A Love Letter to Bend It Like Beckham

Note: This AANHPI Heritage Month, we’re celebrating with a variety of pieces that honor the month. You can read more in the series here. This piece also includes some spoilers for the film. 

I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Bend It Like Beckham (2002) is a masterpiece. It’s funny, fast-paced, and a zingy, girl power-driven story that simultaneously manages to be radical and completely of its era. However, what makes it feel different from the other romantic comedies of the time is that it is centered on an Indian-British protagonist, Jess, who decides to pursue her passion for soccer despite the disapproval of her family and culture. It packs a whole lot of heart into its 112-minute runtime.  

As a child, there was very little representation for me to look to. In Hollywood, there was scant diversity to be found, and if there was a person of color, more often than not they were the sidekick with endless commentary and wisdom to offer the main character. Even when I turned to Bollywood, in all its color and joyful expression, the actresses tended to have radiant, perfect skin the color of milky tea, not exactly what I saw in the mirror. At the time, the term “colorism” was unknown to me but regardless, I felt the rejection of it. I wasn’t sure that brown girls could be pretty. To see an Indian actress with a darker complexion in Bend It Like Beckham was meaningful to me in a way I couldn’t put words to at the time. 

I recently rewatched the film at an outdoor showing with some friends who had never seen it. The park was packed, and the excitement was palpable. I was laid out on a picnic blanket, the fireflies flitting around, and the smell of bug spray was sharp in my nose. It took me back to the thrill of watching the movie years before. This time, one of the main themes that stuck out to me was the contrast between honoring where you come from and forging your own path. This was clearly illustrated in the contrast between Jess and her older sister Pinky. 

Neither of them neatly falls into a stereotypical box: Pinky, who is at first glance more rebellious, sneaking out to see her boyfriend, wants a traditional wedding and is happy to follow the well-worn path her family expects. Jess, a soccer-obsessed wallflower decides to “bend” the rules (Get it? It’s a pun! Yet, another reason to like the film) to have the chance to play professional soccer. Jess ends up pursuing a life drastically different than what her family envisions, even living abroad and pursuing a relationship with a man her parents initially disapproved of.  

Bend It Like Beckham offers a nuanced view of Jess’ parents, acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses as parents without ever falling into the “strict Indian parent” stereotype. At times her parents are exceedingly overbearing in ways that tamper their hopes and dreams, and at other times we see the safety their love and commitment clearly provide the sisters. This feeling of safety and security can be especially meaningful when living in a country that consistently makes AANHPI people feel like outsiders. The movie sidesteps stereotypes and takes the audience on a nuanced journey into the complex decisions children of immigrants face when traditional rituals and new possibilities are at odds.   

In my own experience, my parents have always been supportive of me choosing my own path, understanding that the cultural context I grew up in is different from their own. Still, I revel in the traditions I choose to participate in: beautiful jewelry; listening to my parents speaking to me in Marathi; drinking cup after cup of masala chai my mother brews for me; and adding mango pickle to all my food. But some decisions still lie before me. As I sat in that park, I reached up to touch my jhumka earrings and remembered the story my mother told me about how I’d wailed as a baby when she’d gotten my ears pierced. While it’s marked me, the pain of it lays beyond my memory just as my mother had hoped it would. It’s something I’m grateful for now but if I had a child, would I get their ears pierced when they were very young? More likely, I’d let them make their own decision when they’re older. It’s a small example, one that perhaps wouldn’t make a huge difference either way. But it’s these small choices that add up, and I’m glad to have the love of my family as I navigate them.   

The movie isn’t perfect. For one, the romantic storyline between Jess and her soccer coach doesn’t quite hold up to the test of time as it doesn’t acknowledge the power dynamics at play in a coach-player relationship. Much of the park erupted into boos during the romantic climax at the end. (“It’s okay now. I’m not your coach anymore,” says Jess’ love interest who takes every opportunity he can to pose prettily for the camera, so his cheekbones catch the light and tells her he completely understands racism because he’s Irish…yikes.) If it were a perfect movie, Jess would end up with Jules, her teammate and friend. Still, perfection from movies about underrepresented communities is an unfair burden. Let us have our escapism flicks too! They’re fun! 

So if you haven’t already seen Bend It Like Beckham, take a page out of Jess’ book and try something new: you might end up loving it as much as me.