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''Bride and Prejudice'', a film which marries Jane Austen with Indian and Western musicals, was the first film ever to open at Number One in the UK and India on the same day. It attempted to fuse Bollywood, Hollywood, and a "British sensibility" into one film. For each character and scene of the original novel, Chadha adds an Indian twist. For example, the original diversity of class between the two leads in the original book are changed into a diversity of race, having the female lead as an Indian and the male lead a white man. The film was not meant to be an actual Bollywood movie, however. Much of the film is Westernized for a Western audience. There are both Bollywood numbers and Western musical numbers inspired by the likes of "Grease" and "West Side Story".
She wrote the screenplay for ''
Bird's Eye View
event at Sands Films in London, Chadha stressed the importance of actively supporting female filmmakers at the cinema, especially on the opening weekend. She also noted that women can no longer be passive in the fight for change within a historically male-dominated industry. The British Film Institute's recent filmography study on British Cinema history named Chadha as the U.K's most prolific female director working today and was honoured with the Sophiya Haque Services to British Television and Film Award at the 2017 Asian Media Awards. She is an active patron of numerous charities including MAF (Medical Aid Films) is a Creative Mentor and Role Model for Creative Access, Directors UK Inspire, the BFI and the Sundance Directors' Lab, and Patron of Women in Film U.K. With regard to her religious beliefs, Chadha told the
in an October 2014 interview:
Gurinder Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme among her work showcases the trials of Indian women living in the UK and how they must reconcile their converging traditional and modern cultures. Although many of her films seem like simple quirky comedies about Indian women, they actually address many social and emotional issues, especially ones faced by immigrants caught between two worlds.
Much of her work also consists of adaptations from book to film, but with a different flair. She is best known for the films '' Bhaji on the Beach'' (1993), ''
Chadha to direct school Nativity
Accessed 14 December 2007 Chadha's father faced much prejudice because of his appearance as a Sikh Indian, wearing a turban and having a beard. Her father had worked as a clerical officer in Barclays Bank in Kenya and was unable to secure the same position due to his appearance. Eventually, the family opened a shop to provide the family with an economic toehold. Many of her future films would draw on her personal experience of being Indian and English at the same time, and how she dealt with the duality of her identity. Upon completion of her documentary ''I'm British but...'' Chadha insisted the premiere be held at the Southall Community Center to honor her home community. For example, she would not wear traditional Indian clothing, and she refused to cook for her family. In her mind, having all the women in the kitchen cooking while the men sat and ate was oppressive, although it is a living part of Indian culture. Therefore, she sat at the table with the men and was "extremely outspoken." After graduating from the
television news reporter. She directed award-winning documentaries for the Bend It Like Beckham
''Bend It Like Beckham'' (also known as ''Kick It Like Beckham'') is a 2002 sports comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha from a screenplay by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knight ...
'' (2002), '' Bride and Prejudice'' (2004), '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'' (2008), '' It's a Wonderful Afterlife'' (2010) and ''Viceroy's House
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
'' (2017). Her latest features are the biographical musical comedy-drama ''Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, a which first appeared on his 1973 debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the ...
'' and the television show ''Beecham House
''Beecham House'' is a short-lived British historical drama television series set in 1795, co-created, directed and produced by Gurinder Chadha. The six-part series was announced in August 2018 and was broadcast between Sunday 23 June ...
''.
Early life
Gurinder Chadha was born inNairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
, Kenya
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, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
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, capital = Nairobi
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...
, then a British colony. Her family was part of the Indian diaspora in East Africa
The Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa consists of approximately 3 million people of Indian origin. Some of this diaspora in Southeast Africa arrived in the 19th century from British India as indentured labourers, many of them to work on the Ke ...
. Her father and mother were both born in Kenya, and remained there until the political turbulence leading up to independence prompted the family to consider relocating. Her family held "united citizenship" under the British Nationality Act 1948
The British Nationality Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on British nationality law which defined British nationality by creating the status of "Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies" (CUKC) as the sole national ci ...
which granted them full rights of entry and settlement in Britain. Her father moved first and was joined by the family the following year in Southall
Southall () is a large suburban county of West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns. It is situated west of Charing Cross and had a population of 69,857 as of 2011. It is generally divided ...
