The Buddha of Suburbia (TV serial)

*The Buddha of Suburbia*
The Buddha of Suburbia
	DVD cover
Based on	The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
Screenplay by	Hanif Kureishi; Roger Michell
Directed by	Roger Michell
Starring	Naveen Andrews; Roshan Seth; Susan Fleetwood; Steven Mackintosh
Theme music composer	David Bowie
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Producer	Kevin Loader
Cinematography	John McGlashan
Editor	Kate Evans
Running time	55-60 minutes
Production company	BBC Films
Original release
Network	BBC Two
Release	3 November –; 24 November 1993

The Buddha of Suburbia is a 1993 British four-part television serial, directed by Roger Michell. Based on the novel of the same name by Hanif Kureishi, the programme starred Naveen Andrews as the main character, Karim Amir. The programme's music was written and performed by David Bowie.

Unable to find distribution in America, the series was given a limited engagement screening at The Public Theater in Manhattan from December 1994 to January 1995.^[1]

Overview

Karim Amir is a mixed-race 17-year-old who lives in a South London suburb during the 1970s. With an English mother and a Pakistani father, Karim is uncertain of his cultural identity. As his father becomes a kind of spiritual guru to the surrounding middle-class neighbours, Karim begins to explore his cultural roots with hopes that he will achieve sexual and racial self-realisation.

Cast

Naveen Andrews as Karim Amir
Roshan Seth as Haroon Amir
Susan Fleetwood as Eva Kay
Steven Mackintosh as Charlie Kay
Brenda Blethyn as Margaret Amir
Harish Patel as Changez
Nisha K. Nayar as Jamila
David Bamber as Shadwell
John McEnery as Uncle Ted
Vicky Murdoch as Helen
David Bradley as Helen's Father
Jemma Redgrave as Eleanor
Jason Watkins as Terry
Richard Leaf as Photographer
Amanda Root as First TV Producer
Mark Strong as Second TV Producer

Production

Filming

Segments for the series were filmed at Naveen Andrews' old school Emanuel School.^{[citation needed]} The extras used in the series were real punks, skinheads, suedeheads, hippies, and musicians cast by actress Barbie Wilde.^[2]

Music

The series features many songs from the seventies as well as music written and performed specifically for the series by David Bowie. While an album classified as the series' soundtrack was released on 8 November 1993, the tracks on the album are significantly reworked.^[3] The primary song that remains the same on the soundtrack album is the programme's theme song "The Buddha of Suburbia". A promotional music video was made for the song, featuring Bowie performing the song while strolling around an English suburb as scenes from the series are intercut throughout.^[4]

References

^ O'Connor, John J. (29 December 1994). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Is the BBC Too Adult For American Viewers?". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
^ Keehnen, Owen. "Wilde Thing or Cenobite Barbie: Barbie Wilde Tells All". Racks and Razors. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
^ Bowie, David. The Buddha of Suburbia liner notes (BMG International, 1994) (available at Bassman's David Bowie page Archived 22 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine)
^ David Bowie (1993). Buddha of Suburbia (Music Video). EMI. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

External links

The Buddha of Suburbia at IMDb
British Film Institute Screen Online
The Buddha of Suburbia at the British Library - includes related articles, videos and items from Kureishi's archive

[1] O'Connor, John J. (29 December 1994). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Is the BBC Too Adult For American Viewers?". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

[2] Keehnen, Owen. "Wilde Thing or Cenobite Barbie: Barbie Wilde Tells All". Racks and Razors. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

[3] Bowie, David. The Buddha of Suburbia liner notes (BMG International, 1994) (available at Bassman's David Bowie page Archived 22 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine)

[4] David Bowie (1993). Buddha of Suburbia (Music Video). EMI. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

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