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BRIDE AND PREJUDICE (2004)

Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews, Namrata Shirodkar, Indira Varma, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher, Meghna Kothari, Peeya Rai Chowdhry, Nitin Chandra Ganatra, Sonali Kulkarni and Ashanti
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Cinematography: Santosh Sivan
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Farhan and Zoya Akhtar

RS RATING: 6.5/10

‘Bride and Prejudice’ received plenty of attention following its launch last year. This is hardly surprising considering the adaptation of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice is directed by Gurinder Chadha, who gained International box office success with ‘Bend It Like Beckham’. The acclaimed British Asian filmmaker has daringly transferred the classic characters from the novel into a Bollywood setting, complete with regular song-and-dance routines, beautiful locales and over-the-top performances.

Mr. and Mrs. Bakshi (Anupam Kher and Nadira Babbar) are the proud parents of four beautiful daughters. The rather dominating Mrs. Bakshi becomes completely preoccupied with finding suitable partners for each girl, starting with the eldest, Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar). News soon spreads about an eligible bachelor, Mr. Balraj (Naveen Andrews) arriving from London for a local wedding. Whilst Mrs. Bakshi rejoices at this wonderful opportunity, she faces stiff competition from a surprising number of fellow mothers with similar motives! Luckily Mr. Balraj ignores the others and becomes immediately smitten by Jaya. The instant attractions continue when Mr. Balraj’s good friend Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) who spots Jaya’s sister Lalita (Aishwarya Rai). His good looks and charm initially attract Lalita, although one or two conversations later, she decides he’s arrogant and snobbish. Fate keeps bringing the two together but their apparent pride and prejudice continue to pull them apart. During this process Lalita meets a couple of other suitors, including the conniving Mr. Wickham (Daniel Gillies) and a hilariously terrible American Desi (Nitin Ganatra). Its selection time and Lalita faces increasing pressure to pick her groom.

Gurinder Chadha is the captain of the ship and does an admirable job. She handles the story well and effectively uses stereotypes without going overboard. However the film fails to delve too deeply into the characters and leaves a lot unexplained. This makes it a little harder to truly relate to the characters. Gurinder does score extra points for showing a more real India rather than the fairy tale palaces often used by Bollywood. However the country’s beauty still shines in the film. There’s no denying a large number of scenes in Bride and Prejudice look absolutely stunning. The cinematography is fantastic and Santosh Sivan once again excels.

Aishwarya Rai does a great job as the female lead. This isn’t quite a break-through performance, but the Bollywood superstar should certainly get noticed on a more global level now. Despite the weaknesses in the personality of her character, Aishwarya manages to make Lalita very likable. She breathes life into the character and some of Aishwarya’s facial expressions (particularly during emotional scenes) are impressive - the reaction shot during Chanda's (Sonali Kulkarni) wedding is first rate! Martin Henderson is adequate. He does a decent job and his performance is sound, although he won’t have the critics raving. Namrata Shirodkar does well although her role doesn’t demand huge amounts. Meghna Kothari was almost forgettable – until her entertaining nagin-style snake dance, which raises quite a few smiles! Peeya Rai Chowdhry is natural in front of the camera although she doesn’t get too much scope. As the Bakshi parents, Nadira Babbar has a much, much better role compared to Anupam Kher. She does a great job too and provides plenty of humour. Poor old Anupam Kher is hardly around. From the remaining cast, Indira Varma and Nitin Ganatra are particularly good and the rest offer able support.

‘Bride and Prejudice’ gives a friendly nod to Bollywood by featuring a number of song-and-dance routines. The visuals of the songs look fantastic. The actual compositions by Anu Malik are quite decent too. However the effort falls flat for a couple of reasons. Some of the songs negatively affect the narrative’s smooth flow and aren’t needed. Also the English lyrics by Farhan and Zoya Akhtar are pretty terrible. They’re cliched, lame and simply don’t work. Whilst the song and dance routines might be more acceptable to the Bollywood audience, how will others react? On a more positive note, Ashanti’s item number is quite fun! The American singing sensation looks sexy and the visuals for her special appearance are great. She tries her best with the Hindi lyrics but struggles. It’s sometimes hard to understand what she’s saying but top marks for effort!

