Bend It Like Beckham: MUSIC FROM MOTION PICTURE

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In nearly every scene of the film, we see Jess bend rules from her family and community so she can live out her dreams. She never rejects her culture, she finds ways of adapting. It's the same when Jules bends the 'rules' of what it means to be a woman - rejecting her mum's demand to dress in a more "feminine" way to embrace her tomboy identity. She has appeared on TV shows such as The Hour with Ben Whishaw and Dominic West, The Village, BBC’s Atlantis, The Long Call and Death in Paradise. Considering the film’s enormous critical and commercial success, Hollywood’s failure to capitalise on the cultural and social conversation it was tapping into is all the more obvious.

Chadha, who played an active role in casting, chose Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, who would play the two lead roles in the film, while Archie Panjabi and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were in early talks to join the cast. Shaznay Lewis and Anupam Kher were also in final talks. Juliet Stevenson and Frank Harper joined as Paula Paxton and Alan Paxton, mother and father of Jules.When Jess is told by her friend and team-mate Jules - played by Keira Knightley - that she wants to be a professional footballer, her reaction is of the time. For the role of Jess's mother, Mrs Bhamra, Chadha turned to Shaheen Khan, whom she had previously cast in Bhaji on the Beach. Anupam Kher, a Bollywood actor, was cast as Mr Bhamra, Jess's father. Chadha worked with The Football Association and ended up casting actual players from a variety of school teams. [12] Release [ edit ] Theatrical [ edit ]

Her short-lived acting career began as she dipped her toe into other waters following the break-up of her hugely successful group All Saints in 2001. Principal photography began on 18 June 2001. A variety of locations around London and Shepperton Studios, Surrey were used for the nine-week shoot, with the semi-final taking place over a three-day period in Hamburg, Germany. [12] Casting [ edit ] The film was situated in Hounslow in West London. For many British-South Asian girls, the film was an important moment as it gave us Jesminder Bhamra. Jess was the closest thing to a sporting role model we'd ever had, and would have for years to come. Memes and gifs of the film still circulate on social media, whether it's the celebrations of the Hounslow Harriers or the famous Desi wall of defenders in the illustration above. Anyway, being a lesbian's not that big a deal… oh no, of course not sweetheart. I mean, I've got nothing against it. I was cheering for Martina Navratilova as much as the next person."

Jess creates and chooses her own cultural identity, and sport is a huge part of that. She lets her mum teach her how to cook traditional Indian food, but does knee-ups with the cabbage. When doing chores, she bends a football around the washing line. All the time we see her intertwining her love for football with her identity and culture.

She moved on to Blind Spot afterwards, as well as appearing in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I Know This Much Is True and HBO comedy Run with Domhnall Gleeson.

We can see our goal but instead of going straight there, we too have to twist and bend the rules sometimes to get what we want - no matter where 'we' reside, no matter what group 'we' claim or do not embrace as part of 'our' ethnic lineage," she added. She is also among the characters we see navigating through British society with a home life so different to that culture. It also shows just how accessible football is, and one simple conversation shows just how much the women's game in the UK has developed in the past 20 years.

Later that day, Jess has still not told her parents about the scholarship; she is afraid they might not allow her to go to the United States on her own. Tony, out of friendship for Jess, decides to lie to the family and tell them he is engaged to Jess as long as she gets to go to any college she wants. The Bhamras happily accept, but Jess immediately confesses the truth. Jess's mother ignores Jess's heartfelt speech and scolds Jess's father for letting Jess leave Pinky's wedding. But her father announces he doesn't want Jess to suffer as he did, and accepts her desire to play football. Jess runs to the football field to tell Joe of her parents' decision. The two almost kiss, but Jess pulls away, saying her parents would object, and that although they had come far enough to let her go to America to play, she doesn't think they would be able to handle another cultural rebellion from her. They're one-liners, ultimately, but behind each word sits a plot each character is navigating while trying to create their own identity. It's hilarious The film was released on DVD and VHS on 18 November 2002 by Warner Home Video, and re-released on DVD and VHS on 30 September 2003 in the United States by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Among the DVD bonus features, there are several scenes that did not make the final release. Some include dialogue from Pinky's friends and from Jules, as well as her mother meeting Kevin and his friends outside a shop, which would have been helpful, as Kevin is mentioned three times but is never seen. It’s hard to forget Pinky’s ‘Laters!’ catchphrase, even many years after, with Panjabi proving a scene-stealer as Jess’s much girlier older sister. Because Jess' parents don't want her to play football, the film is as much about generational culture clashes as it is about British and Indian culture clashes.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stevenson, now 65, has since appeared in Mona Lisa Smile, Being Julia, Diana and The Letters, the latter of which involved her curious casting as the late Mother Theresa. And, eventually, Jess has the rules bent for her as her father allows her to sneak out of her sister's wedding to play a game for Hounslow Harriers in front of an American scout. It's still quoted today Stevenson made a splash as glamorous mum Paula to Knightley’s tomboy daughter Jules, who is baffled by the differences between the two of them and famously rather dramatically jumps to the wrong conclusion about the nature of Jess and Jules’s relationship.