Bride & Prejudice

Plot synopsis:
When Balraj, a London barrister of Indian origin, visits Amritsar for a friend's wedding, he brings along his sister Kiran and his American friend, William Darcy. While there, they make the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Bakshi and their four daughters, Jaya, Lalita, Maya, and Lakhi ("Lucky"). Balraj and Jaya feel an immediate attraction, but Lalita is offended by William's condescending attitude toward India and Indians, and even his attempts to apologize all seem to go wrong.After the wedding, William wants to visit Goa, to see whether his company should build a hotel there. Balraj and Kiran will be going with him, and Balraj invites Jaya to accompany them. Mr. Bakshi observes that this would hardly be proper, but Mrs. Bakshi is very eager to see all of her daughters married, and suggests that Lalita go along as Jaya's chaperone. While in Goa, Lalita quarrels with William, saying that a beach resort in Goa is nothing but a way "to go to India without having to deal with Indians". But, during an Ashanti concert, she meets and is drawn to Johnny Wickham, son of the nurse who helped raised William, who explains that William kicked him out of the Darcy household as soon as the elder Mr. Darcy died.Back in Amritsar, the Bakshi family is visited by Mr. Kohli, a distant cousin who has emigrated to America, and become a successful accountant in California. He is very proud of his green card, and very dismissive of India. But one thing that he cannot find in his new country is a nice, old-fashioned, subservient Indian girl, and, as he puts it, "No life without wife." Johnny turns up again, and attends a dance with Lalita. William tries to warn Lalita that Johnny is not all he seems, but she is too angry to listen. Lakhi is also very taken with the handsome Johnny. At a family dinner, Mr. Kohli continues to speak disparagingly of India, when, much to Lalita's surprise, William objects that he has seen much to admire in India; in particular, he thinks rather more of the loving Bakshi family than his own. To her daughters' embarrassment, Mrs. Bakshi speaks openly of her plans for her daughter's future lucrative marriages, despite her husband's attempt to change the subject.Mr. Kohli proposes to Lalita, who turns him down in no uncertain terms, to her mother's dismay; but Mr. Bakshi is proud of his daughter. The next day, Balraj claims a sudden change in plans is forcing his party to return to London early. The Bakshis hear that Mr. Kohli has proposed to Lalita's best friend, Chandra Lamba, who has accepted. There will be a small wedding here, and a larger one in America. That evening, Johnny claims that he has to meet some friends in another village and leaves as well.When all the visitors have left, both Jaya and Lalita are disappointed. Neither Balraj nor Johnny are keeping their promises to stay in touch. Lakhi does not tell anyone that Johnny is answering her letters.For all his vulgarity, Mr. Kohli has a good heart, and sends four tickets to Los Angeles (via London) for Mrs. Bakshi and three of her daughters to attend his wedding. In London, they visit Kiran, but Balraj, it appears, is in New York, where their parents are introducing him to some marriageable girls.At Heathrow, the travelers run into William, who is taking the same flight. He offers to trade his first-class seat with Mrs. Bakshi, which lets him sit next to Lalita. Impressed with his kindness, Lalita finally has a polite conversation with him. He tells her he is glad that Johnny Wickham has not stayed in touch with her, as Johnny is a 'nasty piece of work,' and discusses his own and Balraj's problems of parental influence.Mr. Kohli is holding his wedding at one of the Darcy family hotels, and there we meet William's unpleasant mother, who says that they have lost a fortune over William's taking Lalita's words to heart and passing on the Goa resort idea. William's younger sister, Georgina ("Georgie"), then adds that William has been telling her many nice things about Lalita. Lalita and William are soon dating, but at the wedding, Mrs. Darcy introduces vapid yet well-connected Anne, whom she wants William to marry, as Darcy's girlfriend. After the ceremony, Georgie tells Lalita that William has advised his friend Balraj not to marry an Indian woman with a horrid, fortune-hunting mother. Lalita realizes that Georgie is referring to Jaya, and when immediately after Darcy tries to deny any future with Anne and profess his love for Lalita, she blows up completely at him: "Only you could say you love me and insult me at the same time!" she says. He admits having a part in breaking up Jaya and Balraj, and she angrily walks away from him.Darcy tries to see Lalita