''Bend It Like Beckham'' is a 2002

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Gurinder Chadha Gurinder Kaur Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a Kenyan-born British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme in her work showcases the trials of Indian women residing ...

from a screenplay by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra. The film stars Parminder Nagra,

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...

, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher,

Juliet Stevenson Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, (born 30 October 1956) is an English actress of stage and screen. She is known for her role in the film '' Truly, Madly, Deeply'' (1991), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Le ...

Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer and songwriter. Lewis rose to fame as a member of the girl group All Saints (group), All Saints which she formed with Melanie Blatt in 1993. As a member of All Saints, Lewi ...

and Archie Panjabi. In ''Bend It Like Beckham'', Jesminder Bhamra (Nagra) and Jules Paxton (Knightley) chase careers in professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

despite their parents' wishes. Development for the film began after Chadha, Bindra, and Berges completed the screenplay by early 2001. Nagra and Knightley were hired soon after, with casting rounded out with the additions of Meyers, Kher, Stevenson, Lewis, and Panjabi by that May.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in June 2001 and lasted until September, with filming locations including

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of Pinewood Group, the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not ...

, and

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. Production collaborated with

The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...

, while the film's title refers to

David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...

free kick technique, also known as bending. ''Bend It Like Beckham'' was theatrically released first in the United Kingdom on 12 April 2002 by Helkon SK. The film surprised critics, who praised the screenplay, light-hearted tone, and commentary on Punjabi social norms and culture. ''Bend It Like Beckham'' grossed $76.6 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing football sports film. In 2015 it was adapted into a

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

that opened at the Phoenix Theatre.

Plot

18-year-old Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra is the daughter of British Indian Punjabi

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

s living in

Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...

, London. Jess is passionate about football, but her parents do not support her interest, preferring that she focus on academics. However, she sometimes plays in the park with boys, including her best friend, Tony, who is thought to be interested in Jess. Jess's family is occupied with planning for the upcoming wedding of her older sister Pinky. Jules Paxton, a member of the Hounslow Harriers, a local women's amateur football team, notices Jess's football skills and befriends her, inviting her to try out for the team. The coach, Joe, a young Irish former player whose own career was derailed by injuries, accepts her into the team. Although Jess's parents forbid her to join the team, she continues playing in secret, claiming to have a summer job when she is actually at football practice. When Joe learns that Jess is on the team without her parents' permission, he pleads with Mr. Bhamra to allow Jess to play, but he refuses, revealing that he does not want Jess to suffer the way he did when he was excluded from a cricket club because of

anti-Indian sentiment Anti-Indian sentiment or anti-Indianism, also called Indophobia, refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination which is directed at Indian people for any variety of reasons. According to Kenyan-American academic Ali Mazrui, Indop ...

. With Pinky covering for her, Jess travels with the team to play a match in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

; the Harriers lose the match after Jess fails to score a penalty kick. When they go out clubbing in

after the match, Jules catches Joe and Jess about to kiss. This sours the two girls' friendship, as Jules is also attracted to Joe. Furthermore, Jess's parents find out she is still playing football after her father sees a newspaper article about the Hamburg match. After returning, Jess goes to Jules's house to try to reconcile their friendship but is rebuffed. Jules's mother, confused by overhearing parts of their argument out of context, thinks they are in a

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

relationship. Jess's father secretly attends one of her games and sees Jess mocked with a racial slur by an opposing player, and Joe hugging her afterward to comfort her. The Harriers qualify for the finals of the league tournament, but the championship match, with an American talent scout in attendance, is to be held on the same day as Pinky's wedding, so Jess resigns herself to missing the game. At Pinky's wedding, Jess is visibly miserable; her father tells her to go to the game so she can be happy on her sister's wedding day. The Harriers are behind 1–0 when Jess arrives, but they rally, and eventually, Jess wins the game with a free kick. The scout offers Jess and Jules sports scholarships at

