Other characters

Tariq Khan

Tariq is the most rebellious of the Khan children in the movie East is East directed by Damien O'Donnell. He seems to be the least inclined to follow Pakistani tradition or his father’s will. He is a regular and popular figure at the club, where he is known as Tony. He listens to modern music and has a fashionable haircut which George threatens to change. At the mosque, he repeats the words faintly and reluctantly, with a look of disgust on his face. 

However, Tariq is also the one who resembles George the most in terms of personality. For one, he is impulsive and violent. When he finds out about George’s plans to marry him to a Pakistani woman, he destroys the watches by stepping on them, despite his siblings’ pleas not to do so. It is his impulsive destructive acts which lead to Maneer and Ella being beaten. It is interesting to note that George does not beat Tariq, even when Tariq openly defies him, instead he tries to appeal to him using kind words. This also highlights that, despite their different outlooks, they sense they are similar people. 

Tariq has a white girlfriend, Stella, with whom he is often seen making out. However, he also flirts with other women at the club when Stella is not there. Tariq does not really care about Stella and does not see their relationship as serious. He turns down Stella’s suggestion to elope and hurts her feelings when he tells her that he does not care about her. This suggests that he is callous.

Tariq is also intolerant and a bigot. He calls Peggy “fat-arse” (00:52:34), and only apologizes to appease Stella. He acts dismissive and superior towards other Pakistani, believing himself to be above them because he is half English.

Tariq is selfish and uncaring of other people’s feelings and troubles. When Stella asks him what they should do, he answers that he does not care what she does. He distances himself from her, even if she is his girlfriend, and does not care if he has hurt her. Even though he is the one who destroys the watches, and Maneer gets beaten because he refuses to tell George who did it, we never see Tariq apologize to Maneer. Tariq never shows any remorse that his brother and mother were beaten for something he did, and he is only preoccupied with getting out of the arranged marriage.

Tariq is also a coward. He is afraid of his father, so he urges Nazir to argue with his father for his own sake, without considering how this will make matters worse for everyone. Tariq tries to persuade Nazir to fight George even at great risk to himself, and to the rest of the family, as seeing Nazir is likely to anger George even more. As Ella persuades Nazir to leave, Tariq is the only one who opposes this, and reminds Nazir that he promised to confront George. Instead of fighting George himself, he tries to get others to do it for him, which shows that he uses other people for his own benefit. 

Tariq is eventually persuaded to go through with the arranged marriage that George has planned for him. He realizes he, too, can repeat his father’s actions, of marrying a Pakistani woman, and then an English woman. This brings once more into focus how similar he and George are in terms of personality. 

Nazir 

Nazir Khan is the eldest of the Khan children. His photograph is placed higher than the rest on the wall which holds all the family photographs. It is taken down after Nazir runs away from his wedding, and George disowns him. Nazir settles in Eccles, changes his name to Nigel and becomes a successful hat designer. He owns a shop and appears to have a talent for business as well as for fashion design. He also owns an expensive car, a Rolls Royce, and has an Afghan hound as a pet, which suggests that he makes good money. He and his gay boyfriend Etienne live together. When Tariq asks if he can move in with Nazir for a while, Nazir agrees, which suggests that his place is big enough. Nazir appears to have found fulf...

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