Humza Arshad started the “Diary of a Badman” series from his bedroom in South London. Now he’s working with the police to prevent vulnerable kids becoming radicalised.
LONDON – For the students at Aylwood Academy, north London, today's assembly is more exciting than usual. "I can't believe he's coming here!" one pupil shouts. Meanwhile, a group of girls all donning Hijabs (headscarves) make no secret of their swooning; "He's peng, you know" one says. It immediately results in a fit of giggling.
The assembly begins with a short presentation by a police officer, who's highlighting the dangers of extremist views, and how to spot them – particularly on the internet.
But halfway through, a man wearing low-slung jeans, a black beanie hat and sporting a perfectly trimmed beard enters through the back door – and is immediately met by excited screams and clapping.
"What's happenin' guys!" the man says, in a playful south London accent. "Shall we take some selfies?"
Max Lacome
His creation is a unique brand of situational comedy focused on the everyday problems of young British Muslims – ranging from embarrassing uncles, to week-old dhaal (lentil curry) to the troubles that come with Asian parenting.
"'Diary of a Badman' is about a young British Pakistani Muslim thinking he's a gangster, but he's not," Arshad told BuzzFeed News.
"He's got no girls, always gets beaten up by his mum and always finds himself getting into ridiculous situations that he somehow gets out of. But at the end of every episode, there's always a positive message – whether that's from the Qur'an, or just a universal lesson."
Since the show began broadcasting from Arshad's bedroom, it has racked up more than 62 million views and has taken Arshad all over the world.
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