Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has paid an emotional tribute to Bhangra singer and composer Nirmal Kumar Pounj, crediting his iconic song 'Us Pardes' as the creative spark behind her debut film, 'I'm British But…'. Pounj, who lived from 1952 to 2026, is being remembered as one of the unsung pioneers of the British Bhangra movement of the 1980s.

Chadha's Tribute on Social Media

Chadha took to her social media account to share a series of photographs honouring the late musician and lyricist. The images included a garlanded portrait of Pounj, vinyl records associated with his music, and glimpses of his funeral procession through the streets of Southall. One photograph showed a memorial bearing his full name and the years 1952–2026.

In her post, Chadha wrote: 'RIP dear Nirmal. The man who wrote the iconic song Us Pardes that inspired me to make my first film 'I'm British But…' he was an amazing writer and beautiful soul. One of the unsung hero's of the pioneering British Bhangra scene of the 80's. Today his amazing family gave him a moving send off through the streets of Southall. RIP dear friend and icon.' She also tagged the hashtags #shavashava, #kalapreet, and #bhangra.

The post featured 'Us Pardes Ki', performed by Kalapreet and associated with Pounj, as its accompanying musical track.

The Song That Started It All

Chadha's first documentary, 'I'm British But…', explored questions of identity and belonging among young British Asians growing up in the United Kingdom. The film marked the beginning of a significant career for Chadha, who went on to become one of the most recognised British filmmakers of Indian origin. The connection between 'Us Pardes' — a song that itself grappled with themes of displacement and dual identity — and the documentary's subject matter is notably direct.

This comes amid a broader renewed interest in the cultural legacy of the British Bhangra scene, which served as a creative and political outlet for South Asian diaspora communities in 1980s Britain, a period marked by racial tensions and questions of multicultural identity.

Nirmal Kumar Pounj's Legacy

Despite his outsized influence on a generation of British Asian artists and filmmakers, Pounj remained relatively under-celebrated in mainstream cultural circles — a fact Chadha's tribute underscores. His funeral procession through Southall, a neighbourhood long associated with the South Asian diaspora in West London, drew community members paying their respects.

Notably, the song 'Us Pardes Ki' was not just a musical composition but a cultural document — one that captured the yearning and dislocation felt by first and second-generation South Asian migrants in Britain, emotions that Chadha translated into documentary form.

Gurinder Chadha's Filmography

Chadha went on to direct some of British cinema's most celebrated films exploring South Asian diaspora life. Her best-known works include 'Bend It Like Beckham' (2002), 'Bride and Prejudice' (2004), and 'Thongs and Perfect Snogging' (2008), among others. Her career trajectory — from a documentary inspired by a Bhangra song to internationally acclaimed features — underscores the depth of Pounj's indirect cultural contribution.

With tributes now pouring in from prominent voices in British and South Asian cinema, Pounj's passing is prompting a wider reassessment of the British Bhangra movement's place in cultural history.