, West London, when she was two years of age, where she attended Clifton Primary School.BBC News (14 December 2007Chadha to direct school Nativity
Accessed 14 December 2007 Chadha's father faced much prejudice because of his appearance as a Sikh Indian, wearing a turban and having a beard. Her father had worked as a clerical officer in Barclays Bank in Kenya and was unable to secure the same position due to his appearance. Eventually, the family opened a shop to provide the family with an economic toehold. Many of her future films would draw on her personal experience of being Indian and English at the same time, and how she dealt with the duality of her identity. Upon completion of her documentary ''I'm British but...'' Chadha insisted the premiere be held at the Southall Community Center to honor her home community. For example, she would not wear traditional Indian clothing, and she refused to cook for her family. In her mind, having all the women in the kitchen cooking while the men sat and ate was oppressive, although it is a living part of Indian culture. Therefore, she sat at the table with the men and was "extremely outspoken." After graduating from the
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...
where she studied politics and developmental economics before radio journalism, Chadha attended the London College of Printing
The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation, film, graphic design, photography and sound arts. It has approximately ...
in 1984/85 and studied as a post-graduate. When she decided she wanted to go to the University of East Anglia to do development studies, her teachers suggested a secretarial course, or a lesser university.
Career
After beginning her media career in radio in the mid-1980s, Chadha became aBBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
, BBC and Channel Four, and in 1989 released the documentary ''I'm British but...'' for Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
, which followed the lives of young British Asians
British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British citizens of Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with 6.9% of the population identifying as Asian/Asian Bri ...
. In 1990, Chadha established a production company
A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and v ...
, Umbi Films having no formal film training. Her first film was the 11-minute ''Nice Arrangement'' (1991) about a British Asian wedding. It was selected for the Cannes Film Festival Critic's section in 1991.
Chadha mentions the influence that the film '' Purab aur Pachhim'' had on her work, in an interview with Robert K. Elder for '' The Film That Changed My Life''.
There's a wonderful kind of yearning quality about what is culture and the perils of living in the West and the dangers of what could happen.Her affinity for stories about families was also attributed to her love for ''
It's a Wonderful Life
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loos ...
''.
She was empowered by British Bhangra music which combines Punjabi folk rhythms, electronic instrumentation, Bombay film styles, and Western disco; ''I'm British, but...'' uses this type of music as a metaphor for syncretic nature of British Asian identity.
Her documentary ''Acting our Age (1992),'' set out to understand what it was like being Asian and elderly in Britain. During production she gave film crew to the elderly participants and allowed them to create their own film in order to challenge perception and layer spectator images.
Her first feature, '' Bhaji on the Beach'' (1994), won numerous international awards including a BAFTA Nomination for 'Best British Film of 1994' and the Evening Standard British Film Award for 'Best Newcomer to British Cinema'. Chadha first received wide recognition for the film in 1993. It was the first full-length feature film made by a British Asian woman. The film surrounds a day in the lives of Indian women, across different generations, and how they change in order to converge their cultural background with modern UK living. Chadha utilizes subtlety and nuances in dialogue and fashion in order to relay the fact that these women come from a very specific culture. For example, one character wears a leather jacket over her Indian garb, showing how she is fusing her two cultures together. Prejudice comes from both outside and inside the British-Indian community; white men treat the immigrants as garbage, while the older generation of Indian women judge the modern woman is challenged by the progressive views of the younger women, as they try to break free from the "oppression" that Chadha fought hard to break free from herself. Her 1994 interview with Ali Kazimi
Ali Kazimi D. Litt. (born 1961) is an Indo-Canadian filmmaker, media artist and writer.
Early life and education
Born and raised in India, Kazimi attended St. Columba's School and graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University in 198 ...
in Rungh Magazine focusses on many of the main themes in Bhaji on the Beach.
