Stephen Frears' 1985 groundbreaking gay, mixed race, love story not only launched the career of Daniel Day Lewis but was also partly responsible for reviving the fortunes of the British film industry. The then-fledgling Channel Four was set up to shake the established broadcast order and it certainly achieved this with My Beautiful Laundrette. Young firebrand writer Hanif Kureshi’s script brought together a provocative heady mix of racism, homophobia, love and politics in a superbly acted culture-clash comedy set against the backdrop of Thatchers’ Britain.

Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is a British-born Pakistani living with his alcoholic father but dreams of making something of his life like his successful uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey) who is living the Thatcherite dream of the successful entrepreneurial small businessman. Taking on one of his uncle’s lesser profitable businesses - a run down laundrette - Omar begins to shape it up, recruiting his childhood friend Johnny (Daniel Day Lewis) who he bumps into - literally - running with racists thugs. But as well as becoming business partners, Jonny and Omar become lovers.

Their emotion and passion is palpable with Day Lewis's effortless charisma and Warnecke’s feckless charm, making their relationship joyous, exhilarating and, at the time, wholly subversive. A not insignificant footnote: production company Working Title would go onto re-define the romantic comedy with films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill.

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