It’s pretty hard to predict the reaction Bride and Prejudice will receive following its release. The movie is likeable and should have most of the audience leaving cinemas with a smile. However the film is simply not outstanding and the flaws cannot be ignored, which means those with sky-high expectations could feel some disappointment.

Please note the Bride and Prejudice screening in London was not the final cut.

Reviewed by: Robeel Haq

This is his criticism? Sheesh. If you're going to give a film a negative/average review, do it properly with statements that go beyond superficial observations like this!

News magazine slams 'Bride & Prejudice'
By Our Correspondent ©2004 Bollyvista.com

A leading Indian weekly news magazine in its recent issue has ruthlessly slammed Gurinder Chadha's forthcoming 'Bride & Prejudice'. The two-page long review clearly indicates that the Aishwarya Rai starrer fails to live up to expectations. Quite in sync with what we've heard! But the proof of the pudding lies in tasting it! So let's watch the movie this October to find out for ourselves!

http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=19383

Bride And Prejudice

Geoffrey Macnab in London 04 October 2004


Dir: Gurinder Chadha. UK-India-US. 2004 111mins.

Bollywood spectacle and British comedy of manners collide head on in Gurinder Chadha’s Bride And Prejudice, an entertaining if wildly uneven updating of Jane Austen’s novel.

Chadha throws Indian, English and American characters into the mix, cheerfully trading in all available national stereotypes as she goes. Much grates. The direction is often surprisingly heavy-handed and some of the central performances are mannered in the extreme. The cornball finale is so sentimental that it would be considered contrived in the most mawkish B-movie weepie.

Nonetheless, the film is lifted by its own relentless optimism and energy. Chadha clearly wanted to make a multi-racial, multi-national crowd pleaser. She has succeeded, even if it sometimes feels that she is bullying rather than coaxing us into liking her film.

Commercial prospects are hard to predict: there is a clear danger of Bride being jilted at the altar. Some audiences may find the film not brazen enough. Others may feel its concessions to Bollywood conventions (for instance, no kissing between the leads) push it into the realm of the preposterous. Reviews are likely to be mixed, although this shouldn’t much affect initial business in the UK, where the film opens on Oct 8 and where Chadha’s previous film Bend It Like Beckham grossed $16.5m.

Miramax is releasing the film in the States at Christmas, where there are possibly less names to entice US cinemagoers. It will take vigorous and inventive marketing to position the film with a mainstream American public to whom the Bollywood references may prove baffling. But this is broad, accessible fare. With the right handling, Bride And Prejudice has a fair chance of reaching a mass audience.

As the story begins, American businessman Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) has jetted into Amritsar for an Indian wedding along with his friend Balraj (Naveen Andrews.) Darcy is a good-looking but supercilious sort who is openly contemptuous about Indian customs.

At the wedding, the two men encounter the four beautiful Bakshi daughters and their impecunious parents. Mr and Mrs Bakshi are on the prowl for husbands and think Balraj might be the perfect catch. Right from the outset, it is obvious where the daughters’ affections lie. Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) is drawn to Darcy while her older sister Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar) likes Balraj. It is equally apparent that both men reciprocate. However, there is a huge amount of pride and prejudice to be overcome on both sides.

Much of the film’s charm lies in the shameless and often gently parodic way it borrows not only from Jane Austen but from every movie genre imaginable. There are several nods in the direction of the prolific Indian producer-director Yash Chopra. The denouement takes place in London’s National Film Theatre, during a screening of Manoj Kumar's Purab Aur Paschim (1970), a propagandistic Indian movie decrying the corrupting influence of the west on traditional Indian values.

