UNITY IN DIVERSITY: Northwest England's Rusholme was the focus of a recent BBC documentary

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The BBC is "celebrating diversity" as it commemorates the holy month of Ramadan with a series of programmes profiling Muslim life in the UK. A recent offering, The Curry Mile, presented a snapshot of one of Manchester's most vibrant communities, Rusholme, a centre for Asian cuisine and culture in northwest England. Inhabited by a melee of characters, from the millionaire restaurateur to the young Muslim mother campaigning for peace, Rusholme attests to the unique position of the UK's Asian communities in the place they call home. For Khalid Anees, a member of the Islamic Society of Britain, the people of Rusholme demonstrate the possibility of being Muslim and British. "Being British helps in the practice of Islam because of the freedom it gives to practise our faith."

-Poonam Joshi

FULL SCAPE: A Southall cinema proclaims the coming of K3G

Kabhie Silly, Kabhie Fun

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The big movie offering to Bollywood fans in the UK this Christmas is Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G), produced by Yash Johar-who turned up for the world premiere in London-and directed by his son, Karan. "The second half is set in London," Johar Sr told the eager audience which turned up for the midnight screening of K3G at Empire Cinema in Leicester Square. "Getting the British locations was expensive," he added, "but we paid up in full." K3G is, in fact, a huge plug for British tourism, still reeling because the Americans are too scared to get on a plane and come for their usual holidays in Britain. In marked contrast, flights between Britain and India remain as full as ever. K3G has also made good use of such quintessentially English locations as Waddesden Manor in Buckinghamshire, Blenheim Palace, and in London, everything from Canary Wharf to the London Eye. Despite the expense, the UK distributor, Avtar Panesar, of Yashraj Films, who is sending out 65 subtitled prints, seems a happy man. The advance booking at one Asian location, Cineworld in Feltham, west London, has been very encouraging. "It's bigger than for Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings," he enthused.

-Amit Roy

Nottingham Charm

PLEASANT PROJECT: Bose; the film's poster

Bollywood has charmed London, Leicester and Birmingham what with their large Asian populations. Now Nottingham in the East Midlands, too has succumbed to the Indian lure. Cinema owners have reported a 40 per cent growth in business in three years. Now, Nottingham's Warner Village Cinemas at the Cornerhouse in Trinity Square is dedicating one of its screens to Bollywood. The screen opened with Asoka. As managing director Melvyn Angell says: "The multiplex format gives us flexibility to meet the audience demand for a regular programme.

-Prasun Sonwalkar

Everything's Fine About Him

Rahul Bose's Everybody Says I Am Fine was one of the three "different" movies from Indian directors at the London Film Festival. Bose, who directed a movie for the first time, was very excited about the project. The story is about an upmarket hairstylist who has a freaky ability to read people's innermost thoughts while cutting their hair. A take-off from What Women Want? "No," says Bose. "I wrote the script before www got released." Elaborating on the script, he syas, "When I wrote it, it was not to look into our public or private lives but to look into our secret lives which abound with treasured joys, unformed yearning and devastating realities. True, the story is set in upscale Mumbai. Equally true, the tale is inescapably Indian, yet it is a film that does not rely on any specific Indian element. The problem it explores are universal."

-Ishara Bhasi

Casino Capers

The Palm Beach Casino, a gambling establishment in the heart of London's expensive Mayfair, is supposed to be a favourite haunt of visitors from India, "especially Delhi", say John Grant, the club director, and Geran Blair, the customer relations executive. Sums gambled during an evening go from £100-200,000. This year the casino has bought 10 copies of Lucky Dissanayake's Bollywood: Popular Indian Cinema to give away to favoured clients in London. But in February, Grant and Blair will throw a party for 700 at a farmhouse just outside Delhi. Why do people gamble? Grants sums it up in one word: "Greed."

-Amit Roy

Chamber Music

MORE GLORY: Noon is the first Asian president of LCC

Gulam Noon, who has helped change British habits by putting his prepared Indian meals on supermarket shelves, has just been elected president of the London Chamber of Commerce, the first Asian to be so honoured in an organisation which was established in 1881. His responsibility "will be to attract investment from all over the world to London and, in return, offer London's expertise to others," declared Noon, who is opening his third factory in London next year.

-Amit Roy

An Indian Incline

INFLUENCING DECISIONS: Pota

IT is believed that the appointment of businessman Vikas Pota as director of the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) will change the way issues relating to India are treated as it seeks to move from being reactive to a proactive unit in Parliament. Barry Gardiner, MP and chair of LFIN, said, "With this step we indicate our commitment and intent to build a friendlier and progressive relationship with India." Says Pota, "My involvement with several community organisations provide me with motivation and a sense of purpose. LFIN will seek to influence decision-making in government policy towards India by being focused on the larger picture."

-Ishara Bhasi