Issues of domestic abuse and male superiority are also showcased in the film, as one character and her young son are chased by her abusive husband and his family. Another character, who is expected to be a doctor by her parents and the local Indian community, becomes pregnant by a black classmate, which is a taboo in the community. The film was low budget, but received critical success for its take on racial stereotypes, immigration, and gender roles. Several major projects followed including ''Bend It Like Beckham
''Bend It Like Beckham'' (also known as ''Kick It Like Beckham'') is a 2002 sports comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha from a screenplay by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knight ...
'' (2002) and '' Bride and Prejudice'' (2004).
In 1995, she directed ''Rich Deceiver'', a two-part drama for the BBC, watched by 11 million viewers.
Her award-winning films have earned over $300 million at the international box office.
'' What's Cooking?'' was the Opening Night Film of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, and was the first British script to be invited to the Sundance Institute's Writer's Lab. The film was voted joint audience award winner in the New York Film Critics' 2000 season (tied with ''Billy Elliot
''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy w ...
''), and Chadha won the award for Best British Director in the London Film Critics' Circle Awards.
''Bend it Like Beckham'' was the highest grossing British-financed, British-distributed film, ever in the UK box-office (prior to the success of ''Slumdog Millionaire
''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Pa ...
''). The film was a critical and commercial success internationally, topping the box-office charts in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and South Africa, and winning audience favourite film awards at the Locarno, Sydney and Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
film festivals. The film received a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), a BAFTA Nomination for Best British Film, a European Film Academy Nomination for Best Film, and a Writers Guild of America Nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Like ''Bhaji on the Beach'', ''Bend it Like Beckham'' features a strong Indian-British woman, Jess, who tries to realize her dreams while maneuvering through her duties as a daughter of traditional Indian parents. Although marketed to the United States as a "chick flick", it is regarded in Britain as an important post-feminist film that fits perfectly into the British progressive frame of 2002. Prime Minister Blair even wrote a congratulatory letter to Chadha, saying, "We loved it, loved it, because this is my Britain." Chadha herself meant for the film to be a "girl power" movie, which features both a white woman and an Indian-British woman fighting for their shared dream of playing professional soccer. It addressed issues of prejudice against race and sexuality, however, allowing the film to transcend the "chick flick" moniker. Topics of interracial coupling and lesbian stereotyping add meaning to the "girl power movie." In 2015, Chada mounted the stage musical version of ''Bend it Like Beckham'' in London's West End to 5-Star Reviews & critics' awards.
''Bride and Prejudice'', a film which marries Jane Austen with Indian and Western musicals, was the first film ever to open at Number One in the UK and India on the same day. It attempted to fuse Bollywood, Hollywood, and a "British sensibility" into one film. For each character and scene of the original novel, Chadha adds an Indian twist. For example, the original diversity of class between the two leads in the original book are changed into a diversity of race, having the female lead as an Indian and the male lead a white man. The film was not meant to be an actual Bollywood movie, however. Much of the film is Westernized for a Western audience. There are both Bollywood numbers and Western musical numbers inspired by the likes of "Grease" and "West Side Story".
She wrote the screenplay for ''The Mistress of Spices
''The Mistress of Spices'' is a 2005 American romantic drama film by Paul Mayeda Berges, with a screenplay by Gurinder Chadha and Berges. It is based upon the 1997 novel ''Mistress of Spices'' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The film stars Aishwa ...
'' (2005), based upon the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (born Chitralekha Banerjee, 1956) is an Indian-born American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Her short story collection, ''Arrang ...
, with Berges, who directed the film.
In 2005, Chadha appeared on the BBC show ''Your London'', in which she told the story of a Sikh prince who lived in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in the 19th century. In 2006, she took part in the BBC genealogy series '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' in which she traced her Sikh family roots back to Kenya and before that to India's Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
.
''Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'' – based on the international bestseller, was released worldwide by Paramount Pictures in 2008/2009. ''It's a Wonderful Afterlife'' premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before releasing internationally in 2010.
Chadha has received several Honorary Doctorates from British universities and was awarded an O.B.E. in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List on 17 June 2006 for her services to the British film industry.
Although the BBC had confirmed that Chadha was to direct the forthcoming feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
adaptation of the television series ''Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'', she left the project in 2007.
