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March 4, 2005 > Arts & Entertainment > Bride is a successful marriage of Bollywood and Hollywood

Bride is a successful marriage of Bollywood and Hollywood

By Claire Morneau | For the Thresher

In Bride and Prejudice, a free-spirited adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, writer/director Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham) applies Austen’s tale of 19th-century British class consciousness to 21st-century India.

William Darcy (The Ring’s Martin Henderson) is now portrayed as a rich, American hotelier. Elizabeth Bennett becomes Lalita Bakshi, played by the reigning Queen of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai (Raincoat). Lalita lives with her parents and sisters Jaya, Maya and Lucky — played by Indian actors Namrata Shirodkar, Meghna Kothari and Peeya Rai Choudhuri, respectively — in a small Indian village.

Lalita and Darcy first cross paths at the wedding of one of Lalita’s good friends. Darcy tags along with his friend Balraj (The English Patient’s Naveen Andrews), who is the best man at the wedding. Mrs. Bakshi, as anxious to find husbands for her four daughters as was the original Mrs. Bennet, is quick to dig up the dirt on Darcy: “Oxford educated, hotel industry, one of the richest families in London … too bad he’s not Indian.” She quickly turns her attention to Balraj, also a bachelor, who, to her delight, is immediately taken with Jaya. Lalita and Darcy, on the other hand, clash immediately — Darcy is cold, abrasive and insults Indian customs. The pair argues so vehemently that the audience knows from the start they will end up together.

In true Bollywood tradition, Chadha sprinkles song-and-dance numbers that are all spectacle — grandiose, overemotional, overacted and just silly in general — throughout the film. But they work. It is unfair to apply the American definition of “musical” to Bride and Prejudice. That would only serve to undermine what Chadha is trying to do. The lavish style of Bollywood cinematography gives the 19th-century story an unprecedented twist and allows Chadha to give the genre its share of the Hollywood limelight. Hiring Rai to play the lead keeps these elements from feeling forced, a genius move on Chadha’s part.

Bride and Prejudice is an energetic, fun film that is sure to elevate Rai to international star status. Rai manages to make Lalita a convincingly sassy, loyal, independent spirit without relying on her looks (Rai won the Miss World title in 1994) to carry her. Another performance worth noting is Andrews’ turn as Balraj. He does exceedingly well in the dance scenes, capturing the energy and playfulness of group Indian dances. Only Henderson’s Darcy falls short, leaving the audience wondering why the witty Lalita would choose someone so wooden. Though to give credit where credit is due, Australian Henderson does manage to adopt a believable American accent.

The film is a conglomerate of color, costume, dance and song. While the lyrics sometimes fall short (“Life is great/Let’s celebrate”), it is still safe to say that Chadha has another hit on her hands.

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