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private university, private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university' ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Jules and Jess share a hug and kiss to celebrate, furthering Jules's mother's suspicions. Jess returns to the wedding, happy and able to celebrate. Jules heads to the wedding as well, being given a ride by her mother, who, upon arriving, confronts Jess and accuses her of being a hypocrite and a lesbian. Jules drags her mother away, angrily clarifying her friendship with Jess and her sexual orientation. Later that day, Jess fears her parents will not allow her to accept the scholarship. Tony, revealing he is secretly gay to Jess, decides to lie to the family and tell them he will get engaged to Jess as long as she gets to go to any college she wants. The Bhamras happily accept, but Jess immediately confesses the truth. Jess's mother ignores Jess's heartfelt speech and scolds Jess's father for letting Jess leave Pinky's wedding. Her father announces he doesn't want Jess to suffer as he did and accepts her desire to play football, eventually leading her mother to finally accept it as well. At the football field, Jess and Joe almost kiss, but Jess pulls away, saying her parents would object, and that although they had come far enough to let her go to the United States to play, she doesn't think they would be able to handle another cultural rebellion from her. On the day of Jess and Jules's flight to the United States, the two are about to board the plane when Joe arrives and confesses his love for Jess. The two kiss secretly and Jess agrees to sort out their relationship when she returns for Christmas. While at the airport, they see

with his wife Victoria, which Jules takes as a good sign. The two leave through the gate waving happily to their families. While Jess and Jules are away, they send a team photo indicating their continued success in football. Pinky is revealed to be pregnant and Mr. Bhamra gets back into playing cricket with Joe and Pinky's husband.

Cast

Additionally

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

and

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...

appear in non-speaking cameos in the airport scene at the film's conclusion, though David Beckham was portrayed by lookalike Andy Harmer due to scheduling conflicts while his wife was played by Gill Penny; the real David Beckham does appear via football archive footage and even in posters at Jess’ bedroom, alongside other Manchester United players such as

Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of footba ...

. Other players also appear via archive footage such as

Mia Hamm Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born March 17, 1972) is an American former professional Association football, soccer player, two-time Women's Football at the Summer Olympics, Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Haile ...

and Brandi Chastain in a commercial shown at Jules’ house.

Production

Gurinder Chadha co-wrote the script with Guljit Bindra and screenwriting partner Paul Mayeda Berges. Nayar and Chadha actively pursued financing for the film at

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. Having previously worked with Road Movies, a German production company on several other projects, Nayar approached them and they came on board, followed by British Screen and The Film Council. The film is loosely based on the life of Permi Jhooti. Helkon SK, formerly known as Redbus, picked up the script.

Fox Searchlight Pictures Searchlight Pictures, Inc., formerly known as Fox Searchlight Pictures, is an American arthouse film production and distribution company, which since 2019 is owned by Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Disney Entertainment segment of the ...

picked up the rights for distribution in the United States at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

. For its American cinema release it was suggested that the title of the movie be changed to ''Move It Like Mia'', as marketeers were concerned that American audience would be unfamiliar with David Beckham.

Filming

Principal photography began on 18 June 2001. A variety of locations around

and

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

were used for the nine-week shoot, with the semi-final taking place over a three-day period in

, Germany.

Casting

Chadha, who played an active role in casting, chose Parminder Nagra and

, who would play the two lead roles in the film, while Archie Panjabi and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were in early talks to join the cast.

and Anupam Kher were also in final talks.

and Frank Harper joined as Paula Paxton and Alan Paxton, mother and father of Jules. For the role of Jess's mother, Mrs Bhamra, Chadha turned to Shaheen Khan, whom she had previously cast in '' Bhaji on the Beach''. Anupam Kher, a

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

actor, was cast as Mr Bhamra, Jess's father. Chadha worked with

and ended up casting actual players from a variety of school teams.

Release

Theatrical

''Bend It Like Beckham'' was released theatrically on 12 April 2002 by Redbus Film Distribution. The film then received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 12 March 2003 by

. When originally released in the United Kingdom, it topped the country's box office for the next three weekends, before being overtaken by '' About a Boy''.

