“Blinded by the light” is a story about a young Pakistani teenager, who is trying to find his place in the world and who wants to follow his dream of becoming a writer. The main character, Javed, is played by Viveik Kalra. Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams and Hayley Atwell are among certain other actors also part of the cast. This comedy-drama was directed by Gurinder Chadha and released in 2019. It is set in the eighties in Luton, England. The movie is based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoirs and his love for Bruce Springsteen.

The story is about Javed, a Pakistani teenager who lives in Luton. He writes poems about his problems like racism and his father’s high expectations of him. He wants Javed to study economics; he urges his son to succeed and become a wealthy man. But the Pakistani boy has his own dream. He wants to become a writer. However, he is about to give up on his dream after his father loses his job, as his family faces poverty.

His life changes completely after he discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen due to his new friend Roops, which inspires him to follow his dream. Springsteen writes in his songs about the people of the working class and finding his own voice and place in the world. This really means a lot to Javed as he feels very connected to Springsteen and the lyrics of his songs.

The actors played their parts very well. Their acting was quite believable and moving. Viveik Kalra even was nominated as Best Actor at the 2019 SIFF Awards. When watching the film, you are completely in their world and it is easy to follow the story. Although the singing moments are sometimes a little weird, I liked that they underline the moment and feelings of the characters pretty well. You can really feel Javed’s love for Springsteen’s music.

I definitely would recommend “Blinded by the light” because it contains important messages such as you should always follow your dream and you can achieve anything you want if you are ready to work hard for it. It also addresses topics as racism towards immigrants, which is still very important in our times. Of course, fans of Bruce Springsteen will no doubt be thrilled by this. If you are a fan of the eighties you should not miss it. It is well worth seeing!