Bend it Like Springsteen

In many ways Blinded by the Light is a male version of the same director’s breakthrough hit Bend it Like Beckham (2002). I don’t mean to suggest that Gurinder Chadha is repeating herself, only that she is revisiting a previous topic through a different prism.

Both films deal with transgressive activity. In Bend it Like Beckham, Parminder Nagrah is a young Sikh woman who rebels against a traditional family by playing football. In Blinded by the Light, Viveik Kalra’s rebellion comes in the form of the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Based on the memoir by Sarfraz Mansoor, Javed (Kalra) is a young man in Luton in 1987 who is keen to make his mark on the world. He wants to be a writer but in Thatcher’s Britain there aren’t many opportunities of any sort for young Asian men. In addition there is the need to provide financially for the family and to fulfil the expectations of his traditionalist father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir).

Javed’s salvation comes when he discovers The Boss. Interestingly at this point in his career Springsteen had become unfashionable for a generation of synth fans, which makes Javed’s decision doubly transgressive. But he is moved and inspired by Springsteen's lyrics and despite all opposition, with the support of an enlightened lecturer (Hayley Atwell), he finds a path to a brighter future.

The USP of Blinded by the Light is that it has Springsteen’s benediction which means they can use the music. They do tend to stick to the best known songs – it’s a bit like a short playlist on shuffle – but they are used very effectively.

Chadha’s technique of, in some cases, presenting the lyrics on screen or in the physical confines of the set is very effective and gives the audience the chance to appreciate the undoubted power of the words. In other areas she treads a fine line between a conventional jukebox musical and Bollywood but the overall combination is bright and fun.

The politics of Thatcher’s Britain form a backdrop for much of the story but for me, there wasn’t the threat that there might have been. The National Front is presented almost as an afterthought and scenes of small boys urinating through the letter boxes of Asian families seemed a little distant and formulaic. The economic hardship of Javed’s family and the working classes in general might have been explored a bit more for me.

Fundamentally though this is a Gurinder Chadha movie not a Ken Loach film. It aims to entertain first and foremost and it does that very well. The energy of the film is infectious, Kalra is a likable hero, Kulvinder Ghir gives a terrific performance as his conflicted father, and it would take a heart of stone not to be moved by the ending.

The music of course is great and if Blinded by the Light is the sort of film that we don’t make too often in this country, we should be grateful to have someone who can make them as well as Gurinder Chadha.