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Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Shaheen Khan, Anupam Kher...
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| Director: Gurinder Chadha |
| Producer:Deepak Nayar |
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Gurvinder Chadha absolutely has done an excellent job. The story is well crafted, the gravity of issues are handled with light-hearted humour, wit and subtle wisecracks.
It's all about the aspirations of 18-year old Jess, daughter of the 'Bhamra' couple - a typical Punjabi family settled in London. Jess has only one hero in her life - David Beckham. And Mr and Mrs. Bhamra have one dream - their little girl growing in to a typical healthy, wealthy 'n' wise woman who settles down with a desi munda in London. But fate has something else in store for both the parties. For Jess playing football meant kicking the ball around with her buddy boys in the Park, until one day she's spotted by Jules who invites her to join the local women's football team. These two girls become great buddies, they are the same age, share the same dream, have the same drive to kick the ball, but hail from two very diverse cultures…almost like two goal posts on either sides of the field.
Jess's parents simply can't fathom why a girl, 'an Indian' girl needs to flaunt her legs on a playground and dodge around a ball. Isn't life made for doing better things…like making aloo gobi, and doing balle balle with the mundas with colourful turbans. Jess would rather score a 'goal' on the field than make gol-gol roti's in the kitchen.
Jess literally bends every rule…from sneaking out of her home for her football training everyday and packing off for outdoor matches without her parents breathing a whiff of deceit, to doing a disappearing act on her sister's shaadi for her final football tournament. And that's not all. She's not just in love with the 'game of football' but even her team coach - Joe. And so is her best friend Jules. Quite a task for Jess to kick-start her career amidst all the complexities dodging her life
Amidst all the football mania, we have Jesse's father who has borne his own unopened baggage of antagonism against the English, who dispelled him from being a part of the cricket team. After all he was a dark-skinned Indian, to top it all he wore a turban. But in the end it's this angst and hidden reprisal towards the whites that urges him to let Jesse to pursue her dream. And finally he stands with her.
Parminder Nagra who plays Jess Bhamra, delivers her role with utter brilliance; her subtle submissive demeanour tossed with a dash of fearless zeal gives her character a real 'banana kick'. Jules, played by Keira Knightley also carried her childish arrogance with real comfort and confidence. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, is the gorgeous coach whose self-effacing personality
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