Director Gurinder Chadha, best known for Bend It Like Beckham, has spoken out about the challenges of securing funding for films with diverse leads.
Chadha, who is British-Kenyan with Indian heritage, says that financiers often show reluctance to back projects featuring people of color in leading roles, viewing them as “less commercial.”
Despite her breakthrough success with Bend It Like Beckham, which grossed £60 million against a modest budget of £3.5 million, Chadha finds it difficult to attract funding for her current projects.
Her upcoming film, Christmas Karma, a modern adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, stars Kunal Nayyar, known for The Big Bang Theory, in the role of Scrooge.
With this project, she continues her mission to showcase diverse stories, often focusing on the Asian community and actors.
Chadha expressed disappointment at the industry’s slow progress toward meaningful diversity, saying, “People talk about diversity…but in practice, I don’t think it’s where I would have liked to have seen it by this time.”
Speaking on BBC Radio London, she emphasized the need for industry support to “move the dial” on representation, adding, “It’s all about money…I just think that financiers are very cautious.”
The British Film Institute (BFI) has acknowledged the imbalance in representation and outlined efforts to improve diversity through its National Lottery funding.
In 2023/24, 44% of directors awarded production funding identified as Black or Global Majority, exceeding their target. However, the numbers remain lower for writers and producers.
Chadha remains hopeful that Christmas Karma, which also features actors Hugh Bonneville and Eva Longoria, will resonate with audiences.
The film, which she describes as her “Bend It Like Santa” project, explores themes of identity, Britishness, and national values—concepts she previously explored in Bend It Like Beckham.
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