Bhaji on the Beach (1995)

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha
Actors: Lalita Ahmed , Kim Vithana , Shaneen Shan , Sarita Khajuria , Mo Sesay , Zohra Segal , Surendra Kochar , Souaad Faress , Jimmi Harkishin , Tanveer Ghani

Bhaji on the Beach: In this cross-cultural comedy, three generations of Indian women take a day trip from London to the seaside town of Blackpool. Amidst the discovery of accidental pregnancies, concerns over modernism, young girls out for young boys and charges of spousal abuse, the women discover a bond they hadn't expected.

This is director Gurinder Chadha's second film. Her first work, "Acting Our Age" was made in tandem with several older Indians living in England; they discussed the problems they had encountered as immigrants, and did some of the shooting and editing. "Bhaji on the Beach" is the first feature directed by an Asian woman in England. Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification. Umbi Films also produced the film. Film was selected for the 1994 New Directors, New Films Festival in New York City. There are various phrases in Punjabi sprinkled throughout the film.

A probing look at the difficulties experienced by a group of Indian women living in England. When the Saheli Asian Women's Centre sponsors an outing to the resort town of Blackpool, Ginder hopes only to enjoy a pleasant day with her 6-year-old son. But her abusive husband, whom she is fleeing, and his brothers pursue them to the shore and threaten to kidnap the boy unless she returns home. Only if the women band together will they be able to help Ginder escape... but each one has her own problem. It's a day trip that will change all their lives forever.