Boring and sad stories are not necessarily required to show grim social topics is shown by the young director ’’Gurinder Chaddha’’ in her new movie ’’Bend It Like Beckham’’.In this picture she has handled many social topics but she has presented them in a light, happy environment but she has taken care that the grimness of these topics do not subside
This is a story of a girl Jasbinder(Jas) who is brought up in England but has Indian roots and aims at making career in football.David Beckham is her idol and she dreams like playing like him.
But she faces opposition from her family.Though her family has been staying many years in U.K. her mother opposes of running between men with short clothes and exposing her legs to people.Her fathers opposition is that though she may be extremely talented in a white-oriented country there will be no place for a dark skinned girl.
But Jas gets recognition through Jules a another footballer who takes Jas to play for her club.Jas has to tell many lies to go for practice matches and also gets caught many times and gets grounded and is forced to learn how to cook ’’Alu Gobi’’.The relationship between Jas and her coach arouses suspicion in Jules mind, and the relationship between Jas and Jules arouses suspicion in Jules mom’s mind that they are lesbian.
When there is a match that would give Jas a chance for training in America it clashes with the wedding of her elder sister.Seeing her restlessness her father lets her go immediately after the marriage takes place.In the end her father stands in support of her and lets her go.
While presenting the story the director not made the film a personal life of Jas but she has showed the ambitions of a girl grown in different environments and has also criticized the possessiveness of families settled outside India.
The Cast - ’’Parminder Nagra’’ has succeeded in creating the image of Jas before us.She has given quite nice expressions in a few close-ups.’’Shaheen Khan’’ has brought comedy in the role of Jas’s overtalkative mother.’’Anupam Kher’’ has enacted well the role of a husband not speaking much before his wife but standing firm in the end.All other supporting cast has done well.
So there is no need to create sad and bore pictures like K3G, etc. but the directors can do their pictures like Gurinder Chaddha and address the social issues in a lighter way.