Directions - Gurinder Chada - Directors Research

Gurinder Chada 

Gurinder Chada is an English film director, she is known for her screenwriting and directing. Chada, was born in Kenya and has grown up in England.

I've always really enjoyed her work and she has always stood out as one of my favourite directors from a young age. I really think she does well to show how diverse culture can be and she is well known for showing the culture differences for Indian people growing up in England.

I first knew of Gurinder Chada through Bend it like Beckham, the famous film following women's football and an Indian player who's parents don't want her to play. Gurinder is also famous for films like Bride and Prejudice, Angus thongs and perfect snogging. Gurinder Chada also specialises in directing Bollywood films.

Chada is known for her humour and her coming to age films. A personal favourite of her films for me is Angus thongs and perfect snogging and Bend it like Beckham. Bend it like Beckham is he perfect feminist film, it highly features on women's football which around that time,  was not something popular of highly supported. The film was so accurate for British culture, that Tony Blair personally sent a letter to Chada praising on her for doing such an accurate job of showing the culture.

Chada has a few distinctive styles, for instance she always features as an extra in her own films, she uses this as a tool to make her films distinctive. Chada also uses voiceovers to tell you what the characters are thinking, in Blinded by the light, Bend it like Beckham and Angus, thongs and perfect snogging she uses the characters voiceover like a diary, to tell you what they're thinking and feeling. I feel this gives you a direct link to the characters, it makes you think like they're talking directly to you. I feel this is important, it makes the audience feel like they're included and keep you engaged.

Chada is incredibly good at building characters and building rapport through the characters to us, the viewers at home. After doing my research this has inspired me to ensure my characters have the same impact. Chada does this by ensuring the characters are relatable. 

Chada is also incredible at using mise en scene as a director to tell and set the story, for instance, within her newer film 'blinded by the light' which is about a young Man coming of age in the 70's and he begins living his life threw the music of Bruce Springsteen. The set, the cinematography and the characters tell you already it's set in the 70's without the audience needed to be told. 

I feel this is really important and has given me inspiration for my short film, as mine is also due in the 70's, I feel it was really important for me to see how a directors previously done this, especially so well. I will ensure that I research and especially work on the set and vision of telling the story threw props and set.