At times, most notably during the flamboyant song and dance sequences (brilliantly choreographed by Bollywood veteran Saroj Khan), the film looks as lavish as an MGM musical. But certain other scenes, for instance the LA wedding (reportedly shot in the grounds of a hotel in England’s home counties for budgetary reasons), have the production values of a cheap TV soap opera.

The knockabout humour rekindlles memories of Chadha’s earlier film, Bhaji On The Beach (a comedy about Indian women on a daytrip to seaside resort Blackpool).

Bride And Prejudice makes fitful attempts to broach such issues as American cultural imperialism and western misconceptions about the east. In one scene, we hear Lalita lecturing Darcy that he ought to escape the gilded world of Goa holiday resorts and investigate the "real India." Given that the film itself trades in picture postcard imagery, this sermon has a hollow ring.

The narrative lurches along in often confusing fashion. Between musical interludes, we’re whisked from Amritsar to Goa and then off to LA, via London.

What glues the film together is the characterisation. Chadha may be dealing in stock types, but at least they are full-blooded. There is an archetypal British "cad" in the shape of Wickham (Daniel Gillies). (In Jane Austen’s day, he might have been a young soldier. Here, he is cleverly re-imagined as a backpacker.) There is a buffoon in the shape of the LA-based Kholi (a wonderful comic performance from Nitin Ganatra), who is in love with western gizmos but clings stubbornly to patriarchal Indian ideas about marriage. There is an ingenue in the shape of Lucky (Peeya Rai Chaudhary), the youngest Baskhi daughter, soon to be lured astray by Wickham. Anupam Kher and Nadira Babbar play the Bakshi parents as if they’re Amritsar’s answer to Charles Dickens’ Mr and Mrs Micawber.

Henderson is a little bland as Darcy but Aishwarya Rai makes a spirited and very likable romantic heroine.

Bride And Prejudice isn’t going to win prizes for subtlety or sophistication, but this is a very easy film to warm to. It is also one of the most ambitious yet attempts to combine western filmmaking with Bollywood. If it succeeds, it is bound to inspire a small army of imitators.

Prod cos: Bend It Films, UK Film Council, Inside Track, Kintop Pictures, Pathe Pictures
Exec prods: Francosi Ivernel, Cameron McCracken
Prods: Gurinder Chadha, Deepak Nayar
Int’l sales: Pathe Pictures Int’l
UK dist: Pathe
US dist: Miramax
Cine: Santosh Sivan
Ed: Justin Krish
Scr: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges
Prod des: Nick Ellis
Mus: Anu Malik
Main cast: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews, Namrata Shirodkar, Indira Varma, Nadira Babbar

Watched it last night and found it mainly disappointing fair. Naveen Andrews & Namrata Shirodkar are side roled and don't make any sort of lasting impact on the movie even though a major chunk of the film is dealing with their love story. Anupam Kher is devastatingly wasted on this movie - when he is on screen has very few lines to say and then disappears. Nadira Babbar (the wife and mum) on the other hand does well with a minor role and leaves some sort of impact with the humour she generates. Same can be said for Sonali Kulkarni as said of Anupam Kher, mostly wasted and forgettable appearance.

Martin Henderson I thought did ok in what was supposedly a second lead to Aishwarya Rai. Few redeeming features were the presence of Aishwarya Rai – she came across very well. But the real show stealer was Nitin Ganatra who was the only genuinely funny character that was meant to get some laughs and got them – rest of laughs came from situations that were not meant to be portrayed as funny or just embarrassing laugh-them-off moments. They are some real cringe worthy and cheesy moments.

Visuals on screen looks very good, no doubt the work of Santosh Sivan. The story is same old clichéd although I’ve never seen any other version of Pride and Prejudice. Felt I had seen it all before in numerous Indian movies – but the difference being this movie had some songs in English

Overall, average at best.

