Reviewer's Summary - Let Down
Language: English
Year: 2004
Actors: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Nadira Babbar, Nitin Chandra Ganatra, Anupam Kher, Navin Andrews, Namrata Shirodkar
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Producer: Deepak Nayar, Gurinder Chadha
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar
Screenplay: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha
Life's knocks - hard as they are - are harder to endure when they come from the ones you love.
Director Gurinder Chadha, who delighted us with Bend it like Beckham in 2002 - has delivered a dud in Bride & Prejudice, a movie inspired by Jane Austen's well known novel.
Chadha, who made a name for herself with the story of a football crazy Punjabi immigrant girl in the U.K. in Bend it Like Beckham, has delivered a mere Mills & Boon-like romance in Bride & Prejudice.
Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) is one of four sisters living in Amritsar with a pushy mother Mrs. Bakshi (Nadira Babbar), who's determined to find good grooms for her daughters.
Two friends, an American businessman William Darcy (Martin Henderson) and UK-based barrister Balraj (Navin Andrews) visit India to attend a marriage. They run into the Bakshis.
Sparks fly at the first meeting of Lalita and William. Lalita believes William is arrogant and insensitive. In contrast, Balraj and Lalita's sister Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar) hit off instantly.
Mrs.Bakshi wants Lalita to marry Kohli, an Indian settled in the U.S, played ably by Nitin Ganatra. Lalita's response is Nyet and the man goes on to marry Lalitha's friend Chandra Lambha.
Meanwhile, Mrs.Bakshi, Lalita and her sister Lakhi decide to attend Kohli's marriage in the U.S and plan to stop en route in London to meet Balraj. To their surprise, they do not find Balraj there. It seems Balraj has cooled off on his affection for Jaya.
Lalita and her family head to the U.S for Kohli's marriage where they bump into William Darcy again. Just as Lalita and William bury the hatchet, comes a startling revelation.
Nitin Ganatra is oustanding as Kohli. The others are forgettable.
If you are talking cultural differences, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (the 2002 Hollywood comedy starring Nia Vardalos) is a treat. Bride & Prejudice is not. - Copyright SearchIndia.com.
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