Gurinder Chadha reflects on Bollywood roots and ongoing challenges

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, known for Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, may have built a celebrated career in global cinema, but her heart remains firmly connected to her Indian — particularly Punjabi — identity. In a candid conversation, she spoke about her love for Bollywood, early cinematic influences, and the cultural challenges she continues to confront in the West.

Chadha fondly recalled growing up watching the iconic classic Baiju Bawra, a film deeply cherished by her father. “The film I grew up watching was my dad’s absolute favourite,” she said. With a laugh, she added that she insisted her husband watch the film before meeting her father, as it captured the family’s emotional essence. She described childhood memories of her father and uncle singing Mohammed Rafi and Naushad’s melodies with heartfelt passion — a tradition her relatives continue even today.

Sharing a humorous anecdote, Chadha revealed her husband’s bewildered reaction to the film’s tragic ending. “He stayed awake through the long film, and when it ended, he looked shocked and said, ‘What? They die?’” she recounted. She explained to him that the bittersweet ending was what made the film timeless: “They die together, and will meet again in another life.”

Despite decades of success in Western cinema, Chadha admitted that identity politics still shadow her journey. “I am always conscious that someone like me doesn’t look like what filmmakers typically look like in the West,” she said. She added that the mere act of making films in Britain is a political statement, as it allows her to tell stories rooted in her own cultural lens.

Chadha also highlighted persistent commercial biases in Western markets. “There is still this perception that casting an Indian actor in a Western lead won’t work financially. I’m constantly being put in boxes — and constantly breaking out of them,” she noted.

On the work front, Chadha is gearing up for the release of The Christmas Karma, starring Hollywood’s Indian-origin actor Kunal Nayyar. The film also features a special Bollywood-style rendition of the beloved holiday classic Last Christmas, sung by global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The movie is set to hit Indian screens on December 12.