"Mr Khan, community leader, they all know me!"
BBC’s Citizen Khan is a British-Asian sitcom that centres around a Pakistani family in Sparkhill, Birmingham, UK.
The show was created by Adil Ray, who portrays the main character, Mr Khan.
It follows Mr Khan’s adventures within his family and community.
Hapless, scheming, yet with a good heart, Mr Khan is that quintessential guy you wouldn’t want to live next door to.
Beginning in 2012, the show has generated controversy for allegedly stereotyping Muslim Pakistanis.
However, Adil Ray says: “There was something my mum taught me when I was younger, ‘Don’t allow yourself to be offended about anything in life’.”
Citizen Khan contains several wonderful characters who create humour and make the audience laugh.
We list eight such characters who are at the heart of this fun sitcom.
Mr Khan (Adil Ray)
It is fitting to begin our list with the main character of Citizen Khan.
Mr Khan, portrayed by show creator Adil Ray, is quirky, charming, and comedic.
He describes Sparkhill as “the capital of British Pakistan” and is obsessed with gaining respectable positions in his community.
These include becoming the leader of the mosque committee and participating in a video shoot for Sparkhill.
One of his many catchphrases is: “Mr Khan, community leader, they all know me!”
He also clears his throat when he has said something questionable and remarks: “Oh, twaddi!”
This is when he finds himself in a fix. His scheming often annoys his family and friends, but deep down, they love him for it.
Mr Khan is protective and loving of his family. The audience cannot help but chuckle every time he opens his mouth.
Mrs Razia Khan (Shobu Kapoor)
If Mr Khan displays haplessness and dim-wittedness, his wife, Mrs Razia Khan, keeps everything in order.
Mrs Khan, played by Shobu Kapoor, is calm and collected. She often questions the actions of her husband but finds that she can’t really stop him.
Despite this, Mr Khan finds himself under his wife’s thumb such as when she decides the family are celebrating Christmas in Season Two.
Although he doesn’t want to, Mr Khan cannot say no to his wife.
However, Mrs Khan also generates humour without her husband as a mechanism. This is shown through her rivalry with the snobby Mrs Malik (Harvey Virdi).
In ‘Shazia’s Gym Visit’, she also cannot cope with the fitness regime of the gym and her reaction is hilarious.
Before playing Mrs Khan, Shobu Kapoor was already a famous name in British television.
She played Gita Kapoor in EastEnders from 1993 to 1998. Citizen Khan has only made her name sparkle even brighter.
Alia Khan (Bhavna Limbachia)
The younger Khan daughter, Alia Khan is played by the radiant Bhavna Limbachia.
Mr Khan adores Alia, often favouring her over his older daughter Shazia Khan (Krupa Pattani/Maya Sondhi).
Alia enjoys her father’s attention, often feigning being an obedient, good daughter.
However, in reality, Alia sneaks off to nightclubs, meets with boys, and does everything her father normally wouldn’t approve of.
Comedically, everyone can see through Alia’s act apart from Mr Khan.
Throughout the series, Alia and Mr Khan display touching father-daughter scenes. For example, Alia confides in her father about not wanting to marry Scab (Tyger Drew-Honey).
Much to the dismay of Mrs Khan, Alia and Mr Khan also change her university course.
Alia also displays kind-hearted tendencies, such as when she is supportive of her grandmother’s friendship with Clive (Michael Cronin).
Bhavna is a talented actress as well, bringing light and charm to Alia.
Naani (Adlyn Ross)
Naani is Mr Khan’s ageing mother-in-law. She lives with the family and she doesn’t like Mr Khan at all!
Their disgruntled relationship makes for rib-tickling comedy, especially in the Season Two episode, ‘Naani’s Day Out’.
In the episode, Mr Khan finds himself at his wit’s end when Mrs Khan decides that Naani won’t be going back to Pakistan.
In an attempt to get her to be more active, Mr Khan accidentally introduces her to Clive.
To the shock of the family, Clive and Naani hit it off. When Clive introduces himself to the rest of the clan, one of the funniest scenes unfolds.
