. This bloody treatment of racial differences sets the stage for a controversial and jarring look at the way race and identity politics operate in contemporary urban space.
Amid the gora's screams and their own violently percussive threats, four South Asians emerge to claim their right to self-define. From Hardjit, the Sikh leader of the gangsta pack, who has inserted a brutal "d" into his name in order to reflect his racial antagonism, to Ravi, the "perve" who refuses to treat his women "wid respect," each character declares an identity that will not conform to the norm. They want to write their own rules and distance themselves from their parents, who bought into the myth of Western betterment by working hard and staying silent within their ethnic ghettos. Edgy, naively confident and painfully mixed up, the boys demonstrate that race is still a burning issue in supposedly multicultural London.
Jas encounters this new language at Hounslow Borough College, where the gang is reluctantly retaking the A-levels that will allow them entry into the university system. Until then, they spend their time reprogramming cell "fones" in a scam that allows them to make the money they need to maintain their upscale lifestyles. These get-rich schemes are part of their quest for a gangsta paradise where money, flashy cars and gorgeous women will define who they are. BMW. Nike. Starbucks. D&G. Malkani insightfully critiques the attraction of bling, blatant consumerist wealth, in a marketplace that teaches the boys that they are what they buy and not what they do or know.
Sanjay not only teaches the gang about the sordid world of global commerce, he also aids Jas in wooing the beautiful Samira Ahmed, whose Muslim background forces him to keep their relationship a secret. As Malkani focuses on Jas and his evolving sense of self, the narrative slows down from its opening raw energy to delve more deeply into questions of race and identity. Despite the shocking tribalism that proclaims "dey can take our food, but dey can never take our women," the heart of the book lies in the relationship between Jas and Samira, which crosses the boundaries that the other characters so vigilantly police. This cross-cultural exchange is a positive sign in a narrative in which even a sanctioned Hindu marriage can lead to prejudice and viciously tragic discord.
Ultimately, the greatest strength of the novel is its willingness to bring to the forefront the tensions that lie unspoken, dangerously simmering beneath the surface of ordered London society. The narrative draws attention to the blurring between supposedly fixed categories as it offers hope to characters who wield their marginality as a weapon of discontent.
In the end, Malkani offers few easy answers to the identity issues that plague his characters. Instead, his provocative and skillfully wrought conclusion poses a final, intriguing question on the future of race in London society. In its frank interrogation of racial categories and its adept play with language, Londonstani is a compelling debut that demands a response from its readers.
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