‘Hear My Voice’- Stories From The South Asian Diaspora: Farzana Hakim

Hi, I’m Farzana Hakim.

Many of you will know me for my novel, ‘Sweethearts of Ilford Lane’, or my ‘Thursday Connectors’ page for Write On! Magazine.

When I heard Newham Heritage Month was interested in projects researching Newham’s Arts and Cultural Heritage, I just knew I had to be a part of it all!

Growing up in Newham myself, and being a third-generation daughter of my South Asian – British Pakistani family here, I had an array of colourful stories and experiences to share and further explore.

My project, therefore, took me on a nostalgic journey into the past and beyond my childhood. This journey was sentimental, full of emotions, with lots of laughter and also some tears. Not only did my research open my eyes to the stories of struggle and perseverance which had once been vivid, and very much a part of the developing lives and times of the South Asian residents of then, it also made me draw connections to voices and stories of Newham’s present day diverse population. My findings were both thought-provoking and interesting.  

My connection to Newham has always been strong.

I was born at Plaistow hospital in 1978. I went to Hartley and Central Park Primary Schools, and later studied at Langdon Secondary and Newham Sixth Form College: I was an 80’s child and a 90’s teenager in Newham. After finishing my university degree in Modern History, I had a millennium wedding and moved to neighbouring Dagenham with my husband where I have raised my own family.

Yet, my link to Newham is as strong as it has ever been because my parents still live here in the family home in which I grew up. My siblings and many of my friends are still here and I am a regular visitor.

My memories of my childhood in relation to the arts and my cultural heritage are my most cherished memories to be honest. When I think back, I am transported to the 80s into my family home, which was always bustling with welcomed and cheery visitors, the fragrance of spice and meat wafting in from the kitchen, and the noise and shebang of Indian movies decorating the television in the living room.

You’d think I was recalling a party or a special occasion. Oh no, this could’ve been any typical evening at my house. Seriously, in those days, my grandpa and grandma were East Ham’s ‘open all hours’ couple. The doors to our extended family house were always open and friends and neighbours were in and out. Much to my mother’s bane, I bet. You would either find her in the kitchen brewing desi chai or frying samosas or pakoras on guests’ requests. Because no one ever went away without being fed! Even if they came every day. 

To find out more about my mother’s life, you can read her story for the project by clicking on this link.

So, my family was totally obsessed with Indian Cinema. Bollywood films were big. Everyone who I knew with a slight connection to South Asia watched them. These movies were played on the VHS players and were unfiltered because we watched them with the family. I think I may have even learnt much of my language from these movies!  

When I was a teenager, in the 90’s, my love for music from Pakistan was also growing. I kept up with Pakistani bands and singers like Shehzad Roy and Vital Signs like a true fan. Whenever my grandparents or mum would go to Pakistan, I’d write them a list of albums to buy for me, which I’d spend hours listening to on my Walkman or stereo player in my bedroom. 

As soon as I was old enough to travel to Green Street by myself, I could get hold of any album, any cassette and any soundtrack from any movie or pop group from the sub-continent, easily at the many stalls and shops there. The 90s saw a rapid growth of British Asian pop and rap culture. I would listen to music by popular artists like Bally Sago, Apache Indian and Stereo Nation.  

Green Street was my go-to place for accessing music in Newham. There were many shops there catering for my tastes and I could easily get hold of any soundtrack of a movie here. A trip to Green Street was the norm for many music lovers like myself, because the age of the MP3 player or YouTube or Apple Music hadn’t arrived yet.

For movies, although I didn’t really go to the cinemas much to watch Bollywood movies, whenever the latest blockbuster starring my favourite famous Indian Actor Shahrukh Khan was released, I did venture to Boleyn Cinema on occasion as a treat. In the 90s, the trend of going to the cinema to watch an Indian movie was on a decline because with almost all households owning a VHS player, we could watch any film at home at any time. For 50p we could hire any latest release. I would often walk to the corner of Katherine Road in East Ham, from my home on Central Park Road, to rent these films.

Sadly, these venues have since all closed and other businesses are now in their place. As technology changes and advances were introduced, the demand for film and music shops went down rapidly.

As a child and teenager, I can recall we had so many get togethers at our friends and relatives houses. There needed to be any excuse and we’d be over at theirs or they’d be at ours. Together we’d eat Pakistani foods, like biryani, pilau, roast chickens and kormas, and we’d listen to music or watch something from India or Pakistan on the telly. We’d also dress up in our Pakistani cultural clothes known as Shalwar Kameez. I have fond memories of my grandma going to Green Street or Manor Park to a shop called ‘Partap Fashions’ to buy metres of fabric for our homemade outfits. My mum would also come along because she was the expert who would spend hours cutting the material and designing shalwar kameez outfits for us to wear at these frequent events and gatherings.

Partap fashions is still on Green Street and their lovely fabrics are still as popular as before.

Here’s some recent pictures I took on a trip to Green Street. As you can see there are so many more shops today than before.

And here are some pictures of Green Street of what it looked like before I was born.

Whilst researching Newham’s local Cinemas, I came across many which had a weekly screening of Indian or Pakistani films, mainly Bollywood. These screenings were popular from as early as the 60s and sadly faded by the 80’s. You’ll find out more about these screenings from my participant stories and at my ‘Hear My Voice’- Stories From The South Asian Diaspora event, which will be held in East Ham Library on 2nd June 2023. 

Here is a slideshow of old cinemas of Newham where people from my diaspora would’ve gone to watch Indian cinema to connect with their cultural heritage.

It’s true to say, I’ve kept connected to my cultural heritage through the arts throughout all the milestones of my life. I’m glad I had this deep connection to my heritage because it’s through them I’ve been able to use my voice and write the authentic stories that I do. Stories with diverse characters and stories of different cultures are some of the best stories to have ever been told.

Read my other reports now, to see how diverse a place Newham is today and was yesterday and learn how the South Asian Diaspora has kept connected to their cultural heritage over the years.

Do register and join me and the participants of my project as we celebrate legacies and stories of Newham’s Arts and Cultural heritage on 2nd June 2023.