#benditlikebeckham

Introduction 

Through comedy, romance and storytelling, Gurinder     Chadha has produced some significant examples of British cinema that surround British Asian experiences. Movies like Bend it Like Beckham (2002) and Bride and Prejudice (2004) explore the discussions of identity, gender, family expectations, cultural conflict and interracial romance. Another example of British Asian representation through cinema would be the films East is East (1999) and West is West (2010) produced by Leslee Udwin. 

Identity, Meaning-Making and Hybridity 

“The way in which we apply stereotypes in cultural production is as revealing as which stereotypes we select to represent, so the question is who has the power to wield and circulate stereotypes in cultural production is an important one” – Sarita Malik (2002)

Representation is shaped by a level of power. The portrayal of stereotypes through Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice is not only classically stereotypical through obvious norms such as strict parents, marriage importance and societal expectations of women but it also blends in with societal freedom of being a hybrid such as Jess, being British Asian she has more freedom in her mind which combats the mindset of her born and raised Indian parents. Chadha being a British Asian filmmaker allows her to claim the power of how cultural production affects the representation of identities. She is able to speak on the experiences and the views from a first-hand point. 

“These ‘in-between’ spaces provide the terrain for elaborating strategies of selfhood – singular or communal – that imitate new signs identity, and innovative sites of collaboration, and contestation, in the act of defining the idea of society itself.” – Bhabha (1994)

The acknowledgment of cultural hybridity though film is shown though Jess in Bend it Like Beckham as she navigates her way through self-expression and dreams in a western world against ethnic standards and Lalita in Bride and Prejudice as she tries to find her stance on marriage and love through racial differences of interracial love. Chadha’s films show how complex identity is, she shows how people of ethnic background can live in these in-between spaces where there is always a conflict of interest with oneself from balancing family, tradition and cultural expectations along with personal dreams, out of culture upbringing and romance.

Politics and Agency 

The films are focused on young women and their navigation in life though a culturally hybrid vision. Bride and Prejudice shows the difference of culture and visual representation of Indian girls born and raised in India and Indian girls born and raised in England. Although I believe the movie lacked out on fully representing the essence on Indian culture by not incorporating more of the traditional language, the representation through difference was still present. Both films show the young women as active decision makers, showing that family expectations are mostly influential. Her movies show the fight with traditional norms and modern-day societal evolution that young British Asian women still endure today. Whilst keeping tradition and culture she shows how there is always hope for combatting such expectations in cultural backgrounds.  

Bend it Like Beckham continues to grow in name as a key representation and comfort movie for British Asian women. These movies are inspirations to ethnic minorities as it shows that minority filmmakers can make a difference on their people by showing inclusivity and expanding beyond the vision of cultural norms through interracial romance and pushing the limits of what a woman can do.

Conclusion 

Chadha’s work is an accurate reference to show how powerful visual representation can be for communities. It allows the rethinking of identity, cultural belonging and diversity, especially through contemporary Britain. It shows how films affect people depending on who tells the story and how they shape identity through it. Chadha’s work is inspiring to me as I want to bring light to minority life in Britain, despite the evolution of inclusivity and togetherness, we still face racism and hate crimes which keep us seen as the minority. I will keep her work in mind I move forward my digital media work as it will inspire me to come back to my main focus of creating a sense of belonging through media for the under looked.

References

Malik, S. (2002). Representing Black Britain. London, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.