As of 2011, Chadha was collaborating with composer A. R. Rahman and lyricist Stephen Schwartz on DreamWorks Animation's first musical set in India. She has announced an animated musical entitled ''Monkeys of Bollywood'', based on the Indian epic Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
. Reportedly, the Bollywood-style animated musical is set in Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
and revolves around two monkeys who try to stop an ancient demon from conquering the world. It is produced by DreamWorks Animation.
Her film ''Viceroy's House
The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
'', an epic drama on Indian Independence and Partition based on the books '' Freedom at Midnight'' by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre and ''The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India's Partition'' by Narendra Singh Sunila, was released in 2017.
She was a guest on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...
'' in 2015.
Gurinder created, co-wrote and directed the Indian historical series ''Beecham Hous''e which aired on ITV in 2019.
Gurinder was announced to direct a film adaptation of the graphic novel '' Pashmina'' for Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
.
Gurinder announced she will be remaking the 1983 French/Swiss film '' L'Argent'' to an English Hindi language film with Anne-Marie playing the lead and Raji James co-starring.
Gurinder was announced to direct a film produced by Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations Limited (also known as Aardman Studios, simply Aardman or Aardman Animation and stylised as AARDMAN as of 2022) is a British animation studio based in Bristol, England. It is known for films made using stop-motion and clay ani ...
and distributed by Netflix.
Personal life
Chadha is married to American screenwriter and director Paul Mayeda Berges, and they have twins together, a boy named Ronak and a girl named Kumiko, born in 2007. Chadha has spoken out about representation of women in the film industry. At a 201Bird's Eye View
event at Sands Films in London, Chadha stressed the importance of actively supporting female filmmakers at the cinema, especially on the opening weekend. She also noted that women can no longer be passive in the fight for change within a historically male-dominated industry. The British Film Institute's recent filmography study on British Cinema history named Chadha as the U.K's most prolific female director working today and was honoured with the Sophiya Haque Services to British Television and Film Award at the 2017 Asian Media Awards. She is an active patron of numerous charities including MAF (Medical Aid Films) is a Creative Mentor and Role Model for Creative Access, Directors UK Inspire, the BFI and the Sundance Directors' Lab, and Patron of Women in Film U.K. With regard to her religious beliefs, Chadha told the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Filmography
Television
* ''I'm British But...'' (1989) (TV) * ''Pain, Passion and Profit'' (1992) (TV) * ''Rich Deceiver'' (1995) (TV film) * ''Desi Rascals
''Desi Rascals'' is a structured-reality television series broadcast by Sky 1 and Sky Living in the United Kingdom. ''Desi Rascals'' chronicled the lives of a multi-generational cast living within the British Asian community of London. The show ...
'' (2015)
* ''Beecham House
''Beecham House'' is a short-lived British historical drama television series set in 1795, co-created, directed and produced by Gurinder Chadha. The six-part series was announced in August 2018 and was broadcast between Sunday 23 June ...
'' (2019)
Film
Appearances
* ''Your London'' (2005) * '' Koffee with Karan'' (2005) * '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' (2006) * ''BBC Asian'' (2010)Recognition
She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013See also
*List of female film and television directors
This is a list of female film and television directors. Their works may include live action and/or animated features, shorts, documentaries, telemovies, TV programs, or videos.
A
* Jennifer Abbott (Canada)
* Sarah Abbott (Canada
* Jenn ...
* List of LGBT-related films directed by women
This is a list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-related films that were directed by women. LGBT-themed films directed by women – especially, but not exclusively, lesbian-themed movies – are an important and distinct subset of the gen ...
* Women's cinema
* British Indian
* Indian community of London
* List of British Sikhs
References
External links
*Biography and filmography
from the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
's Screenonline
Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lo ...
Interview: Gurinder Chadha
''The Observer''
Gurinder Chadha on ''Who Do You Think You Are?''
''The Guardian'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Chadha, Gurinder 1960 births Living people Alumni of the University of East Anglia British people of Indian descent British film directors British people of Punjabi descent English-language film directors British Sikhs German-language film directors Officers of the Order of the British Empire English Sikhs Kenyan people of Indian descent Kenyan people of Punjabi descent English people of Indian descent Kenyan emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Southall Punjabi people British women film directors BBC 100 Women