the next day, only to find the Bakshis have already left for London.In London, Lakhi leaves "to go shopping", but instead goes off to meet Johnny Wickham and does not come home that night, sending a note telling her family who she is with. The Bakshis are still in shock when William shows up to apologize to Lalita the next day. He says that he has apologized to Balraj, too; that he simply hadn't realized that Jaya was really in love. But Lalita has no time for this; she tells him how Lakhi has run off with Johnny. Darcy is thunderstruck, and tells her that Johnny got Georgina pregnant when she was only sixteen, and attempted to elope with her for her money, and that Darcy had been "left to pick up the pieces". They both go to track them down, first to Johnny's home on a canal boat, then to the London Eye, and, finally, into a Bollywood cinema. There, William and Johnny get into a fist fight in sync with the fist fight on the screen, and, as William and Lalita are pulling Lakhi away, Johnny's big mouth makes it clear even to Lakhi that he's worthless.When they get back to the family, everyone's relieved, and they are greeted with the news that Balraj is there, that he has proposed to Jaya and that she has accepted.Back in Amritsar, it seems the whole city is there to celebrate the double wedding.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this Western-style Bollywood musical can't possibly achieve the heights that a union of the best of East and West movie making and English literature might suggests, but it manages to fulfil a delightful couple of hours of song and dance that Western cinema these days struggles to accomplish.Like the novel, Bride and Prejudice uses the ideas that that first impressions are often wrong, and that a person can mature if he or she keeps an open mind.
The unlikely courtship of Mr Darcy and (in our movie) a beautiful Indian girl starts with mutual contempt, but moves forward as they become wiser and learn that their first instincts, based on pride, prejudice and illusions, were wrong.The scene moves between Amritsar and Goa to London and Beverley Hills, all in brighter-than-bright super-saturated colour, with an assortment of equally colourful characters, wonderful costumes, lavish dance pieces and heavenly bollywood-style ballads.
While almost everything is in English (except for a few subtitled songs), nearly all the characters are top Indian performers.In the golden age of musicals, stars such as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire had a whole sub-industry to draw on for good dancers who could also sing and act well, plus the technicians used to producing high-end musicals.
Bollywood, on the other hand, has no such shortage, and Bride and Prejudice is the sumptuously choreographed musical with Indian dancing that has become nigh impossible with western dancers.Admittedly it's a bit cheesy at times - but it's self-consciously so, and as endearing as warm, gushy Indian hospitality.
Like many east-meets-west movies, the stereotypes are a handle to allow easy assimilation of foreign ideas, and the heavy Indian involvement wards off any tendency to patronise (which is one of the themes explored in the film).This is not high drama or high art, but it's an accomplished romantic comedy / song-and-dance film, and one that warms the heart and makes you want to wave your arms in the air Indian-dance-style for the sheer joy and exuberance of happy endings..
The incredible Indian colors explode in front of our eyes giving the Western viewers such an opportunity to experience a little taste of India.Asihwarya Rai is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women working in movies.
What I got was an explosion of colour and music, Bollywood style, and sure some of the songs were pretty awful, but hey, there were a few terrible numbers in Grease too, and I still love that movie!The lead players were all virtually unknown to me but they were perfect in their roles.
And Martin Henderson was perfect as the American version of the disdainful Mr Darcy, this time Mr Will Darcy.Go and see this film if you are open to something new - it really is quite a faithful re-work of the story, and it is very entertaining.The only people who won't enjoy this are people who hate musicals with a passion, or people who are purists to the original.If you liked Chicago, then you can definitely enjoy this one too.
When I first started watching Bollywood flicks back in the day, I was always on my high horse (being a connoisseur of independent and foreign cinema that I am), and I was constantly berating these movies which always had seemingly trite plots, typical main characters, and a number of flaws spawning from lazy scriptwriting/editing.
