Bhaji, une balade à Blackpool

I found this film thoroughly watchable, and compulsive viewing. I think this was mainly because of the believable main characters, a group of Asian women.

The film itself is a compendium of stories, each person having their own set of problems.

The main cast are members of the "Saheli Women's Group" on a day trip to Blackpool. There is Ginder, a battered wife who has left her husband, a young girl who is pregnant by her black boyfriend, two old women stuck in the past, a vampish "mutton dressed as lamb", and two teenagers chasing boys.

There are some nasty reminders of the prejudice in our society, such as an encounter with louts in a Service Station. There are also some amusing scenes, the teenagers ridiculing their elders for example, yet the mood swings very quickly one way and another, as they are pursued by Ginder's husband and brothers, picnic on the beach, make friends with the locals, and visit a nightclub.

The film's main weakness is the number of issues that it tries to address, it's strength the "ordinariness" of the actors, who could each fill their roles in real life.

On a scale 0-10 7. Expect to be drawn in rather than entertained.

This could've been a very nice movie, but it was such a letdown and I regret wasting 110mi utes if my life.

I wasn't a fan of Chadha's more recent movie Bend it like beckham, which I cant stress enough just does not at all match up to the quality of this film. Old certainly IS gold, as Bhaji On The Beach clearly demonstrates, focusing on the variety of problems faced by the many characters involved and not just one leading character's problems. This is certainly what makes the movie interesting at all times. Everyone has their own issues in which to deal with and not a single uninteresting second goes by. Theres always something that holds your attention, makes you laugh or sympathise with the character(s) concerned. The combination of the excellent, upbeat dance-orientated music (which was dominant at the time in contrast to today's rubbish), colourful scenes of Blackpool pleasure beach, humour and grim reality makes this a film definitely worth watching. I urge any one interested in this genre of movies to watch this. A fantastic film that whole-heartedly deserves 10/10. It's a shame they don't makes movies like this anymore.

This an excellent 'under the radar' film that keeps the viewer interested all the way through from start to finish. A mixed group of Indian women from Birmingham take a day trip to Blackpool to see the illuminations.They each have their own issues and problems which are gradually revealed and played out as the film progresses.

The sensitivities of sexism, mixed-relationships, multiculturalism, racial bigotry and inter-generational difficulties are all explored in this film.The writer has woven some interesting sub plots into the main story and they all come together quite well. There is only so much that can be crammed into a film lasting just over 100 minutes, but the crowded story-line has been carefully thought through, and thus does not fall apart, despite the various topics and themes. It is a good film and I would watch it again.

Gurinder Chadha, in the setting of England and with people of Indian background, has made an excellent movie about racism, sexism and the difference in viewpoints among generations. It is applicable to all people. Using the device of a group of "Asian Women" going from Birmingham to Blackpool for a one-day holiday, she includes stories about wife beating, unmarried pregnancy, loneliness, religious and cultural conservatism, and the most basic: sexual attraction. One of the most striking things about the movie, other than the intensity of the stories, is that no time is wasted. Despite the rather large number of characters, all are adequately described, and the stories are completely told. There is not one moment in the movie that I would modify. It is excellent: four stars out of four. I am looking forward to more movies and stories from Ms. Chadha.