Blinded by the Light – Review

Blinded by the Light

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha

Runtime: 117 born to run minutes

I’m not adverse to musical theatre, but musical films are not my cup of tea. If you’re going to regale me, at least give me an excuse to leave the house. Blinded by the Light is not really a musical, but its title is an allusion to the Bruce Springsteen song, and the film heavily features the music of Springsteen and the E Street Band. This sets the audio backdrop to an English coming of age story against the tumultuous background of a Tory re-election campaign and tough economic climate without much empathy for people of non-Caucasian backgrounds. But it’s not so much a depressing film as it is an honest and hopeful one, reaching for triumph instead of accepting defeat. Sometimes you’ve just got to stick your headphones in and run.

Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra) is a young man of Indian descent growing up in Luton, England with his two sisters and traditional parents. He lets us know that “Luton is a four-letter word”. He loves to write, specifically poetry and lyrics, and he wants to ride that writing out of Luton and into a better life. This does not sit well with his father (Kulvinder Ghir), who advises that Javed cosy up to the Jewish kids at school, because they are the smart ones, and to not get distracted by girls (“Let me take care of that”). Blinded by the Light is the story of Javed’s personal revolution, as he decides which parts of his family life and culture to accept as they seemingly clash with his discovery of Bruce Spingsteen, girls and countries that he isn’t so sure will reject him based on his appearances as his father is.

Blinded by the Light is directed by Gurinder Chadha, who is perhaps best known for the likes of Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). Beckham not only impressed us with Keira Knightley as a star but left such an impression that it was shown to my English class only a year after its release. For something to have such a recognisable cultural impact so immediately is unusual. Chadha, herself, was born in Nairobi, and I think it is her understanding of diaspora and colonialism that allows her work to find such value in “unusual” cultural connections that resonate beyond the reductive idea of “Indians in Britain”. In Blinded by the Light, Chadha has latched onto the idea of specific Indians in Britain who are shaken to the core by American music. The more specific you dive, the more universal your story, and Chadha understands that about as well any filmmaker working today.

Viveik Kalra is perfectly charming in the lead role. I spent a portion of the movie wondering “Why him?” Not because he isn’t talented or is off-putting in the role, but simply because he seems almost “too natural” in the role. But this comfort creates an endearing portrayal of Javed, and when it comes time to do the heavy lifting in the big emotional scenes, it is apparent why this actor was chosen. The most powerful performance in the entire film belongs to Kulvinder Ghir as Malik, the patriarch of Javed’s family. He manages to encapsulate the conservatism of this traditional Indian father, but sometimes make it funny, sometimes bittersweet, sometimes frustrating, but never to the point where you dislike him. You understand that Malik Khan is trying to do what is best for his family, and while his reach is overbearing, it comes out of a fear of not being all he can be, as opposed to a desire for control. That’s a hard lesson for Javed to learn, but even harder for Malik. The scenes where Malik dresses up in a suit to go and look for whatever work he can get are heartbreaking, as is the scene where his ability to provide is challenged by his son.

This is not a two-actor show. Meera Ganatra plays Noor, Javed’s mother and Malik’s wife. She is not just a passive subject for Malik to act upon. She plays a deliberate role in holding her family together, and when it comes time for accountability, she is not afraid to usurp her husband’s position as family head. Nikita Mehta plays Javed’s younger sister, Shazia. She’s undergoing her own transformation and discoveries. It shows her trust in Javed when she reveals to him that she has been ditching school to go to Asian underground raves—pop-up parties during the day where young people from otherwise completely separate cultures can come together and experience themselves in ways that internal and external pressures will not usually allow. There is a whole sociological study of Orientalism there, although the same thing happens in many African cultures, as well. And hell, I wagged school.

Nell Williams is perfectly likable as Eliza, Javed’s love interest, who sees a lot in the young man, and is perhaps even more patient with him than he deserves. Aaron Phagura plays Roops, who introduces Javed to Springsteen, and is sort of a “good bad influence”. He is the cool Indian kid at school, but he is living in the same England as Javed. Dean-Charles Chapman plays Matt, a far less likable friend of Javed’s, and seems to expect a lot of Javed, as some friends do. But he’s got his own struggles, and when Javed hurts him, it hurts him deep. Rob Brydon plays Matt’s dad and Javed’s part-time boss, a man that is perhaps nicer to women and acquaintances than he is his son.

Chadha is not afraid of infusing her films with an unabashed and unbridled joy. It can be a little bit jarring at first. A corny scene where Javed breaks into borrowed song for Eliza becomes a public performance as Rob Brydon humourously joins in, as opposed to reprimanding Javed for cutting into work time. The technique of blasting certain lyrics on the screen as Javed sings to himself in other scenes was something I initially wanted to reject, but the overall aesthetic is a decision that I can ultimately respect. Chadha gives off the impression that she really does not care whether you feel like being bombarded with “The Boss”.

Blinded by the Light is far from sunshine, roses and turnpikes. The family drama is tense. When an adolescent boy decides he wants to embrace his liberal freedoms and a conservative father absolutely rejects them, something must give. The film is set during a Margaret Thatcher re-election campaign as England is going through a lot of racial unrest (my, how things have changed). A white supremacist rally is announced, which tears through Luton as the Khan family are on their way to a wedding. The anticipation of violence is palpable in these scenes. I’ll leave it for you to see what happens, but it is in these scenes that Chadha gives us one of my favourite shots in cinema for a long, long time. A character stands underneath a black-and-white billboard promoting Thatcher’s re-election, her arm extended in a “wave” that reads more like a salute, and a message preaching the unification of Britain. Yeah, right.

Lovers of action may not be able to bite into Blinded by the Light. If people have a distinct aversion to Springsteen’s music, then they also might want to stay clear of cinemas while this is playing, as opposed to waiting to catch it on a streaming service later. I haven’t spoken much about Springsteen’s music in relation to this film. It’s not because I don’t like Springsteen. Honestly, as much as Springsteen means to the young gentlemen in this film, it’s not really about Springsteen. It’s about discovering something you are passionate that you allow transform you. Appreciators of the kind of cinema that wants to transform you should find something to appreciate in Blinded by the Light.