Over the years, though, I've continued watching it because I love the sound of the music and the way everything surreally breaks into song and dance -- no matter how ridiculous the music itself is.What Gurinder Chadha has done here is create a very, very solid Bollywood movie.
And Rai needs to be commended for doing what few Bollywood actresses would do: giving up fame and fortune to try new acting prospects.If you're looking for the apex of cinematic art, don't watch this flick, but if you're looking for a two-hour feel-good romp littered with bright colors and toe-tapping musical numbers, this is right up your alley.
one must look at this movie from the point that it was made more like a bolly wood movie that is dramatic , has songs (as all Hindi movies are incomplete with out) and a dash of Indian culture yes the movie is based on pride and prejudice so a lot of people will go expecting it to be like the book and hence will be surprised.
the whole point to having an Indian girl who is from a different culture, background,class and country fall in love with a rich ,snobbish American boy is to make it romantic almost i would say like a mills and boons romance.
this movie is funny as well as emotional and has all the stuff required in making a good movie one must go and see this movie and expect it to be like a bollywood film and the person will not be disappointed.this is a truly different movie and is worth a watch..
Chaddha Bollywoodizes the film by adding numerous songs, dance numbers, setting it in India and casting Indian actors but she also tries to Hollywoodize it by casting Hollywood actors.
One of the guys I know says that he can not marry any Indian girl now, because he got his Green card about a year ago, and he has been unsuccessful so far to get a long-term girlfriend within the United States).Now good points.1) Music: Chadha has done a great job in making this music possible, by bringing in Anu Malik.
Chadha even made Punjabis dancing Garba, which is a Maharashtrian dance, look convincing!2) Acting: Chadha managed to gather a bunch of talents and a handful of former Miss India's (Namrata Shirodkar=Jaya, Aishwarya Rai=Lalita etc.) for this movie.
However, the film suffered a little, for a number of reasons, the main ones being that it left the Bollywood- style when it went to Hollywood (which changed the tone of the film), it didn't really find a good way to make Wickham as wicked as he is in the original, and there did not seem to be the same desperate need to be married as there was for the Bennet sisters in 'P&P'.
Because it is based on Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, having read the book allows you to compare the two, but isn't necessary at all to enjoy the movie.
The musicals created in Bombay have become a genre all their own, with the nickname "Bollywood." Now the Bollywood style comes to Western audiences in "Bride & Prejudice." In this movie, director Gurinder Chadha takes a new look at Jane Austen's classic novel "Pride and Prejudice." Bollywood favorite Aishwarya Rai stars as Lalita Bakshi, a modern Indian girl with a mind of her own.
The conflict of the traditional arranged marriage and the "foreign concept" of marrying for love make this story a little like "Fiddler On the Roof." The many musical numbers offer a bright, colorful look at the Bollywood style.
First off, I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, from a multi-cultural family(Hawaiian and Mexican), love bollywood movies, and live in Los Angeles.
There is not one part of it I want to fast forward and not one song that doesn't play in my head all day.Martin Henderson makes a wonderful modern Darcy and Aishwarya Rai is brilliant as Lalita.
In fact, all the cast are readily identifiable as their Pride and Prejudice characters and I think each performance perfectly translates Austen's Regency character into a modern version we can all relate to.The perfect movie to lift your spirits at the end of a long hard day at work.If I have one negative comment to make it is that the song that has been cut is one of the best and I think all the deleted scenes have something to add to the movie.
A Bollywood-style version of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Bride & Prejudice tells the story of the Bakshi family, living in a small Indian town with four daughters whom their mother is anxious to marry off.
The family knows a few very eligible bachelors (read "rich, successful in business and handsome") from the UK and the US, and the film tells the troubles, triumphs and tragedies surrounding the daughters' relationships with the bachelors.First, I should note that I'm not a huge fan of Bollywood musicals, soap opera-like plots, realist dramas or traditional romance films (traditional both in a filmic sense and in the sense of traditionalist values being espoused).
