Bhaji on the Beach (1993)

A group of women of Indian descent take a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool. The women vary in ages from mid-teens to old, and initially ... See full summary »

Director:

Gurinder Chadha

Writers:

Gurinder Chadha (story), Meera Syal (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Kim Vithana, Jimmi Harkishin, Sarita Khajuria

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kim Vithana	...	Ginder
Jimmi Harkishin	...	Ranjit
Sarita Khajuria	...	Hashida
Akbar Kurtha	...	Manjit
Mo Sesay	...	Oliver
Lalita Ahmed	...	Asha
Shaheen Khan	...	Simi
Zohra Sehgal	...	Pushpa
Amer Chadha-Patel	...	Amrik
Nisha Nayar	...	Ladhu
Renu Kochar	...	Madhu
Surendra Kochar	...	Bina
Souad Faress	...	Rekha
Tanveer Ghani	...	Balbir
Peter Cellier	...	Ambrose Waddington

Storyline

A group of women of Indian descent take a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool. The women vary in ages from mid-teens to old, and initially have little in common. But the events of the day lead them to better mutual understanding and solidarity.

---

Plot Keywords:

england | f rated | generation gap | seaside | tradition versus modernity | 

---

Taglines:

A day to set yourself free!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and a scene of domestic abuse

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Punjabi

Release Date:

May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bhaji na Praia

Filming Locations:

Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$735,192

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Umbi Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although meant to be set in Birmingham, the women's centre is filmed in Merrick Road, Southall. On their way to Blackpool the bus can be seen driving on Western Road, Southall. The service station purporting to be on the M6 is actually the Heston Services M4 westbound. Finally the enterance to the M6 which all the characters drive on is the Hayes bypass in Middlesex.

---

Goofs

There is no consistent "Brummie" accent (West Midlands UK) throughout from the main characters.

---

Connections

Featured in Goodness Ungracious Me! (2002)

---

Soundtracks

Ciddha Wich Kurhi Vekko
Performed by Bhujhangy
Composed by K Bhambra/R Dillon
Courtesy of Keda Records

User Reviews

bhaji on the beach impresses

watching bhaji on the beach is a charming experience. gurinder chadha's debut movie is a wonderful display of her obvious talents in presenting a pleasant picture of the indian diaspora without sugar-coating it. conflicts related to gender, generation and race abound, but the film never gets depressing. full of characters and fuller of huge variety in background music, it creates an upbeat, captivating atmosphere.

chadha's latest film, bend it like beckham simply cannot match upto the charms of bhaji on the beach. while the former is more commercially driven, the latter is an honest, cheeky and ultimately endearing experience. from the inquisitive shots of a busy carnival to the innocently affable punjabi songs the women sing on the bus, the first-time director has done a brilliant job in this socio-cultural amalgam of more than half-a-dozen important characters.

strongly recommended for anyone who likes 'slice of life' movies. its been ten years since gurinder chadha made this film. several movies have been made on the NRI experience, but only two have matched up to its brilliance - east is east and leela. bhaji on the beach is a must-see.

7.25/10