“The cast were thrilled to tell a story that didn’t have anything to do with them being British Asian”: Isher Sahota on The Effects of Lying

The Effects of Lying is the new dramedy from director Isher Sahota and writer James Hey, following one particularly eventful day in the life of Naveen (Ace Bhatti), for whom everything seems to be falling apart at the seams as revelation after revelation changes his perspective on his relationships with his wife (Laila Rouass), teenage daughter (Lauren Patel) and brother (Navin Chowdhry). Avoiding the clichés and stereotypes often deployed by British Asian films and TV, it’s a thrilling and funny look at what happens when a seemingly “normal” family has years of secrets and lies unearthed in the space of 24 hours, with the banter and tension in the father-daughter relationship, in particular, providing the beating heart of the story.

The Upcoming had an in-depth chat with the filmmaker about how this single-day story idea came about, the appeal for him and his cast of making a British Asian film that wasn’t “issue-based” and the fine line his movie walks between its tragedy and its humour.

Sarah Bradbury

The Effects of Lying is released on ITVX on 6^th July 2023.

Watch the trailer for The Effects of Lying here: