Curry, bhangra to feature in BBC radio drama!

Curry houses, fabric shops and bhangra music are all set to be part of a radio drama planned by the BBC to give Britain's primetime TV soaps a run for their money.

Set in Birmingham, 'Silver Street' will have key characters like Mushtaq Jilani, a Pakistani-born grocery entrepreneur, Rita, a mother of four who toils in a call centre, an aspiring young footballer Jagjiwan, who is determined to get into the England team and Pradeep, a chef at an Indian restaurant, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

"The audience is probably going to be judging the programme against 'Coronation Street' or 'EastEnders'," said its editor James Peries, adding that each episode would be fast-paced and rich in music.

Peries said the programme would reflect real experiences of Asians in Britain but would not be without its surprises.

"Some of the characters will confound the audience's expectations. Sometimes we will do the obvious thing, because that is life -- but there are other times when we will need to twist the plot and be more original."

One million pounds is being invested in the programme, whose stars include Hema Mangoo and Dharmesh Patel, the paper said.

Khalid Mahmood, Birmingham's first Asian MP, welcomed the show, saying, "It shows the Asian community is integrated into British society."

'Silver Street', which gets its title from Birmingham's jewellery district, will air weekdays from May 24 on the BBC's digital Asian Network.