Representation Of Sikhism In The Movie Bend It Like Beckham
Movies and music are impactful forms of media that allow people to connect to their religious beliefs and it can represent religion in a different light that has never been seen before. These forms of media can promote and challenge religious issues in the world today. In this paper, I will discuss how some forms of media may accurately represent religion and how others may poorly represent religious issues.
A form of media that portrays an accurate representation of a specific religion, is the movie, Bend it Like Beckham. This movie is about a Sikh family who lives in London, and the daughter in the family, Jess Bhamra, dreams to play professional soccer. However, her parents forbid her to play because she is a girl. Throughout the movie, we see how Jess goes against her family’s insistence that she should follow the more traditional path for young women, which is to go to a university and get a job. According to Algeo (2007), Jess struggles to accommodate to “traditional Sikh values with life in modern Britain” and we see her sneaking around and finding any way possible to play soccer on a local women’s team without her family’s knowledge. This film shows an accurate representation of the separation between different cultures and the typical experience of immigrants who come to London.
I will discuss how, Bend it Like Beckham, accurately represents the Sikh community and how we see traditional Sikh values and custom portrayed in the film. In the film, there are some visual clues that clarify the family’s Sikh identity, such as, that Jess’s father wears a turban.
A practicing Sikh will wear the turban because they can not cut their hair, it is a religious requirement. A piece of clothing that we see Mrs. Bhamra typically wears is a salwar kamiz which is a traditional dress for Punjabi women. According to Algeo (2007), this dress consists of “trousers and a long tunic, with a dupatta, or scarf, over the shoulders or head.” There is a portrait of Guru Nanak, who is the founder of Sikhism, who is hung in Bhamra’s living room. In one scene of the film, we see Mrs. Bhamra’s lecture Jess for wearing shorts and playing soccer with boys. According to Algeo (2007), as Mrs. Bhamra is lecturing her we see the portrait of the Guru and “her stance mirrors that of the guru whose hand is raised in benediction.” It seems that the Guru’s main role in the house is made apparent by the way family members turn to the portrait at times whenever there is tension.
Also, when Jess receives a letter regarding her exam scores, ritually she and her parents stand in front of the Guru painting and pray as they are about to open the letter. Lastly, in Jess’s bedroom, she has a poster of the famous soccer player, David Beckham. We see that Jess reveals her hopes and problems to the Beckham poster, and ironically his head is shaven which is the complete opposite of the Sikh practice of not having uncut hair.
In the film, Jess Bharama seems to be conflicted between choosing to become part of the modern British culture or sticking to the traditional values of her Sikh family. Jess does dress like any young, British teenager, however, her parents want her to stick to Sikh norms for young women. This is to dress conservatively, get a university degree, and pursue a career, and eventually get married. Jess’s uncertainty of which culture to belong to is symbolic of the immigrant experience. Bend it Like Beckham is about integration of cultures, common experiences, and struggles. The film accurately represents Sikhism and the traditions and values of a Sikh family.
Another form of media, music, that may poorly represent religion and could be controversial, is Kanye West’s new music as an up and coming gospel artist. The controversy is that Kanye’s display of his Christian faith in his new music, specifically his new album “Jesus Is Kind,” seems to be more about him than about Jesus. However, some say that Kanye has changed traditional gospel music to more of a contemporary and modern style. This can be seen as a positive way of attracting a younger audience.
Kanye West can be seen as narcissistic and self-centered to some people and these aspects of his personality could come across through his music. For example, According to Chow, Tobi Oredein, writing in Premier Christianity magazine, points out that the choir of people he hires for his Sunday Service performances are “not only singing his songs, but are all dressed in his apparel. Is Christ really at the center of this gathering?” This can show that Kanye seems to care a little too much about his brand of clothing being represented, rather than having Christ being the center of attention in his performance. According to Burns, in an interview, Kanye discussed his business success and his wealth and how “God is using me … to show off. Kanye West works for God, and he about to show out.” We can see how Kanye talks about himself in almost this 3rd person narrative, to show himself off that he had been chosen by God to send his messages and beliefs.
On the contrary, according to Chow, a Grammy-nominated gospel singer, Dr. Ricky Dillard, had attended Kanye’s Sunday Service and said “ “It was rejuvenal, inspiring, uplifting….Kanye is a part of the contemporary movement which has revolutionized music.” He also added that Kanye’s performance didn’t seem focused on himself and that, “If you know God and go to one of Kanye’s worship experiences, you will experience God because you know God.” From Dr. Dillard’s perspective, it seems like Kanye is changing the way in which gospel music was originally made and turning it into something new and innovative. He has made his Sunday Service performance a way in which you can be uplifted, inspired, and have the ability to experience God. Dr. Dillard also discussed how he was impressed with how Kanye really put the spotlight on the choir and made them seen. In the past choirs have usually been pushed to the back and aren’t really noticed.
Most black church choirs don’t perform just to sing out a carry a beautiful tune, according to Burns, “Singing “God is the joy and the strength of my life” is not a rally cry for earthly success, it is a plea for sanity and survival. Ultimately, the sound of freedom rings hollow without the God of the oppressed.” Kanye’s gospel album, “Jesus is King” may be an important religious and cultural timepiece for Christians, however, it should come as no surprise that many black Christians may question who will be empowered by this timepiece.
Even though Kanye’s album, “Jesus Is King” title centers on Jesus, many may argue the content on the album is mostly about himself. Some may argue that Kanye has created an innovative way of attracting a younger audience in listening to gospel music. At the end of the day, it all depends on what people take out of his music and how they will interpret it.
To conclude, I discussed how movies and music are influential forms of media that can promote and challenge religious issues in today’s society. The movie, Bend it Like Beckham accurately represented Sikhism in a way that people who practice this religion could connect and relate to or it could possibly be educational for others. Kanye West’s gospel music could be a positive form of media that has the ability to capture a younger audience, but in the negative aspect of his music, it could center mainly on himself and not the focus of Jesus.
