The plot of the film revolves around Parvez (Om Puri), a Pakistani-born taxi driver and a tolerant, secular Muslim.
According to Rachel Donadio, a New York Times writer and editor, the film's theme is encapsulated in a pivotal scene: One of the most revealing insights into Britain's recent social history comes early in "My Son the Fanatic," Hanif Kureishi's tender and darkly prescient 1997 film.