Gurinder Chadha, the director of the beloved 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, has revealed that Harrison Ford inadvertently helped her secure funding for the movie. Speaking at the Winston Baker International Film Finance Forum in Cannes, Chadha recounted her struggles to obtain financing from UK public film-funding bodies.
Chadha explained that her application to the former UK Film Council was on the verge of rejection. She confronted incoming CEO John Woodward, arguing that the council often paraded her on panels to discuss the difficulties faced by people of colour in filmmaking, yet refused to back her project. Woodward reportedly told Chadha that the film would never be made because she could not find an Indian girl who could bend it like Beckham.
Chadha retorted: 'Do you think Harrison Ford jumps out of helicopters?' This reference to the Indiana Jones star seemed to convince Woodward, leading to a £1m grant that enabled the film's production. Chadha met Ford for the first time at a dinner in Cannes this year and shared the story. Ford replied: 'Well, I’m so glad I was able to help you with your career… and by the way, I do f***ing jump out of helicopters.'