Without meaning to, Clive suggests that he and Naani are having a sexual relationship with phrases such as:
“We can’t see enough of each other” and “We use our hands a lot.”
Naani also has a fondness for tea and custard cream biscuits, which Mr Khan sometimes uses to his advantage.
Amjad Malik (Abdullah Afzal)
Amjad Malik is the aloof yet caring fiancee and eventual husband of Mr Khan’s older daughter Shazia Khan.
He doesn’t share the best of relationships with his father-in-law as Mr Khan doesn’t like him.
Though the reason for this isn’t fully revealed, it makes for relatable and goofy humour.
However, despite their animosity, Mr Khan often gives Amjad fatherly advice.
This is shown when Mr Khan takes him to the surgery in ‘Amjad’s Health Check’. He also gives him advice about Shazia in ‘Fasting’.
Amjad also has a lovely relationship with Shazia and he loves her dearly.
His determination to become a police officer and bake cupcakes also creates comedy gold.
Poor Amjad also frequently becomes the enabler of Mr Khan’s many antics. Played remarkably well by Abdullah Afzal, he is one of the funniest characters in Citizen Khan.
Dave Prentice (Matthew Cottle)
From Season Two, Sparkhill Jamiya Mosque acquired a new manager in the form of Dave Prentice.
Dave is often the recipient of Mr Khan’s ridicule, mostly because Mr Khan doesn’t approve of a ginger man running the place.
Mr Khan often makes sarcastic comments about Dave’s hair colour and calls him: “Ginger Dave”.
Matthew and Adil share a fine chemistry adorned with banter. The interactions between Dave and Mr Khan create some of the most funny scenes.
For example, when Dave offers to join a fast, Mr Khan butts in and says: “I know your game, Dave. Trying to make me look bad.
“But it won’t work. I’m going to fast you under the table!”
Dave and Mr Khan also work together, as shown through their trying to bundle an inappropriately dressed woman out of the mosque in Season Two.
Through his role, Matthew brings maturity and grace to the sitcom.
Riaz (Nish Nathwani)
Riaz is a frequent visitor to Sparkhill Jamiya Mosque and he is one of Mr Khan’s friends.
Throughout the series, Riaz works in plumbing, the funeral industry, and gets kicked out by his wife.
He tries to support Mr Khan but often fails. This is shown when Mr Khan needs a loan to help Shazia get a flat deposit.
Riaz offers to help by involving Mr Khan in his PPI insurance.
However, this doesn’t last long as Mr Khan points out that Riaz hasn’t taken out any PPI policies.
Therefore, he cannot get any money back to which Riaz simply replies: “Oh, yeah…”
Riaz also causes Mr Khan’s bathtub to collapse after he is forced into fixing a leak by the latter.
To Mr Khan’s chagrin, Dave also picks Riaz to be on the mosque committee over him.
Riaz is delightfully unlucky and unassuming. Without him, Citizen Khan just wouldn’t be the same.
Aunty Noor (Nina Wadia)
Aunty Noor only appears in one episode of the show in Season Three.
She is played by none other than EastEnders star Nina Wadia, who played Zainab Masood in the soap.
Nina’s hilarious performance makes Aunty Noor a character to remember.
Noor is the maternal aunt of Shazia and Alia, who arrives on a mission to take Alia modelling with her in New York.
She also catches the eye of Mr Khan’s neighbour Keith (Phil Nice), which Mr Khan finds amusing and he spies an opportunity.
His plan unsurprisingly fails as he finds himself in a spot of bother.
Nina’s charisma and her chemistry with the other actors make Aunty Noor memorable and funny.
Citizen Khan excels at original and brash characters.
Although the series has not been free of controversy, it continues to be loved for its comedy.
Ajay*, who lives in Solihull, UK, says: “This show is my guilty pleasure. If I need something to laugh at, I always put it on.
“I can’t help but laugh at the characters as their antics are so funny and at times, endearing too.”
The show is a BBC triumph. So go forth and enjoy all that these characters from Citizen Khan have to offer.
Watch the exclusive DESIblitz Gupshup with Mr Khan:
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