Imagine being born into a family where cultures as well as overprotective parents stop you from following your dream. The film, Bend it like Beckham gives an insight into the life of Jesminder Bhamra, a typical Indian girl with a passion for football. Being raised in a family with a strong sense of culture, Jess was unable to achieve her main goal in life which was to pursue a professional career in football, as it went against the laws and traditions of her Indian heritage. Having overprotective parents who were raised learning the ways of a typical Indian lifestyle also made it difficult for Jess to follow her dream of playing football professionally. Director Gurinder Chadha uses film techniques such as props, camera shots, costumes, and lighting effectively to help convey the many obstacles and challenges Jess is faced with.
The director uses camera shots as well as props effectively to portray the clash between the worlds of football and Jess’s Indian heritage. This is evident in the scene where Jess is practicing her skills using a cabbage, whilst her mother is cooking chapattis and getting irritated at her for not being able to cook a full traditional Indian dinner. Instead of paying any attention as to how to cook a traditional meal, she uses the cabbage as a soccer ball to practice her soccer skills. Through Jess’s body language the audience gets the feeling of how Jess is struggling to balance her family’s Indian culture and the world of English Soccer. The camera shot of Mrs Bhamra forward looking back at her daughter also gives the audience an idea of how Mrs Bhamra is aware of the many changes Jess has made growing into becoming a young adult with a passion for football. The use of camera shot as well as props in this particular scene gives the audience an idea of the many obstacles Jess encounters.