Home media

The film was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

and

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

on 18 November 2002 in Europe by

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...

and released on 30 September 2003 in the United States by

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Home Entertainment (previously known as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC. and also known as 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment) was a home video distribution arm that distributes films produced by 20th Century Stud ...

. Among the DVD bonus features, several scenes did not make the final release. Some include dialogue from Pinky's friends and from Jules, as well as her mother meeting Kevin and his friends outside a shop, which would have been helpful, as Kevin is mentioned three times but is never seen. On the North American ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' video charts, the film entered the top ten of the Top DVD Sales and Top DVD Rentals charts, at number six on Top VHS Sales, and number seven on Top VHS Rentals. In the United Kingdom, it was the sixth most-watched film of 2003 on

subscription television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...

, with 810,000 viewers on Sky Premier that year. It was later the most-watched film on UK television during the first half of 2005, with viewers on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

during that period. Combined, the film drew at least UK viewership during 2003 and 2005. The film was released on Blu-ray by VIA VISION of Australia in October 2024.

Reception

Critical response

''Bend It Like Beckham'' surprised critics and met with mostly positive reviews. Review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

gives the film a score of 85% based on 154 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The consensus states, "Inspiring, compassionate, and with a sly undercurrent of social commentary, ''Bend It Like Beckham'' is a lively feel-good movie that genuinely charms."

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

gave the movie a score of 66 based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' noted that the film "was really full of easy humor, an impeccable sense of milieu that is the result of knowing the culture intimately enough to poke fun at it while understanding its underlying integrity." ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

'' noted the film's social context, saying, " tis really about the bending of rules, social paradigms and lives – all to finally curl that ball, bending it like Beckham, through the goalpost of ambition ... The creeping divide shows that Britain is changing, but hasn't quite changed yet. The stiff upper lip has traveled miles from the time Chadha's father was denied a pint at some pubs at Southall, but like dollops of coagulated spice in badly stirred curry, discrimination crops up to spoil the taste, every now and then, in multi-racial Britain." ''Planet Bollywood'' gave the film a mark of 9 out of 10: the "screenplay not only explores the development of Jess as a person, but also the changing values and culture of NRI teens: Jess's urge to break the social norm of the Indian home-maker, her sister's (Archie Punjabi) sexually active relationship, and the gay Indian ony, played by Ameet Chana" ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'' argued, "If ever there is a film that is positive, realistic and yet delightful, then it has to be Dream Production's latest venture directed by Gurinder Chadha... Light-hearted, without taking away the considerable substance in terms of values, attitudes and the love for sport, the film just goes to prove that there are ways to be convincing and honest." Jamie Russell at the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and argued that "Mr Beckham ought to be proud to have his name on such a great film." The British film was distributed by iDream Productions in India, and went on to set the record in India for most tickets sold during a single weekend for a foreign movie. ''Bend it Like Beckham'' has also been favorably received by LGBTQ+ community members and press, with one reviewer from ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' noting its discussion of queer themes and symbolic queer undertones. The reviewer also shares: "Keira Knightley told PrideSource that she wants a lesbian ''Bend it Like Beckham'' sequel and agreed that her and Parminder's characters should've ended up together."

Box office

In the United Kingdom, the film grossed over £11million, making it one of the highest-grossing

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

/ Asian-themed British films. With in US box office revenue, ''Bend It Like Beckham'' became the highest-grossing Indian-themed film in the United States since ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

'' (1982). At the time of its release, ''Bend It Like Beckham'' became the highest-grossing

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

themed

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus of the plot. D ...

in the United States; it remains the third highest-grossing film there in this genre (behind '' Kicking & Screaming'' and ''

She's the Man ''She’s the Man'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy teen sports film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Twe ...

''). The film grossed worldwide.

Accolades

Wins

* 2004 Pyongyang Film Festival: Music Prize * 2002 Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema: Best actress, Special Jury Prize, Audience Award * 2002

British Comedy Awards The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...