On the other hand, there are films in all of those genres that I do like quite a bit, and my wife, who is Indian and usually enjoys those genres much more than I do, gave Bride & Prejudice an 8, so perhaps my bias wasn't that significant.A 7 from me is equivalent to a "C" letter grade--a passing grade but nothing to be overly proud of.
The director, Gurinder Chadha, is of Indian descent but was born in Kenya and raised in the UK, so her making a film that blends cultures (like her other famous film, "Bend It Like Beckham") is a natural.It's Bollywood roots are apparent in several ways.
They don't look and sound 100% authentic, but like the Jane Austin novel, they seem "inspired" by Bollywood.Interestingly, in this film, the differences between the leading lady and Mr. Darcy are not just social but cultural, as Darcy is an American.
This is a seriously bad movie that I've been unlucky enough to watch.Cons: Bad characterization - both Aishwarya and Martin jump into their pride and prejudice polarities in no time at all - it's as if the director is expecting the audience to know the characters well already.Terrible song-and-dance routines - I don't know if the attempt was to make it a musical, but the routines look terribly shoddy.
They neither match Hollywood musical standards, neither are they good Bollywood-type interludes.Poor Acting - Aishwarya overacts and Martin underacts.Terrible view of India - The way Indian arranged marriage and family systems are shown, I'm really surprised how the Indian cast agreed to act in such a movie..
Gurinda (Bend It Like Beckham) Chadha's exuberant Bollywood/chick-lit crossover is so unashamedly feelgood that viewing it is akin to being in a slow motion tornado as it rolls through the world's most colourful flowershop.Relocating Jane Austen's novel of match-making and heartache to a small rural town in India rescues it from being forevermore a period piece by finding a context in which its arranged unions and propriety are still relevant.But, really, any old romantic tale would have worked as well, given that Chadha's mission is to ply the senses with a vibrant kaleidoscopic whirl of colour, dancing and music.And beautiful people, too.
It's almost a shame, because her stunning looks almost overshadow the genuinely relaxed charm she exudes as her fiery character Lalita plays loves-me-love-me-not with Martin Henderson's occasionally stuffy and cool-blooded businessman Darcy.Look for anything like social reality and satire in Bride And Prejudice and you'll wind up disappointed but let yourself fall into it with your eyes and ears wide open and there's a good chance it'll run off with your heart  for a couple of hours, at least..
It made me feel good and that's a great thing for a film to do!I could see so many likenesses to the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (tv series) especially Miss Bingley.I saw it with a friend who felt the singing in the streets was all a bit much but then that is the way of a true Bollywood films isn't it?I would recommend this to anyone who likes to leave the cinema on a high!.
I wonder if at any time during the making of this movie writer and director Gurinder Chadha realized her film was going haywire.Actually, a Bollywoodized version of Jane Austen's novel, "Pride and Prejudice," sounds an interesting, enticing premise.
But Chadha, who quite successfully turned a conventional coming-of-age, romantic comedy into the enjoyable "Bend it Like Beckham" (2003), fails miserably this time.She seems to have an able and willing cast in "Bride and Prejudice," but they just don't click.The film's two biggest problems: Chadha's insistence on including English-language songs mixed in with a few Hindi Bollywood numbers, and lead actor Martin Henderson as Darcy.The Hindi songs are bouncy, vivacious, fun to watch.
It's probably not unusual that I loved this film as it contains all the elements I love in a movie - comedy, music; romance; a story and beautiful people.I loved it because it does pay homage to musicals like Grease and to Bollywood which I have started to watch more recently with awe.
Its a shame that the deleted scenes (in the DVD) where not in the full version as I think they were quite pivotal to the story telling especially the song, Arrogance, Love and Vanity.It truly helps when there's eye-candy with the gorgeous Martin Henderson ans Aishwarya Rai. These people make it even more worthwhile to watch!The story of course based is based on a classic by Jane Austen yet it brings us to modern world by its issues of cross-cultural differences.I know the reviews have been mixed but you can't please everyone yet I highly recommend it if you are a romantic like me!
