The Duality of Identity as Depicted in Cinema: a Gurinder Chadha Story
Chadha On the Set of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008) With Her Three Month Son
In 1896, Indian audiences were introduced to cinema through a Lumiere brothers’ screening in Bombay, India — now referred to as Mumbai, India. As India’s largest city —notorious for being the home of Bollywood cinema — the introduction of film to Mumbai served as a turning point for both Indian and international cinema. While under British rule until 1947, Indian cinema throughout the early twentieth century was saturated with British films over the films made from other Western countries, which helped booster the Indian film industry from falling into more Westernized movies following their declaration for independence. Today, India is accredited with having “one of the most flourishing cinema industries” in the world.
Throughout its creation, Indian cinema has welcomed and adopted a variety of directorial techniques and motifs that have learned to work in unison with the masala genres typical of Indian cinema. Masala genre, like masala spices, refers to the fact that a multitude of genres exists within a standard Indian film. Often, when critics refer to Indian cinema —not to be confused or used synonymously with ‘Bollywood’— we are breeching on the subject of masala genres; although it is not always the case that each Indian film exhibits such a variety. For Indian audiences, masala is a constant and welcomed genre, but for many international audiences, masala can often be seen as having too much variety. Other aspects of typical Indian cinema include social realism, parallelism between song and reality, and the role of tradition. Despite both the variety of Indian film and the fact that India provides one of the largest monetary outputs in terms of cinema, Western audiences are often left “with the impression that it’s daunting and inscrutable.” Therefore, reaching an international level of success or notoriety proves to be a complicated yet worthy accomplishment for Indian filmmakers. In the case of Gurinder Chadha, who has achieved success without consequentially giving up the traditions of typical Indian cinema, this feat has been a long time coming. Gurinder Chadha’s work serves as proof that one can acknowledge tradition while still maintaining the views of more contemporary society.
To first understand Gurinder Chadha, one must become aware of her historical background. In January of 1960, Gurinder Chadha was born at the heart and capital of Kenya, which at the time was controlled by British colonial forces who sought to develop the African trade market through increased taxes and cheap labor. A year later, Gurinder Chadha’s family relocated to Southall, London amidst great turmoil regarding Kenyan independence. The Chadha family’s relocation to Britain had offered the support needed to establish Gurinder’s allegiance to a new British identity. It is in Britain that Gurinder Chadha discovers politics, journalism, economics, and ultimately: her passion for filmmaking. From a young age and as reflected in the many films throughout her career, the duality of Gurinder Chadha’s identity stressed contrasting concepts about the importance of tradition and the impact of modern times on an individual’s role in society.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Gurinder Chadha On the Set of Bride & Prejudice (2004)
Gurinder Chadha started her career at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, where she took classes that spoke about the economic struggles of developing nations. Although Chadha was interested in learning about the economic strife and inequalities relevant to the curriculum of these courses, it is her courses on journalism and radio that proved to be an integral jumpstart toward her career in film. Chadha would debut in 1990 with her first directorial piece I’m British But…, which explores identity issues that erupt from being both British and Asian. As her career developed, Chadha released several other works such as Nice Arrangement (1990) and Acting Our Age (1991) before her first feature film Bhaji on the Beach debuted in 1993. The debut of Bhaji on the Beach marked Gurinder Chadha as the first British Asian woman to make a feature-length film. Following the accolades of Bhaji on the Beach, Chadha went on to direct Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride and Prejudice (2004), both of which have become some of her most critically acclaimed films to date. In more recent years, Chadha has directed Viceroy’s House (2017) and Blinded by the Light (2019).
The expansiveness of Gurinder Chadha’s filmography — from the early 90s to the present day — allows audience members and film critics alike to fully understand the empire she has built and the impact she has made upon the film industry. Throughout her career, Gurinder Chadha has crafted a name for herself and her work internationally while acknowledging the conflict that arises because of one’s dual identity. As evidenced by works such as Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded by the Light, Gurinder Chadha has established a foundation that is both original yet relatable. In Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha depicts a young British Indian woman named Jesminder, or Jess, as she struggles to defend her love of soccer against the conservative values of her family. In Blinded by the Light, Chadha tells of a similar struggle through the life of young Javed, who comes to understand the importance of his dual identity through the music of Bruce Springsteen. In both films, audience members are offered insight into the themes typical of Gurinder Chadha’s work.