Ali

I think Chadha was successful, in BILB due to her EARNEST, DOWN TO EARTH, HONEST, SIMPLE portryal of her real life characters! And Roles were strong!

BAP is too commercialized, to CLICHED Bollywood style, and will BITE DUST!

HIGH on VISUALS, low on substance and SOUL!

BAP, 4.5/10



Audio On: Universal EMI
Number of Songs: 8
Released on: September, 2004
Reviewed by: Narbir Gosal
Reviewer's Rating: 4.5 out of 10
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Bride and Prejudice, the new film from British Director Gurinder Chadda, has been in the news ever since it was conceptualized. An adaptation of the classic Pride and Prejudice novel, the film stars one of Hollywood´s rising stars Martin Henderson (The Ring, Tourque) and our very own Aishwarya Rai. Titled Balle Balle Amritsar to L.A. in Hindi, Gurinder Chadda decided to rope in Anu Malik to score the music for the film. You would think that Anu would make the best of an international project, and come up with a progressive and original score. Yet Anu´s score for B&P is sadly below average. It´s apparent his heart wasn´t in this one. The songs of this film wouldn´t even pass for an A+ project in Bollywood let alone an international project. It´s very ordinary fare.

The album gets off to a pretty mediocre start with the song Balle Balle (Wedding song). A song with a heavy Punjabi/Bhangra flavour, this is run of the mill Bollywood stuff. While the song captures the essence of a Bhangra number, it doesn´t rise above expectations. Sonu Nigam and Gayatri Iyer do their best with their renditions, and since both are good singers, there are no complaints in this department. Lyrics are adequate and fit the mood of the song.

Another wedding number featured on the album is Lo Shaadi Aayi, which bears a passing resemblance to the opening number but changes pace too often. Anu Malik seems to be trying to fit everything into one song, so we have a constant change in pace and composition which doesn´t sit well with the listener. Singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Alka Yagnik, Anu Malik, Gayatri Iyer and Kunal Ganjawala all get lost under each other´s voices. Lyrics are nothing to write home about, and on the whole this track is a let down.

Malik tries his hand at composing a Broadway/Showtune style number with No Life Without Wife. Unfortunately his composition is short of expectations once again. Unlike the recent Pyaar Mein Sau from Kyun Ho Gaya Na, which succeeded in capturing the flavour of a show tune, this one doesn´t. Malik´s composition is lackluster and doesn´t get your feet tapping like it should. While the picturisation does help a bit, ultimately the song is situational and won´t find favour amongst the audience. Gayatri Iyer, Swomya Rao and Nisha Mascarenhas all do well with their respective renditions, and are the saving grace of the number. Lyrics are situational and mildly entertaining keeping with the playful mood.

Dola Dola is more of an instrumental number rather than a song. With minimal lyrics, reduced to more of a chant of one phrase, Gayatri Iyer takes it easy and glides through the song with ease. The music is boring and at times too loud, still it´s got a festive feel which will ensure lots of play at festivals and events to come.

Payal Bajaake sung by Gayatri Iyer is a groovy track. Obviously aimed at the youth, this song is decent enough and passes muster. The lyrics by Dev Kohli and Gurinder´s husband Paul Mayeda Berges are ok, although with two heads collaborating on the wording, this one should have had better lyrics. Gayatri renders the song with ease, but the song isn´t demanding vocally. Picturised on Murder Inc. R&B/Hip Hop artiste Ashanti, this one will most likely be uplifted by picturisation.

The only truly commendable track on the album is the romantic number Tumse Kahen Ya Na Kahen. Anu Malik´s composition is significantly uplifted thanks to the use of guitar in the background, and the use of a choir during the closing portions of the song. Javed Akhtar´s lyrics are nice, and do the job. This is definitely the best written song on the album. Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik do a nice job with the singing, but don´t break any new ground. A sad version and an instrumental also appear on the album. With three versions it´s a bet the whole team realized this was the albums only worthwhile number.

