King of the Ghetto is a 1986 British four-part television drama miniseries which was aired on BBC Two, it was directed and written by Farrukh Dhondy, and stars Tim Roth.
Set in and around Brick Lane, white Matthew Long (Tim Roth) mobilises his Bengali neighbours around a squatting campaign in defiance of the Labour-run council.
Also, young Bengali vigilantes patrol the streets against National Front skinheads and white liberal Sadie Deedes (Gwyneth Strong) argues for an Islamic school.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi businessman Timur Hussein (Zia Mohyeddin) accumulates wealth and power by trading profitably with local politicians, criminals and police officers simultaneously.
Matthew Long (Tim Roth) arrives in the east end London, is attacked by Asian youths and is helped by Saliq Miah (Dinesh Shukia).
18 months earlier, Riaz (Aftab Sachak) and Saliq canvass for a campaign event featuring music, poetry and dancing to save their school to Timur and Matthew.
A policeman approaches Timur about a forged passport Jamal Ullah (Paul Anil) bought in an attempt to import his fiancée, not knowing that he can do this legally instead.
Saliq hints to Sadie that Matthew is friends with the motorcycle riders who smashed the school windows.
Timur goes with Sammy to forcefully offer a business deal to shop owner Prashar (Mohammed Ashiq) who refuses.
Mr. Davies announces that the sale of the independent Islamic school has completed and as of next term a new governing body will be appointed.
After getting comments from a West Indian patient Patterson (Hepburn Graham) to smuggle in drugs, Matthew attacks and racially abuses him.
Ralph arrives and tells Timur not give council flat tenancies to non-members of the Government Workers Union.
Sadie visits Matthew in prison, who tells her he knows who informed on him by calling the ambulance to Nasreen's house.
Sadie helps register people to vote for the Labour Party with Riaz and Raja but Saliq disapproves.
Saliq attempts to refuse entry for a National Front member but after he causes a scene they are allowed to attend.
Timur gives an interview with a journalist, Clive (Jonathan Oliver) who attempts to smear his reputation and integrity, and then on policy matters.
Matthew later reveals to Sadie at a pub with Clive, that Timur's building and video business is a money laundering cover for illegal immigration of Bangladeshis to the Gulf.
In 2014, Dave Hill of The Guardian said, "In King of the Ghetto we see the unfolding of a grassroots struggle... Thirty years on, some things have changed, some have not, but the big themes explored in Dhondy's drama survive.