Gurinder Chadha

Gurinder Chadha Biography

Gurinder Chadha is a British film director of Indian origin. She is most known for the Indians for the movies - Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride and Prejudice (2004). The lead role of Bride and Prejudice was done by Aishwarya Rai. Other noted works include - It's a Wonderful Afterlife (2010), Bhaji on the Beach (1993) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). Bend it Like Beckham was the highest grossing British-financed, British- distributed film, ever in the UK box-office, prior to Slumdog Millionaire. She wrote the screenplay for The Mistress of Spices (2005).

Gurinder Chadha was born in Nairobi, Kenya to Indian Sikh parents. She was born in January 10, 1960. When she was two years old, the family moved to London. She attended Clifton Primary School and completed graduation from University of East Anglia. She joined London College of Printing in 1984 to get a post-graduate diploma in radio journalism. A radio reporter at BBC was her first job. She moved to television and cinema in the year 1993. During this period, she directed documentaries for the British Film Institute, BBC and Channel Four. Many of them won awards as well. In 1990, Chadha set up a production company, Umbi Films. She shot her first shot film - Nice Arrangement (1991) about a British Asian wedding. She has mentioned that Bollywood patriotic movie, Purab aur paschim has influenced a lot in her movie making.

Her first feature film was ‘Bhaji on the beach’, released in 1993. Her debut movie won numerous international awards including a BAFTA Nomination for 'Best British Film of 1994'. It also won Evening Standard British Film Award for 'Best Newcomer to British Cinema'. In 1995, she directed ‘Rich Deceiver’, a two-part drama for the BBC, a work for which she was widely appreciated. As a film director, her other works include – ‘What's Cooking?’, ‘What Do You Call an Indian Woman Who's Funny?’ and ‘Paris, je t'aime.’

Published: N/A

Updated: January 20, 2014