Customer Reviews

Bhaji on the Beach [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What does it mean to be Indian women in today's Britain? "Bhaji on the Beach" follows a intergenerational group of transmigrant Indian women in the UK as they organize for a day at the seashore. En route they address racism, sexism, and changing culture in ways sometimes humorous, sometimes in-your-face brash, sometimes frightening, sometimes poignant. The range of women -- young feminist organizer, recent bride, young mother, middle-class housewives, traditional grandmothers,sexually awakening teens -- and the the issues addressed make the film both emotionally engaging and thought provoking. The outing that is the central occasion in the film touches off a series of moral and cultural dilemmas for these women. Through vignettes, the contradictions (often quite funny) faced by the women unfold. The generations unexpectedly come together around wife battering and community responses to it. Fine acting, deft directing.

This movie is a very good attempt by Meera Syal and Gurinder Chadha to show how Indian women try to embrace new cultural ideals while retaining traditions of the past. The women not only suffer from racism in white England, but also sexism within their own culture.

However the narrative seems to be somewhat underdeveloped. It doesn't seem to go indepth with the different characters. For instance I would have like to have learned a little more about the older aunt, Asha, who hallucinates about the clashes between Indian mores and Western influences. The histories of younger teenagers Madhu and Bina, as well as the abused Ginder and her husband, should have been a little more insightful.

The only aspect of the movie I really liked is the relationship between Hashida and her Jamaican boyfriend, played very well by Mo Sesay, who doesn't hesitate to show emotion towards a life altering decision.

Nonetheless, throughout the movie it can be noticed that all the women have experiences that changes her way of thinking towards theirselves and society to some degree. This is probably what the screenwriter and director of this movie wanted to convey to the audience. All and all, this is a very decent movie to watch.

If there is a movie for any Westerner who is into road trip movies and interested in seeing international movies but afraid of subtitles, this is a wonderful start. The director Ms. Chadha is a great storyteller. Her tapestry of female characters, riding a bus to an amusement park to get away from the opposite sex in order to be in touch with themselves, weaves together a splendid film. The group of Indian-British women characters of various generations, professions and ages reminds me of the strong Asian women characters in "The Joy Luck Club," where the women find strength in each other by just bonding--simply spending time together. Not to say that "Beaches" and "The Color Purple" are bad examples. Those two films are great too. But it's rare to have movies about women, especially women of color with whose cultures sometimes restrict them in their goals and dreams. Even just everyday stuff like racism and sexism and male-female relationships (which the characters discuss while on the road) isn't always a unanimous decision. Also, the movie reminds me of Spike Lee's "Get On The Bus," another movie of a group of a people of color of one gender(African-American men)also of various ages, generations, and professions find strength in each other on their bus trip en route to Washington DC. These men bond together while agreeing and disagreeing about sexism, racism, etc. Plus also getting away from the opposite sex in their bus road trip because incidently, they're going to the Million Man March.

The bus road trip in "Bhaji On The Beach" isn't as politically based "Get On The Bus," but it does have spiritual growth merit with the travelers on board both trips.

I know I didn't get too much with my review of "Bhaji On The Beach," but if you liked my comparison of the movie with "The Joy Luck Club" and "Get On The Bus," please WATCH IT. It's a very good movie. In fact, watch all three of them. You'll won't be disappointed.

This is such a great movie that I can't believe that no one has written a review before now.

Essentially, the action takes place over a single day. A group of women take a holiday to the beach and through a series of events, come to understand the power and comfort of unity with each other.

Each woman represents a different aspect of the experience of diaspora Indian womanhood; ranging from the fully acculturated (which comes with it's own set of problems) youth to the older more conservatively "Indian" generation. There is even a charcter (my favorite) who is a disillusioned middle-aged woman who sees life through a Bollywood lense.

The film tackels race, caste, class, and the typical conflict between the old and the new, and does it in a way that is very moving. Extremely, highly, recommended.

I was surprised, like the critic before me, that BHAJI ON THE BEACH was not more frequently reviewed. This is one of the early films from director Gurinder Chadha's (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE) repertoire. Released in the United States in 1994, it takes a modern day look at the struggles and challenges faced by a multi-generational group of Indo-English women. Very important and thought-provoking topics are covered here, including domestic abuse, interracial dating, and pregnancy. The life-altering events take place during a holiday weekend at a beach resort in Blackpool, for which the women, as seemingly different as they are, must come together to support and encourage one another. Especially notable is the late, great Sarita Khajuria, a beautiful actress best known for her role as Hashida in BHAJI. Don't miss out on this one.

and it only contains films I want to share with friends. Well done movies like this put me in them and Indian culture is particularly fascinating to me. I found it's humor sophisticated but not too. Overall it was unforgetable and I always smile when I think of Bhaji on the Beach.