My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) on Netflix
Omar Ali looks after his alcoholic father in South London and takes on his uncle Nasser's run-down laundrette. He hires Johnny, a childhood friend who runs with right-wing punks.
- Netflix4.2/5
- IMDb6.8/1018,951 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes98%
Trailer
Plot summary
Omar Ali lives in South London with his father Hussein, a former Pakistani journalist whose alcoholism leaves Omar to care for him. Hussein asks his brother Nasser, a successful entrepreneur, to give his son work. Omar washes cars at one of Nasser's garages, then manages a run-down laundrette. Through Nasser he meets Tania, his cousin, and Salim, a drug trafficker. Driving Salim home one night, the car is attacked by right-wing punks. Among them Omar recognizes Johnny, a childhood friend who holds back from the attack. Omar offers Johnny work on the laundrette, and they resume their romance.
Cast
- Charu Bala Chokshias Bilquis
- Persis Maravalaas Nasser's Elder Daughter
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- My Beautiful Laundrette was shot in 16 mm on a low budget for Channel 4, and the critical acclaim it drew at the Edinburgh Film Festival was what got it into cinemas, where it became an international success.
- The part of Johnny was first offered to Gary Oldman, who turned it down after telling Stephen Frears he had issues with the script and the dialogue. Oldman and Frears worked together two years later on Prick Up Your Ears.
- The building on Wilcox Road in Vauxhall, South London, that housed the film's laundrette was given a rainbow plaque in 2021; the film had been shot around Wandsworth, Battersea and Vauxhall.
