Max Beesley, Kathy Burke, Ayesha Dharker and Lynn Redgrave have joined the cast of Anita & Me, an East Is East-style comedy adapted from the book of the same name by UK writer, actress and comedian Meera Syal.

Icon Film Distribution has UK rights for the film, budgeted at under $4.3m (£3m,) while Portman Film is handling international sales. Producing are the UK's Starfield Productions, along with Take 3 and Syal's Chest Wig & Flares Productions.

Anita, which starts a seven-week shoot in the UK from Monday (August 13) is a comic look at life in an English Midlands village in 1972, as seen through the eyes of a young girl whose family are the only Asians in the community.

Writer Syal has scripted and takes a role in the film, as well as a co-producer credit. Director is Metin Huseyin, whose previous credits include the UK crime feature It Was An Accident.

Anita's backers include BBC Films, East Midlands Film Initiative and the Film Council, which has put $953,942 ( £688,315) into the film.

Starfield's Paul Raphael is producing, while executive producer credits go to Bill Allan, Paul Trijbits, head of the New Cinema Fund at the Film Council, BBC Films chief David Thompson and Portman's Tristan Whalley