<P> Jesminder `` Jess '' Bhamra ( Parminder Nagra ) is the 18 - year - old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs living in Hounslow , London . Juliette `` Jules '' Paxton ( Keira Knightley ) is the same age and the daughter of a native English family . Jess is infatuated with football , but because she is a woman , her conservative family wo n't let her play . However , she sometimes plays in the park with boys , including her best friend , Tony ( Ameet Chana ) , a closeted gay man . </P>
<P> Jesminder `` Jess '' Bhamra ( Parminder Nagra ) is the 18 - year - old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs living in Hounslow , London . Juliette `` Jules '' Paxton ( Keira Knightley ) is the same age and the daughter of a native English family . Jess is infatuated with football , but because she is a woman , her conservative family wo n't let her play . However , she sometimes plays in the park with boys , including her best friend , Tony ( Ameet Chana ) , a closeted gay man . </P>
who plays jess in bend it like beckham
who plays jess in bend it like beckham
Parminder Nagra
Parminder Nagra