Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2294 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-14
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The exotic sounds, vibrant colours, and ecstatic dancing of Bollywood collide with the cunning storytelling of Jane Austen in Bride & Prejudice (from the writer/director of previous East/West hybrid Bend It Like Beckham). When smart, outspoken Lalita Bakshi (Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai) meets Will Darcy (Martin Henderson, The Ring), she finds this American businessman arrogant and conceited--but because his best friend is falling in love with her sister, Lalita agrees to travel around India with Darcy. On the trip, a childhood friend of Darcy's named Johnny (Daniel Gillies, Spider-Man 2) both tickles Lalita's fancy and confirms her worst suspicions about Darcy. But as events unfold, Lalita wonders if she hasn't misjudged Darcy--and Johnny. Austen fans will be find much to criticize; Bride & Prejudice transplants the basic plot of Pride & Prejudice to modern India, but not much of Austen's sly wit or her insights about character and society have survived the translation. Henderson, though handsome, lacks the intimidating charisma of previous Mr. Darcys (including Laurence Olivier and Colin Firth). Thank goodness for the delightful Rai, here making her first all-English-language movie. She commands the screen like a true star (unsurprisingly, she's hugely popular in India, and previously starred in a more homegrown Austen adaptation: I Have Found It, based on Sense & Sensibility). For Western audiences unfamiliar with the freewheeling exuberance of Indian movies--wild musical numbers can break out at almost any moment--Bride & Prejudice offers an engaging taste of this fantastic cinematic style. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Description
DVD Box contains £200 worth of vouchers

Synopsis
A Bollywood reworking of Jane Austen's novel. Mrs Bennet is eager to find husbands for her five daughters. When the rich, and single, Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy come to live nearby, Mrs Bennet's hopes are raised, but things are not so simple...

Customer Reviews

fresh, lively and lovely
As I am a huge Jane Austen and a devoted Pride & Prejudice fan, I decided earlier to collect the different film versions connected to JA and P&P.
I did not expected much from this film (having the modern, American P&P in mind which was very low-key I think), thought it would be a tolerable, fun-for-1-hour-and-a-half film, but it exceeded my expectations. I found it funny, well directed and highly enjoyable.

The characters were well chosen,you could believe they are real flesh&blood persons, not just some flat charactertypes. I loved both Lalita and Darcy. When I first saw Martin Henderson on the cover photo, I thought him too handsome, too light (Mr D is supposed to be dark & brooding - think about Colin Firth or L. Olvier, both fantastic!) too American if you like - sorry US, no offence meant! - and I doubted whether he could act as it can be expected from a proper Darcy-character. Fortunately he proved me wrong. You could see why Lalita found him irritating, but you could feel attracted to him at the same time.

Mr & Mrs Bakshi were very funny. Mr Bakshi was a gentle, placid person unlike Mr Bennet, but his quiet, yet sharp humour was very appealing. Mrs Bakshi was satisfyingly amusing and embarrassing at the same time. Mr Kohli was hilarious, Jhaya very lovely, Balraj kind and funny.

I liked the colours and the action. The dances were superb, some songs were very good, others not so much (this is why I don't give 5 stars) and it is a great pity that the song Arrogance, Pride & Vanity was omitted. I agree with my fellow reviewers: it could have thrown more light on the contradictory relationship between Lalita & Darcy and emphasized more the already existing chemistry between them.
It is very positive that it was included in special features however. Some of the omitted scenes were also very entertaining.

And you know what? I dare to risk the personal opinion that Miss Jane A might have enjoyed this film herself!

Fun!
This is a fun, colourful, optimistic movie which is true to the spirit of Jane Austen.
The DVD has some significant extras over the theatrical release which are well worth investigating. In particular, the song "Arrogance Pride and Vanity" (cut from the finished film) adds depth to the increasing emotional interest between Lalita and Darcy. The end of the "No Life Without Wife" song , when Lalita dreams of Darcy makes more sense if we have seen that there is a real spark between them in Goa. Also, we finally get to see /hear Darcy sing and express emotion; he otherwise seems petulant and blinkered in the extreme.

The musical highlight of the movie for me is the Balle Balle sequence at the wedding.
If you love Jane Austen, romance and musicals, this will be a real treat for you.

Nothing short of exquisite - I loved every minute of it
I wasn't sure I wanted to watch this film at first. Both the title and the DVD box image are rather cheesy - but then I saw the trailer, and it convinced me that this would indeed be something worth watching. Thank goodness for that trailer because I absolutely adored this movie. Bride and Prejudice introduced me to a whole new world of cinematic magic. It's an explosion of vibrant colors, exotic settings, incredible music and dancing, and genuine pleasure. The story itself, combining romance, drama, as well as comedy, was also a treat in its own right. If you haven't guessed by the title, this film was inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - and I hope Austen enthusiasts will give this film a try, despite whatever misgivings they must surely have about it. I prefer to judge the film on its own merits, and I can't find anything not to like here. It's just exquisite.

The film is primarily set in India. Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) has come with his friend Balraj (Lost's Naveen Andrews) to attend a wedding - and what a wedding it is. The whole town is in full celebration mode, and the song and dance numbers that come spinning at you in kaleidoscope fashion entrance you with their beauty and grace. Darcy is immediately taken with a gorgeous young lady named Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai), who just happens to be the sister of Balraj's object of affection. She comes from a family full of girls and a mother working tirelessly to find husbands for her older daughters - hopefully rich ones. Darcy and Lalita, despite a lot of meaningful eye contact, don't exactly hit it off, but that's largely Darcy's fault. Henderson really isn't very charismatic in the role, and he's not all that eloquent either. Lalita finds him to be a rude, arrogant American who looks down on her and everyone else in India. Darcy's also a bit of a wimp, seemingly incapable of standing up to his domineering mother's influence. She would never approve of an India-born daughter-in-law, of course - but Mrs. Bakshi wouldn't necessarily leap for joy at an American son-in-law, either (no matter how rich he is - and Darcy is filthy rich). Darcy does get to spend a little time with Lalita (but not because she wants to), but then an acquaintance of his shows up in the form of Johnny Wickham (Daniel Gillies) - why the son of Darcy's nanny suddenly shows up there in India is a complete mystery to me, though. Wickham's no good, but the ever-ineffectual Darcy won't tell Lalita why. As for Lalita, she has to fend off a new suitor in the form of an incredibly annoying fellow who has come back from America seeking a bride. It looks like Darcy and Lalita just weren't meant to be, as he returns to London and Lalita finds herself having to fend off a new suitor in the form of an incredibly annoying fellow who has come back from America seeking a bride. The world's a small place, though, and fate brings Darcy and Lalita together again in Los Angeles (where the Bakshi family has come to attend another wedding).

The romance is quite predictable, but it does take interesting twists and turns along the way. I found it pretty compelling, but in many ways the love story is just the excuse to put on an awe-inspiring spectacle of music, dance, and incredible entertainment. I can't adequately describe the lavish nature of this film, except to say that it is a visual and auditory treat. I haven't had this much fun watching a film in a long time. Singing and dancing can start at the drop of a hat, and as often as not it doesn't end until the entire village has joined the fun. Lalita and her sisters are just wonderful, adorable characters (even the one who does the rather unforgettable Cobra Dance) - and Aishwarya Rai, the true star of this film, shines like the heavens on a dark night. I'll eagerly watch any movie she appears in. You won't have to worry about nodding off in the middle of this one - as Bride and Prejudice has the contagious energy to revive even the weariest of souls. Hollywood just doesn't make films like this; until you see this Bride and Prejudice, you probably won't even know what you're missing.