"Bend It Like Beckham" Came Out 20 Years Ago, So Here Are Side-By-Sides Of The Cast Then Vs. Now

This movie meant everything to my desi childhood.

Directed and co-written by Gurinder Chadha, Bend It Like Beckham bent the rules to become an instant classic, connecting with both female athletes and those who belonged to the South Asian diaspora.

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The film broke new ground when it came to representation, highlighting themes of identity, culture and love within migrant communities through the story of Jess, an aspiring football player who struggles with the constraints of her traditional Indian family.

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Alongside football matches and a coach-player romance, Bend It Like Beckham is filled with references to Indian language, culture and childhood experiences that have continued to resonate with a generation of South Asians.

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I rewatched this film as an adult and can confirm how relatable it still is! 

So, in honour of Bend It Like Beckham's cultural impact and legacy, as well as the movie being released two decades ago, let's see what the cast has been up to since then.

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Parminder Nagra as Jesminder "Jess" Kaur Bhamra

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After bending the ball into all of our hearts (Jesminder FTW), Parminder Nagra went on to have roles in Ella Enchanted, ER (where she played Dr. Neela Rasgotra for six years!), Alcatraz, The Blacklist, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fortitude, 13 Reasons Why and Bird Box. She most recently appeared in the British sci-fi series Intergalactic and according to her Twitter, is set to star in a new police drama.

Fun fact: Parminder had to take part in an intensive 10-week training course, which included nine-hour-a-day workouts, to learn how to "bend" or curve the ball in flight for the movie.

Keira Knightley as Juliette "Jules" Paxton

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Everyone knows Keira Knightley's name now, but playing Jules in Bend It Like Beckham was her breakthrough role. That paved the way for appearing in mega-hits like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Love Actually, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, The Duchess and The Imitation Game, as well as winning three Golden Globes. Keira was also appointed an OBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2018 for her services to drama and charity. Her next project is an upcoming American drama film called Boston Strangler.

Archie Panjabi as "Pinky" Kaur Bhamra

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Since Bend It Like Beckham, Archie Panjabi's most notable role has been playing Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife, which earned her an Emmy Award — made even more significant because she was the first Asian actor to win an Emmy. That's some queen shit right there, but also award shows need to do so much better and recognise more Asian excellence! She's also appeared in Blindspot, Departure, A Mighty Heart, Yasmin and Snowpiercer.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Joe

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Did we all have a crush on Coach Joe (cute accent, dreamy, blue eyes) back then, or was it just me? Anyway, Jonathan Rhys Meyers continues to have a hugely successful acting career. Some of his biggest roles include Alexander, Match Point, Mission: Impossible III, Elvis (which won him a Golden Globe), The Tudors (which won him two Golden Globe nominations), Dracula and Vikings.

Shaznay Lewis as Marlena "Mel" Goines

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After Bend It Like Beckham, Shaznay Lewis focused on her singing career, both as a solo act and as part of the band All Saints — who reunited in 2014 and have since supported the Backstreet Boys AND released two albums.

Anupam Kher as Mohaan Singh Bhamra

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Anupam Kher is a heavyweight in the Bollywood film industry — and since Bend It Like Beckham, he's continued to dominate both there and in international productions, appearing in over 500 films! In the international category, you might have seen him in Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Boy with the Topknot, ER, Sense8 and New Amsterdam.

Shaheen Khan as Mrs. "Sukhi" Kaur Bhamra

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Shaheen Khan continues to act and has mainly appeared in British productions, like My Life as a Popat, Casualty, The Boy with the Topknot and Apple Tree House. She also had a role in Mogul Mowgli, a film about a British-Pakistani rapper who is diagnosed with a degenerative autoimmune disease, alongside Riz Ahmed.

Frank Harper as Alan Paxton

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Like his Bend It Like Beckham co-star, Frank Harper has acted in a bunch of British TV shows and films, like Nemesis, Doctors and Waking the Dead. He also wrote, directed and starred in the 2012 film St. George's Day.

Juliet Stevenson as Paula Paxton

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Since Bend It Like Beckham, Juliet Stevenson has had a successful acting career, both on-screen and on-stage. She's appeared in notable films like Mona Lisa Smile, Being Julia, Infamous and Accused, and had roles in stage productions of The Heretic and Happy Days.

Ameet Chana as Tony

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Ameet Chana's most notable role since Bend It Like Beckham was playing Adi Ferreira in EastEnders. Since then, he's been doing radio hosting gigs on This Is Sunrise and the BBC Asian Network.

And lastly, David Beckham

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Alright, so technically David Beckham never appeared in the film, but he had such a strong presence, so I count him as a cast member. In fact, both he and Victoria Beckham wanted to make cameo appearances, but scheduling proved difficult, so a lookalike was used for that scene at the end where "David Beckham" is spotted.

Anyway, David has had an illustrious football career, which includes appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments and two UEFA European Championship tournaments. He's since retired from professional football, but is still active in the sport by being the co-owner of and president of Inter Miami CF, as well as the co-owner of Salford City.

What was your favourite moment from Bend It Like Beckham? Let us know in the comments!

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