Most of the songs are in English and, if not, subtitles or characters' comments make it clear what is going on.If you are not familiar with East Indian films and the whole Bollywood-style of movie-making then permit this film to be your introduction.
I am a big Jane Austen fan, and love "Pride and Prejudice." I have seen many versions of it and always enjoy a new twist on the story.
Taking only the best of Hollywood, and leaving behind the sordid sex and death row humor we've all come to hate but ruefully expect from most movies, Director Chadha rewards the many many people who so loved her last film, Bend It Like Beckham.
"Bride & Prejudice" is truly a 'labour of love': co-written by the British expatriate Indian director Gurinder Chadha and her real-life Japanese-American husband, Paul Mayeda Berges, from the original novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.Translating a 200-year-old novel, which addressed a very acute slice of a very specific culture, to a modern cross-cultural story that embraces three continents .
But in the deft and loving hands of Ms. Chadha ("Bend It Like Beckham", "Bhaji on the Beach") the end result is amazingly successful: all the fun and colour of a full-scale Bollywood extravaganza, yet remaining true to the timeless emotional core of the classic original material.This adaptation works because Ms. Chadha reminds us – in a particularly loving and life-affirming way – of certain universal truths about human behaviour that are just as powerful today as they were during Ms. Austen's time, truths we recognize from our own experience.
Lovers can only succeed if they DO persevere and work through their misunderstandings and obstacles.The Bollywood musical form employed here by Ms. Chadha expresses particularly well the sheer emotional quality of falling in love that Hollywood seems to have forgot.The power of this classic love story between the enigmatic Darcy (Martin Henderson) and the intrepid Lizzie Bennet (here "Lalita Bakshi", in the justifiably much-vaunted English language debut of Indian superstar Aishwarya Rai) continues to affect us today because it taps into this timeless fascination with lovers and their follies.
In Bride and Prejudice  Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood film version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice  a few things are different.
I am not speaking to my wife at the moment, she made me watch this film and now almost two hours of my life are gone forever.Seriously though, she LOVES Bollywood-style films, yet, like me, she thinks this film is a turkeyMost of the musical arrangements/lyrics are just plain woeful.And don't start me on the rest of the film.There should have been a clue when she bought the DVD, apparently no-one could be found to give a positive quote about this film judging by the lack of any independent endorsements on the cover.From my score of 3, 1 point is for the use of colour in the film, the other 2 for Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai's stunning beauty on-screen, and she seems to be a decent enough actor considering.WARNING TO IMDb USERS: THIS FILM IS DISPLAYING A MISLEADING RATING!.
My friend turned to me after 40 minutes in the theater and said "When is this going to end?" I love Bollywood and have enjoyed so many other recent films by Indian directors so this stands out as an enormous let down.
The film projects modern and changed India , still holding its unique traditional culture .Story very beautifully defines a young girl from punjabi family (Aishwarya Rai) and her chemistry with rich English guy (Martin Henderson)in a very dramatic and high voltage punjabi style with a big bang music.
U will find already popular punjabi style music in the film , bollywood type dance , ashwaryia in a very sexy look , lots of emotions , attractive dresses , colorful environment .A definite yes to Bride and Prejudice and real value for money..
At first i wasn't sure i would like it but i really enjoyed it the leads were wonderful the songs were catchy and for someone who likes musicals it was great.i would recommend anyone to see this film for some light hearted fun and just to escape especially if your a romantic so don't think about the musical side of the film think about the love story that grows between the two lead characters,the chemistry was brilliant and the looks were wonderful that was passed from darcy to lalita.
You would think that mixing two movie genres is a daring move, but Gurinder Chahad's film Bride and Prejudice is the perfect blend between classic Bollywood and modern Hollywood.
Bride and Prejudice was more of a Hollywood film, but still contained many of the Bollywood aspects such as the singing, dancing, and cultural elements.
When two nations come together in this film, both stand to lose something.Bride & Prejudice did not seem like a Bollywood movie at all.