Bride and Prejudice is a major letdown. Those new to the Bollywood scene may enjoy the music to some extent, but for those of us who have grown up on Bollywood soundtracks, this one won´t even register in your memory. None of the songs on this soundtrack stick with you after listening to it. Anu Malik´s score is lame, and definitely not up to international standards. Gurinder would have been wiser had she picked someone like A R Rehman, Shankar Ehsaan Loy or even Sandeep Chowta to do the music. Ranjit Barot´s arrangements and the singers (especially the very talented Gayatri Iyer who features prominently on the album) can´t help much either. Anu Malik better get used to Bollywood, cause this one won´t get him anywhere.


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First Day First Show Reaction at Indiafm.com is not as harsh as reviews/ predictions above.

http://www.indiafm.com/broadband/04/oct ... ndex.shtml

One excerpt from "First Day First Show Reaction" that guarantees a Hit in India is:

The women seem to love the color, Rai, Martin and the family bonding. It’s a ladies-sweep all the way!

It's the Ladies and family viewing that's a big plus to make it a Hit, at least in India. Which family in India doesn't have prblems/ worries finding suitable matches for their loved ones.

Two good films that bit dust and imho were good family/women films were:

DHT and DNJAK..both BIT DUST!

So BAP will no doubt BITE DUST too..

Aish is only worth a MARBLE STATUE lol..

Just got back from watching 'Bride & Prejudice' and I have to say it is a major let down. I won't say the movie is really bad but it is definately not good. It is at best 'Time Pass'. Anu Malik's music and Soraj Khan's choreography are the biggest let downs of the film. The music and choreography are actually really bad even for a normal Hindi film and for a film with International aspirations, they are atrocious. The lyrics are also quite cheesy and amatuerish.

While watching the film I kept getting the feeling I was watching a taped version of 'Bollywood Dreams', where everything was so theatrical, except in this case it is not a theatrical play. Thus the film comes accross as a cheap 'B Grade' film.

My biggest issue is with Gurinder Chaddha, a British woman of Indian decent. For someone who has made numerous statements to make it very clear that she is British and not Indian, she sure has taken the liberty to project Indians as if she was an insider. The attempt to evoke laughter thru cheap jokes and digs at Indians throughout the film, just don't work. 'Bend It Like Beckham' was a simple and effective film, whereas 'Bride & Prejudice' is just a cheap and very poor imitation of Bollywood films. Regarding it's box office prospects, my opinion is that it will unfortunately make money due to it's low budget and the Indian diaspora around the world. The viewership amongst the Indian community in UK will be more than enough to guarantee it's success.

I also hate to say this, but Karan Johar with Farah Khan and maybe even Anu Malik would have made a far more effective and satisfying film than this. My advice to Gurinder Chaddha is simple, please leave 'Indian' film making to real 'Indians'. It is a shame that such a poor film will be the first real exposure of Indian cinema to the west and Hollywood may never give a chance to this kind of cinema again in the near future atleast. Gurinder CHaddha may have single handedly closed the doors of Hollywood to 'Indian cinema'.

Well said Sanjay!! Anu malik was a real let down!! Her team in BILB was a winner team and only HOT HOT was worth a show!! Who needed Saroj Khan!! LOL..darn it!! Chadha going GHaii way to feed indians from her hand like he did in yaadein!

Ooops, I mean't Karan Johar with Farah Khan and not Saroj Khan.

We knew what you meant!

Chadha made all wrong choices to disaster

I was afraid of this when I saw the trailer. There is big difference in laughing with us and laughing at us. I think that UK audience, Indian or not, will get the movie. But I don't think it will make an impact in the US.

Again I stand by my statement about how Chadha got an axe to grind against Indian males.

Man, what the hell is Ashanti doing in there? It's a murder Inc. production with Anu Malik or something.

such a crap crap crap movie.. its awful.. why did aishwaria sign up for this crap... saying that she has signed up for enough crap movies...