Gurinder Chadha, , OBE (born January 10, 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 England 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 hit films Bhaji on the Beach (1993), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), with Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Juliet Stevenson, Shaznay Lewis and Archie Panjabi; Bride and Prejudice (2004), with Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Daniel Gillies, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher, Naveen Andrews, Indira Varma, Namrata Shirodkar, and Sonali Kulkarni; Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), with Georgia Groome, Alan Davies, Karen Taylor, Aaron Johnson and Eleanor Tomlinson; It’s a Wonderful Afterlife (2010), with Goldy Notay, Shabana Azmi, Shaheen Khan, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Sally Hawkins; and Viceroy’s House (2017), Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, and Michael Gambon.
Other notable films include What’s Cooking? (2000), with Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Joan Chen, Lainie Kazan, Maury Chaykin, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, and Dennis Haysbert. Her latest features are the biographical musical comedy-drama Blinded by the Light (2019), with Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, and Nell Williams; and the television show Beecham House.
Each review will be linked to the title below.
(*seen originally in theaters)
(**seen rereleased in theaters)
- I’m British But… (1989) – TV documentary short
- Acting Our Age (1992) – short
- A Nice Arrangement (1992) – short
- Pain, Passion and Profit (1992) – documentary short
- Bhaji on the Beach (1993)
- What Do You Call an Indian Woman Who’s Funny? (1994) – documentary short
- Rich Deceiver (1995) – TV movie
- What’s Cooking (2000)
- Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
- Bride & Prejudice (2004)
- The Mistress of Spices (2005) – co-writer
- Paris, je t’aime (2006) – directed by Emmanuel Benbihy, Joel & Ethan Coen, Nobuhiro Suwa, Olivier Assayas, Gus Van Sant, Frédéric Auburtin & Gérard Depardie, Sylvain Chomet, Vincenzo Natali, Richard LaGravenese, Tom Tykwer, Isabel Coixet Castillo, Christopher Doyle, Alexander Payne, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Alfonso Cuarón, Bruno Podalydès, Oliver Schmitz, & Wes Craven – anthology
- Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008)
- It’s a Wonderful Afterlife (2010)
- Desi Rascals (2015) – co-creator – reality TV series
- Viceroy’s House (2017)
- Blinded by the Light (2019)*
- Beecham House (2019) – creator – TV series
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