A dramatization of an early short story by Hanif Kureishi produced by students of the North East Media Training Centre (NEMTC). Nina is excited about meeting her half-sister Nadia for the first time when she flies into Newcastle from Pakistan. However, their cultural differences put a strain on their relationship and the film ends with Nadia confessing to her sister that she isn’t in the country to see her, rather to escape their father who disapproves of the relationship she is in. A KLM...

A dramatization of an early short story by Hanif Kureishi produced by students of the North East Media Training Centre (NEMTC). Nina is excited about meeting her half-sister Nadia for the first time when she flies into Newcastle from Pakistan. However, their cultural differences put a strain on their relationship and the film ends with Nadia confessing to her sister that she isn’t in the country to see her, rather to escape their father who disapproves of the relationship she is in. A KLM passenger aircraft comes into land at Newcastle Airport taxiing along the runway towards the terminal. Title: Pyaari Bahena Credit: Nina, Denise Bryson Nadia, Helen Awan Passengers begin to disembark making their way towards the terminal building. Sitting at her dining room table Nina argues with her mother about an upcoming visit of her sister Nadia. Nina explains why it is important that she meets her, her mother isn’t happy because Nadia symbolises her husband’s betrayal leaving her when she was pregnant. A taxi drives into a car park at Newcastle Airport changes to an arrivals board inside the terminal itself. Nina stands waiting for her sister beside passengers waiting beside a luggage carousel. Travelers appear in the arrival’s hall, amongst them Nina’s sister Nadia who looks around. Wearing jeans and a leather jacket Nina wave at Nadia who is dressed in a modest skirt and coat. They embrace and wait on the arrival of Nadia’s bags on the luggage carousel. With her suitcase collected they make their way towards the exit. Back at home Nadia takes out and presents her sister with a present, a traditional Pakistani dress and scarf which she puts on with a smile. Nina leaves the room leaving Nadia to look around the living room and at a framed photograph on the mantlepiece. Nina returns with some of her Western clothes and offers a pair of tracksuit bottoms to her sister. After a little persuading she puts them on taking off the skirt. She is then given and puts on a baseball jacket. She looks uncomfortable and asks her sister if it makes her look ‘rough’, Nina replies it makes her looks ‘stunning’. Finding Nina’s pocketknife, she asks her sister if she’s ever used it? She is shocked when she replies twice. Wearing their contrasting outfits Nina and Nadia walk together along a terraced street passing a corner shop selling second-hand items and a group of older women gossiping. A montage follows featuring Nina’s old comprehensive school and rows of boarded up council houses with a child playing in the street. At a derelict shopping precinct Nina askes Nadia about their father and what he has said about her, Nadia refuses to say. As they talk, they are approached by a young man who mocks Nina for what she is wearing. He becomes violent and so Nina defenders herself taking out her knife. The two fight and after hitting him in the stomach both Nina and Nadia run away. Out of breach they come to a stop next to a concrete wall. Nadia complains to her sister that all she has seen so far is ‘dirt, poverty and violence’ before walking away in frustration. Sitting at a table in a bar Nina once again asks her sister about what her father has said about her. Nadia initially refuses but eventually relents telling her that he has called her a ‘wild animal’ and that ‘he wishes to shoot her putting her out of her misery’. Nadia then confesses that she’s run away because she is in love with someone whom her father disapproves. The film ends on Nina who is now angry not only because of the hurtful comments made by her father, but that her ‘Pyaari Bahena’ or ‘dear sister’ hasn’t in fact come to see or to get to know her. Credit: Cast Nina, Denise Bryson Nadia, Helen Awan Mary, Ellen Phethean The Boy, Tim Poolan Production Crew Sharandeep Chahal, John Clark, Julie Garven, Helen Gray, Paul Maven, Emily Mokoena, John Morris, Carolyn Reid, Stewart Turnbull, Pippa Walker Title: With thanks to Colin Bone, Wendy Dawson, Sally Hilton, Barbra Nicholls, Mandy Rose, Sue Underwood, Angie Watters, Jan Worth, ‘Walkers’ Manager and Staff, Burnard Thorpe and Partners Credit: Adapted from a short story by Hanif Kureishi End title: Copyright NEMTC 1988