Jane Austen’s popular novel “Pride and Prejudice” is no longer reserved for high school literature classes. Thanks to director/producer/writer Gurinder Chadha, the creative mind behind the popular film “Bend It Like Beckham,” the classic love story once reserved for 19th-century aristocratic England has been revamped in an East meets West spectacular through the addition of color, humor, music and dance to the well-known romance.
“Bride and Prejudice” showcases a meeting of Hollywood and the increasingly popular phenomenon “Bollywood.” A tradition of Bombay-based, Hindi-speaking cinema, Bollywood dominates the Indian film industry, producing between eight and nine hundred films a year. It is a commercial, non state-aided industry that trumps all other foreign competition in movie theater box offices.
Deviating significantly from the characteristically edgy, sex-based world of Hollywood, films produced by the Indian movie genre follow several guidelines. Most of the movies produced by Bollywood refrain from including kissing, as both Indian censors and the public frown upon the portrayal of actual physical intimacy. Following a certain narrative formula, Bollywood films are most often melodramatic and emotional roller coasters, featuring a romance between a handsome hero and a beautiful girl. Obstacles are always thrown in the way of love, one of the biggest obstacles being family. Bollywood plots are lightened by offbeat comedic aspects and serve to bring together audiences through the meeting of traditional and modern Indian values.
According to Chadha, “Bride and Prejudice” is a “combination of Bollywood and Hollywood, all tied up with a very British overall sensibility.” Influenced by the popular musicals “Grease,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Wizard of Oz,” Chadha’s film adds a colorful spin to Austen’s classic, including several fun and engaging musical numbers reminiscent of Sandy and Danny rocking out with the gang at the Senior Class Carnival. Boasting a talented and respected cast, “Bride and Prejudice,” melds actors from America, India and Britain. Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood’s reigning cinematic sweetheart, plays Lalita Bakshi, the movie’s portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet. Called “the world’s most beautiful woman” by Julia Roberts, Rai said, “Elizabeth is the one character I have always connected with in the novel.” Daniel Gillies, most recently seen as Tobey Maguire’s nemesis in the “Spiderman” sequel, hits the mark in his charismatic and suave portrayal of Johnny Wickham, and rising star Martin Hendersen, also appearing in Gore Verbinski’s “The Ring,” lends his talent as the hard-to-read character of Darcy. Rounding out the cast are Naveen Andrews (“The English Patient”), Nadira Babar (“Bend It Like Beckham”), and Nitin Ganatra, who steals the show as the obviously revolting, and often humorously so, equivalent of the novel’s Mr. Collins. Commenting on the impressive combination of acting styles and individual talent present in the movie, Gurinder said, “We had American-based actors who worked in Hollywood way, the British actors, trained in Britain and versed in film, theatre and television here, and the Bollywood actors with their over the top, physical and gesture oriented style.”
Guinder said that “Bride and Prejudice’s” crew took on the filmmaking style of whatever country they were filming in. This diversity of locations only adds to the appeal of the movie. From the busy, colorful, exotic rural city of Amistsar in Punjab, India, to the sultry moonlit Goa on the Arabian Sea to the bustling Mumbai, to London, to the sunny Santa Monica beach in Los Angeles, audiences are taken along for the vastly entertaining ride.
While not widely known, “Bride and Prejudice” is a vibrant, energetic, colorful movie that unites fun songs, creative lyrics and charged dance numbers with Indian bhangra beats and the classically popular love story seen in Austen’s famous novel. “Bride and Prejudice” is not a typical “chick-flick,” although it understandably appeals to a female audience. The lack of overt sexual actions require an increased emphasis on chemistry between characters and the movie calls attention to the important themes of family, love and class presented by Austen over a century ago. “Bride and Prejudice” is a witty, creative and entertaining new addition to the “Bollywood meets Hollywood meets musical” world. While sometimes a little too cheesy and often overtly sappy and romantic, “Bride and Prejudice” is nonetheless a smartly made movie that entertains and amuses audiences.
Grade: A
