British Pakistani rapper Zed (Riz Ahmed) has just been offered the support slot in a major world tour and believes he is on the cusp of success when he is struck down by an illness that forces him to consider his identity.

Co-written by Bassam Tariq and Riz Ahmed who take on the directing and lead actor roles this is clearly a film with a subject matter close to their hearts. Nestled within the storyline of an artist fighting against a physical ailment the film is very much focused on the complicated nature of identity. Zed, whose real name is Zahir has embraced western culture to the point that he has not been home to London for two years and goes by his westernised nickname. But his lyrics are very much about how his Pakistani and British heritage moulded him to who he is now. As he fades in and out of consciousness with his illness he has flashbacks both to his childhood and an imagined memory of The Partition when Pakistan was recognised as its own country and separated from India. This imagined memory is taken from the short story “Toba Tek Singh” written by Saadat Hasan Manto and is a satire about the relationship between India and Pakistan.

There is a heady mix of ideas about identity brewing here and at times it completely halts the narrative in terms of the musician wanting to go on a tour. But what always keeps you interested is Riz Ahmed’s absolutely scintillating performance. He really is a fantastic actor and he delivers superbly here.

A worthy insight into what it means to be British in the 21st century but not quite a success throughout.