Gurinder Chadha Says Identity Politics Still Shadows Her Career: “Someone Like Me Isn’t Seen as a Filmmaker in the West”
Image source: IANS
Globally renowned British-Indian filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, celebrated for reshaping Western cinema with authentic South Asian narratives, has offered a candid insight into the cultural challenges she continues to navigate even today. Speaking exclusively to IANS, Chadha reflected on how identity politics persistently follow her work — despite decades of global acclaim.
“I am always conscious of the fact that someone like me doesn’t look like what filmmakers typically look like in the West,” she said, acknowledging how her very presence behind the camera becomes a political statement. “Someone like me, or like my parents, has had to struggle to be seen for who we truly are. Just the fact that I am making films in Britain is a political act.”
Chadha, whose filmmaking legacy includes Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, and Viceroy’s House, said that Indian voices in Western cinema continue to be boxed into limiting perceptions. The filmmaker noted that despite her proven commercial and critical success, Indian stories are still viewed with scepticism by Western studios.
“There is still this perception that if you cast an Indian actor in the lead in a Western movie, it won’t be commercially successful,” she said. “I am constantly being put into boxes by others, and I am constantly breaking out of those boxes and bending the rules.”
As she prepares for the release of her upcoming holiday film The Christmas Karma, Chadha seems poised once again to challenge stereotypes and defy conventional expectations. The film stars Hollywood’s popular Indian-origin actor Kunal Nayyar and features a unique musical treat — a Bollywood-style rendition of the classic ‘Last Christmas,’ sung by global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Chadha’s cross-cultural filmography has long been a bridge between worlds. From Bend It Like Beckham, which became a global sensation, to Bride and Prejudice, which brought Bollywood spectacle to international audiences, she has remained one of the strongest cultural ambassadors for Indian narratives on the global screen.
With The Christmas Karma releasing on December 12, Chadha is once again opening doors for more inclusive filmmaking, proving that authentic stories resonate universally — regardless of the boxes imposed by industry gatekeepers.
Our Final Thoughts
Gurinder Chadha’s reflections reveal an industry still grappling with cultural bias — but also a filmmaker who refuses to let that define her boundaries. With The Christmas Karma, she continues her lifelong mission of carving space for authentic Indian narratives in global cinema. Her journey reminds us that representation is not a trend but a long-fought battle, and filmmakers like her remain crucial to expanding the world’s cinematic imagination.