In 2002 I felt the movie had nothing to say to British Asians like me, or my football-mad mum. This engaging doc shows how much, and how little, has changed
I’d forgotten how Bend It Like Beckham begins: with a spoof BBC football commentary in which Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and John Barnes wax lyrical about the silky skills of Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra. It’s a fantasy, obviously, which is why her mum soon butts in to tell her off for “running around with all these men, showing [your] bare legs to 70,000 people”. As openings go, it’s supremely silly and very British, perfectly setting the tone for what follows: a relentlessly cheerful comedy about a British Indian girl torn between her love of football and her traditional Punjabi family. And how often do we get one of those? Erm, once. Twenty years ago.
In the intervening decades, Gurinder Chadha’s surprise hit starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley – who, obviously, was the one who went on to become a global superstar – has matured into the highest grossing football film of all time. Which is amazing, even if you think Bend It Like Beckham is a bit glib, cliched, overreliant on stereotypes and dodgy when it comes to sexuality, which for 20 years I did. Until I rewatched it this week and was destroyed by its glinting moments of authenticity. The scene where all the Indian ammas and aunties pull out their mobile phones! The dancing at the wedding! But more of that later.
