Boasting fight sequences inspired by Hong Kong and Hollywood action classics, dance sequences straight out of Bollywood, and wry comedy that couldn’t have come from anywhere but Britain, Polite Society is a true cinematic rollercoaster.
The directorial debut from We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor follows Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), a budding teenage stunt woman who films amateur martial arts videos with her sister Lena (Ritu Arya). The pair have a close bond, but that’s put to the test when she unexpectedly gets engaged – and Ria is quick to suspect that her new fiancée is hiding much darker secrets.
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Manzoor wrote the first draft of the screenplay over a decade ago, but back then, it was a comparatively grounded tale of two sisters. When producer Tim Bevan of Working Title productions came on board, he encouraged the writer/director to make it “madder”, increasing the number of over-the-top fights, and completely transforming the third act showdown.
But the heart of that initial draft is still there, as Manzoor explained to Zavvi: “I wanted to make an action film about sisterhood. I grew up loving action movies, but I didn’t see myself represented within the genre.
“I wanted to bring together my experience as a woman and my love of my sister but explore this entirely through the prism of an action movie. The entire story came from this one germ of an idea.”
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Watching the movie’s many extravagant set pieces, I felt that the first-time filmmaker was doing a good job at giving Hollywood a run for their money, especially considering that she was working with a fraction of the budget of the action classics she pays homage to.
How did she pull off fight scenes that effectively pay tribute to The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (to name just two) on such a smaller scale?
“Yeah, we were stretching the pennies!” Manzoor added. “I feel extremely lucky because I come from a low-budget short film and British TV background, so when we’ve got to be gonzo about it, we can do that.
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“But at the same time, I brought on so many of my same heads of department that worked with me on We Are Lady Parts so there was that continuity, I was working with people I trusted, who I knew could help me find and achieve that tone I was going for.
“But so much is also down to the actors, who work so hard and show up for you when we’re up against a tight schedule. Priya worked so hard, even when we only had five minutes to go, and I needed her to do a backflip right at the last minute!”
Polite Society is Kansara’s first leading role, and star-making vehicles don’t come more fully formed than this. The actress, best known for her supporting role in the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, had to commit to intense fight sequences and dance choreography in addition to being the heart and soul of the comedy, a challenge that was daunting from the moment she was first cast.
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“I feel like I’ve filled out an entire skills section on a CV with just one film”, she told Zavvi. “I think for me, the most challenging thing was learning how to fight because I’d never done martial arts prior to this.
“I was cast about six weeks prior to the shoot. There’s a lot that Ria does, she basically doesn’t sit still, so there was so much I had to learn within that time to feel that I had gotten to a point where it was good enough to be at the stage Ria would be at, whilst also ensuring that I was infusing her into all of the action, and giving everything in every take.
“It was a lot to navigate and figure out, but I had so much fun doing it. We had such an incredible stunt team that were there to support us and empower us, so I feel thankful that I got to learn so much.”
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With the film being loosely inspired by Manzoor’s own relationship with her sister, I needed to ask: did Kansara base her own performance on the director at all?
“I think maybe a little bit – Nina’s influence comes through within the dialogue and the writing, and the way in which I helped to curate who Ria was came through looking at the script, using that as my bible throughout the entire process.
“She was always there to help me figure out the tone, so I think she’s naturally infused into Ria, but I’ve also added a little bit of myself and so many women I know as well. I just feel so attached to her as a character, I love her so much”.
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In the film, Ria’s belief that her sister’s engagement is far more sinister than it looks comes from the fact she unexpectedly quits art school to settle down to a conventional family life. She sees her sister as an inspiration, and similarly chases her own dreams of being a stunt woman because of her, not understanding why anybody would throw that away to do what society expects of you.
It’s a tale with the moral to keep following your passions at all costs, something which really chimed with me the day I saw it, when the big story in the news was the proposal to make all children study maths and English until they’re 18, giving them less time to follow the subjects they are interested in pursuing.
Manzoor agrees that this context gives the film an added relevancy as it arrives in UK cinemas.
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She said: “The world is getting a harder place for young people to find jobs and earn a living and you’re just being encouraged more and more to give up on the things that you really love.
“I think the things that we ultimately succeed in are the things that we find joy in and that’s something that has really been my North Star as I’ve been finding my voice as a filmmaker: finding what actually makes me happy and makes me want to wake up in the morning and do the work.
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“So I think it’s important to celebrate these characters who are young women following their passions and their joy. I think this story has a relevance more so now than maybe before.”
Even if you don’t leave your screening feeling inspired to chase your dreams, you will be feeling completely energised from the action extravaganza; no director since Edgar Wright has rejuvenated the British comedy with this much cinematic spectacle.
Don’t believe the title – this Society is anything but Polite.
Polite Society is released in UK cinemas on Friday, 28th April.
