White Teeth

S01E02 The Temptation of Samad Iqbal

Samad Iqbal finds himself in what he calls 'chicken tikka purgatory', stuck as a waiter at his cousin's curry restaurant while his wife, Alsana, has imposed a sex strike, leaving him to sleep in the attic. His life takes a complicated turn when he becomes infatuated with Poppy Burt-Jones, the teacher of his twin sons. Their passionate affair leads Samad into a deep internal struggle. Wanting to steer his sons away from Western influences, he decides to send one of them back to Bangladesh for a traditional education. Although Millat is the one who needs it most, Magid is aware of his father’s secret with Poppy.