I went to my local pub to watch the games and was amazed to see grown men crying when England were out of the cup. I’d only ever seen the country like this when Lady Diana died. I had got the football bug and thought- wouldn’t it be great to take all this energy, and put two girls in the middle of it all?

– Gurinder Chaddha, on the ‘aha’ moment that led to Bend It Like Beckham.