To begin, Gurinder Chadha recalls drawing major influence from 1970’s Purab Aur Paschim. Purab centers around similar ideas of freedom, liberty, and the struggle between one’s established identities. While Gurinder Chadha chooses to directly acknowledge the duality of identity through the protagonists of her films, audience members also see much subtler displays of awareness through her technique and references to typical Indian cinema. Gurinder Chadha references the Indian film industry through masala genres and her strategic use of music and sound as a parallel to the storyline. Both Bend It Like Beckham (a romantic-sports-comedy) and Blinded by the Light (a music-comedy-drama) rely heavily on the masala genre to keep an engaged audience throughout the film. Gurinder Chadha’s reliance on the masala genre works well in the eyes of film critics such as Roger Ebert or Sheila O’Malley. As aforementioned, Gurinder Chadha has a knack for creating work that is both new and relatable. In his 2003 film analysis, Roger Ebert states that “[Bend It Like Beckham] is good not because it is blindingly original but because it is flawless in executing what is, after all, a dependable formula.” Here, Ebert hints at the fact that Bend It Like Beckham takes a unique approach to an otherwise typical storyline. Meanwhile, O’Malley finds a cheesy yet irresistible set of sequences in Blinded by the Light’s Javed, who is led “into all kinds of unexpected terrain, a tentative romance with a classmate, conflict with his father, and tension with his best mate Matt.” Here, O’Malley recognizes Gurinder Chadha’s ability to introduce conflict through romance, comedy, and the occasional “movie musical” sequence. While Roger Ebert and Sheila O’Malley found comfort in Gurinder Chadha’s films, not every film critic has felt similarly. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Gurinder Chadha’s highest critic rating sits at 89 percent for Blinded by the Light but with a desperately low score of 11 percent for The Mistress of Spices (2005). However, audience members — myself included—have rated Chadha’s films to a higher degree.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Regarding the parallelism between song and reality, Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded by the Light both have scenes where the film’s soundtrack echoes the happenings of the storyline. In Bend It Like Beckham, Jess begins to doubt her commitment to the Hounslow Harriers because of the insecurity she has developed due to an injury to her knees. To bring Jess's spirits up, her coach Joe shows off his scars as a reminder that although his career has finished, hers has not. When Jess decides to rejoin the Hounslow Harriers, the 1971 pop song “She’s A Lady” by Tom Jones plays in the background. Although this song choice does not reflect the usual use of playback singers that characterize Indian cinema, Tom Jones’ lyrics still serve as a parallel to the plotline. As Tom Jones belts out about the grace and style of women, audience members watch the Hounslow Harriers practice and train for an upcoming soccer tournament. In this scene, Gurinder Chadha uses music to show the power, strength, and style of not only Jess but of the entire Hounslow Harriers’ all women’s soccer team. Further examples of parallelism occur when “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield plays in the background as Jess sneaks out of the house to attend a soccer match. In “Move On Up”, Curtis sings about the challenges that arrive when one feels isolated and misunderstood by their family. “Move On Up” mirrors Jess's storyline, serving as encouragement for her to find and accept her independence.
From Left to Right: Nell Williams, Aaron Phagura, and Viveik Kalra in Blinded by the Light (2019)
Meanwhile, Blinded by the Light makes more drastic references to the traditions of Indian cinema through sound and action. In one scene, Javed — overcome with emotion after having found out about his father’s job loss— decides to rid himself of the poems he had written over the years. However, Javed quickly comes to after hearing the beginning parts of “The Promised Land” by Bruce Springsteen. “The Promised Land,” tells of a young protagonist who wishes to settle the divide between youth and adulthood. In Blinded by the Light, Gurinder Chadha uses this song to highlight the inner turmoil that Javed feels regarding the expectations his parents have set for him. Although Javed is still a child, he wishes to be seen as more. Gurinder Chadha dives further into the traditional characteristics of Indian cinema as audience members see Javed wonder around the streets of Luton, while the lyrics to “The Promised Land” flash across the screen. At this moment, audience members are left wondering whether the scene has occurred inside Javed’s head or for the outside world to see as well. Another example of parallelism between music and film occurs when Javed and Roops —Javed’s friend and the only other Asian student at the local college— trespass and vandalize the college’s radio station in order to play Bruce Springsteen throughout the school. As the duo run down the corridors of the college, accompanied by Javed’s girlfriend Eliza, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” echoes through both the hallways and the film itself. Even when the trio has left the college, the continuation of “Born to Run” indicates that Gurinder Chadha chose this song for a reason. As Bruce sings about taking risks in search of something bigger than himself, the children run the streets of Luton with a feeling that they have made a major decision to do more than accept the traditional values of their historical context. As evidenced, Gurinder Chadha places great emphasis on the use of music as a parallel to reality in her films Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded by the Light. Even outside of these two films, the use of music is a strong theme of Chadha’s work. By using these characteristics of typical Indian cinema, Gurinder Chadha has displayed the importance of her Indian identity throughout her films. For Chadha, this recognition comes after a childhood spent refusing to conform to the traditional values of her parents.
