On the surface he’s an overbearing father who resorts to brute force to instil strict religious disciplines in his seven children.

But there’s more to Zahir ‘George’ Khan than that.

Indian film veteran Om Puri, who plays George in hit 1999 film East Is East and soon-to-be-released sequel West Is West, insists that he’s misunderstood.

“He loves his children and does his best to provide for them,” says Om. “He wants to protect them from what he sees as the evils of society, like drugs. He’s a religious man from a background of tradition, that’s where his morality lies. He finds it difficult to accept that his children are so influenced by British culture – in his eyes they have failed him.

“It is important for any father that his children should be familiar with his culture. George came to Britain from Pakistan to make some money, but he isn’t an educated man and he struggles with his surroundings.”

West Is West, which has its regional premiere in Bradford next week, is what happens when George tries to ‘save’ his youngest child Sajid – played by young Bradford actor Aqib Khan – by taking him to Pakistan.

Sajid is the boy who spends much of East Is East hiding behind his Parka hood. Ayub Khan-Din, who wrote East Is East initially as a play, and subsequently wrote the two films, has said he based Sajid on himself as a child growing up in Lancashire.

In East Is East, set in Salford in 1971, Sajid’s siblings reject their father’s attempts to marry them off. George runs a fish and chip shop and has an English wife but expects his family to follow strict Pakistani Muslim traditions.

The new film catches up with the Khan family four years later. Bullied at school, Sajid is struggling with adolescence and his father’s domineering ways.

“George is concerned that Sajid will go the same way as his brothers, so he takes him to Pakistan hoping a different atmosphere will work on him,” says Om. “At first, Sajid finds it hard to be accepted in Pakistan. He doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere. George hands him to a wise man, a spiritual teacher.”

For George, the journey to his homeland leads to some painful soul-searching. “He comes into contact with the wife and children he left 30 years previously,” says Om. “He has been sending them money, but he never visited them. When he sees how they are living, he feels guilty that he hasn’t done enough for them.”

Om, 61, is talking to me on a mobile phone travelling in a car up the M1. It’s a fuzzy line and there’s noise in the car so he asks me to speak up. I end up practically shouting down the phone, which isn’t the best way to interview one of India’s greatest living actors.

Over a career spanning nearly 40 years, Om Puri has been in countless films, from arthouse independents to commercial blockbusters made in India, Hollywood and the UK. He has worked with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage, and his films include My Son The Fanatic, City Of Joy, Charlie Wilson’s War, and a cameo in Gandhi.

Like its predecessor, West Is West follows a tradition of northern films blending earthy comedy with hard-hitting social observation. Much of the humour comes from Om’s performance, which crosses from stubborn authoritarian to exasperated husband and dad.

In East Is East his scene-stealing performance lingered long in the memory. Does he enjoy comedy? “I enjoy George because he’s not straightforward,” says Om.

“He’s a loving father, but doesn’t always do things the right way. His oldest son ran away from his marriage and announced he was gay. George can’t accept that his children are growing up in a world so different from the one he is from.” Om says the film’s message is simple – to appreciate each other’s cultures. “There are lots of things in any culture which are wonderful and not so wonderful. In a multi-cultural society we have to acknowledge and embrace those differences,” he says. “This film was set 40 years ago, but its messages are relevant today.”

He is full of praise for Aqib, 16. had only acted in a school play or two when a teacher at Nab Wood School encouraged him to audition for the role.

“Aqib is wonderful. He’s a very bright boy and very focused,” says Om. “It must have been a lot for him to cope with all at once – getting a big film role then flying to India for the shoot. He seemed very comfortable with it all and, of course, we were gentle with him!”

West Is West opens in cinemas from Friday, February 26.