Gurinder Chadha has quite a CV. As well as accolades for her numerous ground breaking documentaries and award-winning dramas, she received a BAFTA nomination for her first feature, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’. Another BAFTA nomination followed (as well as a Golden Globe nomination for best picture, a European Academy nomination for best picture and a Writer’s Guild of America nomination for Best Original Screenplay) for her second – ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ (and she’s basically responsible for the American Women’s World Cup win too, after the team all said that they only got into soccer after watching the film). She went on to make the wonderful ‘Bride and Prejudice’, ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Afterlife’. Then came the sumptuous, critically acclaimed ‘Viceroy’s House’ and ‘Blinded by The Light’. No wonder the BFI called her the ‘U.K.’s most prolific female director working today’.
Her early career aspirations, aged five, were of being a long-distance lorry driver (it was the freedom of the open road and being able to pop into any service station and buy what she wanted that appealed), luckily, her affinity for stories prevailed and today, Gurinder is one of the most acclaimed screenwriters and directors out there.
Despite a deep, deep love of The Specials (she appeared on TOTP with them), her musical hero is The Boss; maybe it’s the trailblazing pioneer aspect that she and Mr Springsteen share. Perhaps it’s the imaginative and honest stories both bring to the world. Maybe she just loves his music. Either way, she’s brilliant, and she’s here at Snapper – imagine what she’ll do with commercials? We cannot wait to see what’s next.
Wants everything done: Yesterday.
Favourite quote from one of her films: “No one wins unless we all win”
-Javed Quoting Bruce, Blinded by the Light