Bend It Like Beckham Essay

Over the years, there have been many stereotypes and labels put on Indians. A movie called Bend It Like Beckham was released in 2002 and it touched upon many of these assumptions. The movie uses the life of the main character to create a representation of Indian culture. The plot is based around an Indian girl named Jessminder who has a passion for soccer, but her parents make it very clear to her that they do not want her spending her time on a sport. They want her to get a good education then settle down and have a family. They remind her that her responsibilities are in the kitchen, not out in the soccer field with her friends. They expect Jessminder to find a man to marry and when she does, more problems arise due to the fact that he is not Indian, but white. The entire movie is about her trying to figure out who she is and what she wanted for herself and then going after it and making people, like her parents, understand why.
Movies, like Bend It Like Beckham, have a huge impact on how society views Indian community due to its portrayal of Indian culture and it how strict it seems. The movie hits upon many topics of Indian culture like duties and value of women in the Indian community, arranged marriages, and interracial relationships/marriage. Culture is very important in the Indian community, but in order to keep up with the surroundings and lifestyles, it is clear, especially in the movie, that modern times allow Indian youth more freedom from the traditions. Jessminder tries to keep the culture and traditions of the Indian community while integrating it with the traditions and cultures of the community around her, which is what many Indian youths around the world now struggle with.
The movie shows how in Indian community, women are valued for their maternal skills as well as their provisional skills. Jessminder’s parents make it clear that the duties of women mainly consist of cooking, cleaning, and raising the children while bringing honor to