For decades, the music of Bruce Springsteen has inspired fans all over the world, with lyrics that tell stories of heartache, rough times and the hard work it takes to get over both. Nowhere is that better seen than in director Gurinder Chadha’s latest film, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.

Inspired by both Springsteen’s music and author Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, “Greetings From Bury Park”, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT tells the story of young Javed (Viveik Kalra), a young Pakistani man growing up in a British suburb in the ‘80s. Part of a working-class family, Javed is pressured by his family to stick to tradition, but he wants to be a writer.

Javed undergoes a transformation after he's turned on to the music of Bruce Springsteen. With each new song and fresh lyric, Javed gets inspired by The Boss himself to strike out and make his own path.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT doesn’t only take inspiration from the lyrics and music of Bruce Springsteen’s era-appropriate discography, but it also stages entire pseudo-musical numbers throughout the film that carries the name of one of his most successful songs. (Though it was a cover version by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band that actually made it a megahit.)

There are even sequences in the film where, through some clever text on screen, we see the lyrics pictured in inventive ways that show Javed identifying with the music he’s currently listening to. You can see all of this best in BLINDED BY THE LIGHT’s trailer below:

Listening to Bruce Springsteen’s music already feels like reading a story out of classic Depression-era literature, and to see that influence reflected in this true-life-inspired film (Manzoor co-wrote BLINDED BY THE LIGHT) feels like the carrying of the torch.

As long as Springsteen’s music is around to inspire each generation to take their first steps into independence and to attack life with an attitude that won’t allow them to give up their dreams, we’ll still have stories such as this one to fall in love with on the big screen. And believe us when we tell you, you’re absolutely going to be BLINDED BY THE LIGHT when you see this film.

If you’re extra excited to see BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, catch the film early at our Springsteen Fan Event screening on August 12. Buy tickets now and see the film four days early!