: Best comedy film * 2003 ESPY Awards: Best Sports Movie ESPY Award * 2004

GLAAD Media Awards The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...

: Outstanding Film – Wide Release

Nominations

* 2006 Billie Award – ''Entertainment'' (Best film) * 2004

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

– Best Screenplay * 2003

British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

– Best British Film * 2003 Golden Globe for Best Film – Musical or Comedy * 2002

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

: Audience Award –

* 2002 London Film Critics Circle Awards: British Newcomer of the Year –

* 2002 International Film Festival of Marrakech: Special Jury Award – Gurinder Chadha * 2003

National Board of Review of Motion Pictures The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the awards season, film award ...

: Special Recognition * 2002

Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. , the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Histo ...

: PRIX UIP – Gurinder Chadha * 2003 The Comedy Festival: Film Discovery Jury Award – Gurinder Chadha

Soundtrack

The U.K. soundtrack release features bhangra music, and songs by the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...

and

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...

and rock band

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. It also features "Baddest Ruffest" by Backyard Dog, the aria '' Nessun Dorma'', from

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, s ...

's ''

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

'' and excerpts from dance band Basement Jaxx. The U.S. soundtrack release rearranges the tracks and excludes some material. ''"Dream the Dream"'' by

and Amar's Hindi cover of ''"Jennifer Rush's The Power Of Love"'' appears in the film along with another Hindi cover of ''"The Power Of Love"'' with male vocals that appears in the ending credits but these tracks are absent from both of the soundtrack releases.

(U.K.) Release

# Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Titles" # Blondie – " Atomic" # Backyard Dog – "Baddest Ruffest" # B21 – "Darshan" # (Movie Dialogue) – "It's Beckham's Corner" #

– "I Wish" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Learn To Cook Dahl" # Malkit Singh – "Jind Mahi" #

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997), also known by his initials NFAK, was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. Khan was primarily a singer of qawwali, a form of Sufi devot ...

– "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" # Bally Sagoo Feat Gunjan – "Noorie" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Juicy Juicy Mangoes" # Basement Jaxx – " Do Your Thing" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Eyes Down" #

– " Inner Smile" #

– "Independence Day" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Can't Make Round Chapattis" #

Hans Raj Hans Hans Raj Hans is an Indian singer and politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a recipient of the civilian honour of Padma Shri. He sings Punjabi folk and Sufi music as well as in movies and has also released his own 'Pun ...

– "Punjabiyan Di Shaan" # Gunjan – "Kinna Sohna" # Tito Beltrán – " Nessun Dorma" # (Movie Dialogue) – "The Offside Rule Is" # Bina Mistry – "Hot Hot Hot" # Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Hai Raba!" #

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

– " Move on Up"

(U.S.) Release

# Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Titles" #(Movie Dialogue) – "It's Beckham's Corner" #

– " Inner Smile" # Malkit Singh – "Jind Mahi" # Bally Sagoo Feat Gunjan – "Noorie" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Learn To Cook Dahl" #

– "I Wish" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Juicy Juicy Mangoes" # Gunjan – "Kinna Sohna" # Partners in Rhyme (featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) – "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Can't Make Round Chapattis" #

– "Independence Day" # B21 – "Darshan" # (Movie Dialogue) – "Eyes Down" # Bina Mistry – "Hot Hot Hot" # Blondie – " Atomic" # Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Hai Raba!" # Tito Beltrán – " Nessun Dorma"

North Korean broadcast

To mark the tenth anniversary of North Korea's relations with the United Kingdom, an edited version of ''Bend It Like Beckham'' was broadcast on

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n state television on 26 December 2010,

Boxing Day Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...

. The British Ambassador to South Korea, Martin Uden, said it was the "first-ever Western-made film to air on television" in North Korea.

Stage musical

A stage musical version of the film opened at London's Phoenix Theatre in June 2015. On 7 May 2019 it was announced that the stage production, which debuted in London's West End, would have its North American premiere in Toronto, with a limited run at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts' Bluma Appel Theatre beginning in December 2019.

References

External links