UPDATE: The UK trailer has now been released, offering a slightly different look at Gurinder Chadha and Sarfraz Manzoor’s Springsteen-inspired coming-of-age comedy. Watch it here:
And here's the new UK poster.
Luton might not be the first place that springs to mind when contemplating the setting for a film scored by the music of Bruce Springsteen. But the based-on-truth story of Blinded By The Light has its own ideas on that front. Take a look at the first trailer for the film...
Directed by Gurinder Chadha, Blinded By The Light tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his Luton hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “the Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen’s powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice.
Adapted from Sarfraz Manzoor’s acclaimed memoir Greetings From Bury Park by the author, Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges, the film scored a big win when Springsteen himself gave it his blessing. It'll be out in the UK on 9 August, with a US release following on 14 August. Read more about Manzoor's own experiences in a piece he's written for the latest issue of Empire, on shelves now.
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