help thinking how much more joy-
ous and moving a piece of mu-
sic Level 42’s “Lessons in Love”
is than anything Springsteen has
ever recorded. Thankfully my fears
were dispelled, as while director
Gurinder Chadha’s film is bound
to win Springsteen a few new fans,
it commendably recognizes that
his music wasn’t the only show in
town in the ‘80s, arguably the last
great era of popular music.
Unlike myself, the young pro-
tagonist of Chadha’s film, the
16-year-old British-Pakistani Ja-
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 61
ved (Viveik Kalra), very much finds
himself represented in the music
of Springsteen. Like any teenager,
Javed is confused about what life
has in store for him, but along
with the usual frustration regard-
ing the inattention of girls, Javed
has to deal with his strict father’s
(Kulvinder Ghir) suffocating aspi-
rations for his son, along with the
unwanted attentions of the racist
skinheads on his estate in sub-
urban Luton. When schoolmate
Roops (Aaron Phagura) loans him
a couple of Springsteen cassettes,
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