Bride & Prejudice

Image credit: IMDb

Fresh and upgraded interpretations of a classic tale are always enjoyable; a testament to the cleverness, power, and longevity of the base narrative. While I certainly did not enjoy studying Shakespeare in English class, I cannot deny that the stories he came out with are timeless. It proves to be the same with Jane Austen, one of my favourite authors. For movie night a couple of weeks ago, best friend and myself settled in for a night of vibrant colours, costumes, music, and banter: we did Bride & Prejudice.

Lalita Bakshi and her sisters live happily with their parents in India. But there is a wider would out there with fortunes to be gained and security to be established. The marriage of a friend brings Lalita, Jaya, Maya, and Lakhi into the orbit of rich English and American developers and conflict ensues when cultural, socio-economic, and geographical preferences clash. Lalita draws the eye of William Darcy, and an unusual courtship takes place, fuelled by prejudice, pride, wealth, and cultural appropriation.

Celebrating the splendour of Bollywood, Bride & Prejudice is a fun and fresh retelling of a classic tale of romance, social conflict, and political standings. The fact that it’s a retelling of Pride and Prejudice works for itself and the film heightens this delightful story with an incredible wardrobe, breathtaking dance sequences, and a banging musical soundtrack.

The performances are all great, with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being sassy, smart, and gorgeous as Lalita, Nitin Ganatra bringing new life to the Mr. Collins character, and Nadira Babbar delivers a brilliant portrayal of the mother.

Image credit: Into Film

Filled with witty banter, amazing costumes, catchy tunes, and romance, Bride & Prejudice is a very fun and fresh retelling of a classic love story. If you’re a fan of Austen and Pride and Prejudice, then it’s worth a watch.

Director: Gurinder Chadha (2005)

Cast: Martin Henderson, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher, Naveen Andrews, Namrata Shirodkar, Daniel Gillies, Indira Varma, Sonali Kulkarni, Nitin Ganatra, Meghna Kothari, Peeya Rai Chowdhary, Marsha Mason, Alexis Bledel & Ashanti