At times those skills were really hard to do because not only was I having to contend with the camera, but I was having to learn these new skills and the ball was always kind...

Before I started doing the film and when I found out I was going to be doing it, I just decided to pump up on the whole cardio stuff. Just in terms of stamina.

But it’s a very universal story and the thing is I was reluctant to answer that question because I don’t want people latching on to a particular stereotype.

If I can inspire someone to go in a positive way and pursue a dream, it can only be good.

That’s what I like about acting. When you’re preparing for a role, you do your research, and the bonus is you get to learn these skills. Now, it’s on to whatever the next thing is...

At times, I couldn’t understand what I was doing. I just knew I needed to stick with it. It was instinct, and that’s what I’ve always relied upon.

And of course in America you’ve got American football and baseball and all those other ball games, soccer has become a little niche that the women have kind of filled.

It’s been really nice to see different counties that I might never have visited before.

Somebody once said to me ‘You’re turning into a mini-George with your little pranks’.

But I think it’s also hard to get into soccer here. I think purely on a time level on television as well because of the ad breaks. It’s something to do with that as well....

But we had a fantastic coach, Simon Clifford, who runs a British football youth game which teaches Brazilian techniques – which is what we wanted to incorporate into the film. And some of those things...

I can pretty much tell the whole story through my eyes. Some of the best actors that you watch don’t have to physically do too much.

Football is a passion that she holds dear to her heart. She’s really going for her dream and there are obstacles in the way, but deep down she knows what she wants, and she pursues...

In London there was an article about all these girls bending it like Beckham, and in India there’s this big wave of girls playing football. Wow! I can’t believe a movie’s done this!

I’m a British intern going in. I’m hoping that John will just kind of tackle it from who this person is and what she’s about rather than trying to go in on her culture. We...

In terms of soccer, it wasn’t really a thing that girls did. In England it more kind of Net Ball and Hockey and stuff like that in athletics. It’s to each their own, really.

In terms of the frustration of my character, I suppose any teenager has probably gone through that, in terms of telling their parents, I want to do one thing, and their parent says no. I...

My father in the film – which we probably haven’t seen in previous movies, and in British Asian movies you could probably count on one hand – he says exactly why, actually why he’s frightened...

Therefore reinforcing a stereotype, therefore thinking that the entire Indian culture is just made of people that are against their children’s decisions.

I got to go to Malaysia, Germany, Switzerland, Madrid, America.

I’m actually going in to ER as the new British intern.

I really identified with Jess, because my own dream was acting, which isn’t the most conventional profession.

There’s apparently soccer leagues that they’ve set up with young Indian girls.

No, I didn’t quite know to what extent the football might be, but it was quite a bonus for me to try to learn new skills and to keep fit at the same time.

I was worried people would laugh at me when I started to talk the language, but they were just pleasantly surprised that I could. The sense of humour here is great – once I could...