Blinded by the Light (2019)

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha | 118 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: Viveik Kalra, Dean-Charles Chapman, Kit Reeve, Kulvinder Ghir, Nikita Mehta, Meera Ganatra, Nell Williams, David Hayman, Lorraine Ashbourne, Tara Divina, Jeff Mirza, Frankie Fox, Aaron Phagura, Hayley Atwell

Gurinder Chadha already had a BAFTA nomination (for her 1993 debut film ‘Bhaji on the Beach’) when she broke through with the general public with the film ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ (2002), about a British-Indian girl who dreams of a professional football career, but in doing so goes directly against her traditional parents. The modestly shot film was a hit with both press and audiences, launching the careers of lead actress Parminder Nagra and, in particular, her co-star Keira Knightley. Chadha, who not only directed, but also produced and wrote the screenplay, has been praised for her playful, light-hearted approach to broaching themes such as growing up between two cultures, racial and gender discrimination, parent-child relationships, prejudice and identity. Fun fact: it was only after this film that top football player David Beckham became a celebrity in the United States. Since then, Chadha has shot films such as the colorful romcom ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (2004), the charming teen comedy ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ (2008) and the historical drama ‘Viceroy’s House’ (2017), but it was not until seventeen years later that she found the film that perfectly forms a diptych with ‘Bend It Like Beckham’: ‘Blinded By the Light’ (2019).

While in ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ the sport played a connecting factor, in ‘Blinded By the Light’ it is music. To be precise: the music of Bruce Springsteen. England, 1987. Dreamy teenager Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra) grows up in a deprived area in Luton, where he walks around with his soul under arm. He has plenty of ambitions: he would like to become a writer, and he also appears to have a talent for it. But since he comes from a traditional Pakistani family, he is expected to become a lawyer, or a doctor. His dour father Malik (Gulvinder Khir) insists that his only son will do better in life than him and that he will not disappoint his family. When Malik also loses his job at the Vauxhall factory due to the growing economic slump under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the family expects Javed to put his writing ambitions on hold. He becomes discouraged. But then his classmate Roops (Aaron Phagura) gives him a cassette with music from ‘The Boss’; a world opens up for the boy. Finally someone who understands how he feels, who describes the barriers he encounters. And above all: who encourages him to show himself and be heard in order to follow his heart. When Javed puts on his headphones, he becomes a different person. He lands an internship at a newspaper through a teacher from school and hooks up with the passionate young political activist Eliza (Nell Williams). But that renewed self-awareness puts the relationship with his father on edge.

‘Blinded By the Light’, based on the memoir by Sarfraz Manzoor who also co-wrote the screenplay, has the same feel-good vibe that ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ has. At the same time, we are also confronted with the fact that the life of immigrants in England under Thatcher’s rule was absolutely no fun. Most confronting are the encounters with skinheads, figures that the naturally not too heroic Javed prefers to avoid with a big bow, and the visit to a friend of father Malik. While he brags that they have moved to a ‘better neighborhood’, rowdy neighborhood kids pee through the letterbox. For ‘convenience’ there is already a tarp on the carpet… How humiliating must that have been? Although the film is set in the late eighties, these kinds of racist statements, especially in view of the emergence of new extreme right groups, are suddenly quite topical again. The eighties are convincingly imitated, with clothing, hairstyles and props. But the atmosphere is also hit, which is largely due to the music. Javed’s neighbor and best friend Matt (Dean-Charles Chapman from ‘1917’) sticks to the smooth synth pop of A-Ha and Pet Shop Boys; Bruce Springsteen is something his dad (Rob Brydon) listens to! But Javed seems hypnotized by the sounds of The Boss. To give this extra power, Chadha occasionally uses almost surreal scenes. Javed who, in a raging storm, lets his writings blow away out of frustration, only to find them again at the urging of The Boss. This scene has another meaning in the story, and so does the spontaneous serenade to Eliza at the market (which only gets really hilarious when Brydon joins in). But the musical-like outburst, complete with dancers, causes some annoyance. The scene has no concrete use and does not match Springsteen’s sober, working class image (where it did fit in ‘Rocketman’, for example).

Such small slips are fortunately limited and underline that a little more ‘cutting’ could have been done to shorten the playing time. We happily forgive the film for those mistakes, if only because of the charming Viveik Kalra, who portrays Javed in an engaging and believable way: somewhat clumsy and nerdy, but with a huge gun factor. The acting is strong across the board in this dynamic film, which has its heart in the right place and is not only very entertaining, but at the same time does not shy away from providing the necessary social criticism.