In conclusion, Gurinder Chadha has shown a dedication to depicting her dual identity on screen. Whether through the use of Jesminder’s appreciation for soccer or Javed’s love of “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen, Chadha manages to showcase the trials and tribulations that occur as children of immigrant families attempt to navigate their contemporary identities while still in the grasps of traditional standards and values. For Gurinder, the importance of filmmaking arose from her need to secure her dual identity. In the end, I chose Gurinder Chadha because she appeared to be a woman in the film who had made a name for herself while also acknowledging the duality of her identity. For me as a biracial woman, I enjoyed her reluctance to separate her British identity from her Indian identity. Furthermore, I particularly enjoyed learning about Indian cinema and the parallels between song/dance and reality. Finally, I wanted to choose a filmmaker who offered insight into not only the history of their country but also the present day. I find contemporary films to be much more captivating because there exists a subtle, underlying irony of creating a fabricated story that perhaps is not that far from reality.
Works Cited
Bend It Like Beckham. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, Lionsgate UK, 2002.
Bhattacharyya, G., & Gabriel, J. (1994). Gurinder Chadha and the Apna Generation: Black British film in the 1990s. Third Text, 8(27), 55-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/09528829408576488.
Black History Month. “The Colonization of Kenya.” Black History Month, 2020, www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/african-history/the-colonisation-of-kenya/#:%7E:text=Two%20outbreaks%20of%20cattle%2Ddisease,colonization%20of%20present%20day%20Kenya.
Blinded by the Light. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, Entertainment One, 2019.
Bowes, Danny. “10 Things You Should Know About Indian Cinema.” Indie Wire, 2013, https://www.indiewire.com/2013/07/10-things-you-should-know-about-indian-cinema-37021/.
Bruce Springsteen. “Born to Run.” Born to Run, Columbia Records, 1975. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/6hTcuIQa0sxrrByu9wTD7s?si=6674dd7a3dea44e2.
Bruce Springsteen. “The Promised Land.” Darkness on the Edge of Town, Columbia Records, 1978. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/2KQq1pn2eUDEFitdQ4WzzZ?si=07b3982ed2bf40b6.
Chadha, Gurinder. “My Big Break: Gurinder Chadha.” Drama Quarterly, 2020, https://dramaquarterly.com/my-big-break-gurinder-chadha.
Curtis Mayfield. “Move On Up.” Curtis, Curtom, 1971. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/0MHXrqn909p0LRTPsNsGEi?si=ddee066a371e4c36.
Ebert, Roger. “Bend It Like Beckham Movie Review.” Roger Ebert, 2003, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bend-it-like-beckham-2003.
Elder, Robert K. The film that changed my life: 30 directors on their epiphanies in the dark. Chicago, Ill: Chicago Review Press, 2011. Print.
“Gurinder Chadha Biography - Gurinder Chadha Profile, Childhood, Life And Timeline.” I Love India, https://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/gurinder-chadha.html.
“Gurinder Chadha – Rotten Tomatoes.” https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/gurinder_chadha.
Hunt, Martin. “BFI Screenonline: Chadha, Gurinder (1960-) Biography.” Screen Online,
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/502103/index.html.
Koshy, Susan. “Turning Color.” Transition, no. 72, 1996, pp. 148–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/2935366.
O’Malley, Sheila. “Blinded by the Light.” Robert Ebert, 2019, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blinded-by-the-light-movie-review-2019.
Purab Aur Paschim. Directed by Manoj Kumar, Ultra Distributors, 1970.
Souza, Noël de. “A Brief History of Indian Cinema.” Golden Globes, 2014, www.goldenglobes.com/articles/brief-history-indian-cinema.
“SPOTLIGHT: GURINDER CHADHA.” The European Independent Film Festival, www.ecufilmfestival.com/spotlight-gurinder-chadha.
Tom Jones. “She’s A Lady.” Paul Anka '70s, Decca, 1971. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/5JnHzjo25FY1fMQMQVOawB?si=f741cf6934e74a5c.