23 September, 2004 - BP: Another flavor of East-West Fusion (smashits.com)

'Bride and Predujice' directed by journalist-turned-filmmaker Gurinder Chadha is a Hollywood musical with an international mix of American, Bollywood and British actors and actresses. Speaking to media persons in New Delhi on Tuesday (Sept 21), she said the cast included America based actors, who have worked the Hollywod way, the British actors trained there and well versed in film, theatre and television plus those from Bollywood with their physical and gestures oriented styles.

All of them including Aishwarya Rai and Anupam Kher have come together to present a flamboyant spectacle of emotion, color, song and dance in the movie intended to bring traditional Bollywood into Western homes and Western hearts, she said. Besides the combination of acting styles, music and dance find the middle ground .in the movie, says Gurinder, who has also produced and written the story for it.

One of India's most renowned music directors Anu Malik along with Craig Pruess of the 'Golden Eye' and 'Bend It Like Beckham' fame have come up with a score to merge eastern and western musical preferences. The music and dances are Bollywood based but arranged and produced to suit what a westerner will be delighted to see and enjoy, she said. For the same purpose, India's famed choreographer Saroj Khan trained actors Naveen Andrews and Daniel Gilles from scratch as they had not danced before the film was made.

The home of the Bakshi family around which the story moves is located in rural Amritsar which is filmed in the movie with a lively community with horns of vehicles blaring, barking dogs and people everywhere. The action then moves to the sultry moonlit Goa on the Arabian sea, then London the largest city in Europe steeped in history and then sunny Los Angeles and the world famous beach at Santa Monica.

Appreciating Aishwarya Rai's performance, Gurinder said she embraces everything that is great about Bollywood in terms of beauty, emotions, singing and dancing.

In 'Bride and Prejudice', a classical romance has been reinvented in a globally connected world. The film puts on an entirely different spin on Jane Austen's story of spirited courtship. Bollywood style of music and dance merges with love, vanity and social pressures. The story begins in Amritsar when a determined Mrs Bakshi sets out to find matches for her four beautiful daughters while there is a lavish wedding party in the town. Smart and headstrong Lalita, one of the daughters, announces that she will marry the young man with whom she is in love. Her mother is at shocked. Lalita meets wealthy American Will Darcy. Lalita is not aware of the vast world outside Amritsar. They are charmed by each other, but are also suspicious of each other as they belong to different backgrounds. There were many gossips about them and there is a comedy of errors until pride is humiliated, prejudices are overcome and love triumphs.

Speaking about her collaborators to bring the script to life, Gurinder said she was fortunate in enlisting cooperation of many talented people. "Saroj Khan is godmother of Indian dance who has choreographed hundreds of songs since she started at the age of 13. Santosh Sivan is a dance director in his own right. He is a masterful cinematographer who has won many national awards. I have chosen Aishwarya Rai, a bewitching talent for portraying the role of Lalita. Martin Henderson has been chosen to play Darcy. Veteran character actor Anupam Kher plays the role of Mr Bakshi. He has done a fantastic job. Filmgoers will rediscover his talent," she said. Henderson has played a character, which is reserved and dismissive of Indian culture.

Gurinder, who has been influenced by Austen's novel, said she wanted to look at first impressions people make of each other culturally in today's increasingly small world. Austen explored the class divisions in the 18th century. "Here is the difference between Austen and me", she added.

23 September, 2004 - Free UK screenings of Bride (radiosargam.com)

The promotional campaign for the release of Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice continues at full pace in the UK. A large number of London buses have been plastered with posters for the much-awaited movie, starring Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson.

The popular British magazine HEAT is also giving away thousands of free tickets to national screenings of the film, which has received some rave reviews from the mainstream media.

Those in the UK who are interested in collecting the tickets for the screening, which takes place on 6th October 2004, should purchase the latest copy of HEAT magazine (out 21/09/04) and take it to the box office of participating cinemas (which are listed in the magazine). The promotion is being run on a ‘first come first served’ basis, so hurry!

23 September, 2004 - Ash: "I'm not a bird..." (timesofindia.com)

The Bride on a killing spree yet again. Only this time it is our desi bride, from Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice, Aishwarya Rai instead of Kill Bill's Uma Thurman. The killing started early with journalists trying to kill time, waiting for our former Miss World Aishwarya Rai to butcher their queries at the press conference.

Apparently, the delay was due to a little mishap, in which the honourable mummyji, Aishwarya's mom, had twisted her ankle on the way to the venue.

And the killing didn't just end there. When a reporter asked the beauty queen if she intended to "migrate" to the West and Hollywood, Ash shot back with her wisecrack, "I am not a bird to migrate to anywhere." If that did not nip the question in the bud, the giggle that followed certainly did.

The next few minutes were dedicated to the film's promos, but seemed more like a death wish of the film promoters.

If Bride and Prejudice is Gurinder Chadha's idea of "introducing Indian cinema and Indian culture to the western world", it succeeded only in showcasing the worst.

The colourful circus that clouded the promos did its best to cover up the overwhelming lack of passion between Aishwarya and Martin Henderson on screen, not to mention the bad music score.

Bride and Prejudice is a make-or-break movie for both Aishwarya Rai, who badly needs a hit to prove her worth beyond her looks, and Chadha, who has come a long way from her minimalist Bend it Like Beckham and Bhaji on the Beach days. What needs to be seen though is whether a colourful ensemble of pretty faces and loud music can ensure a hit. Only the box office will tell.

23 September, 2004 - Gurinder's Projects (mid-day.com)

While speculation is high on whether Mira Nair will direct the fifth instalment of the Harry Potter series, there is no doubt about Gurinder Chadha helming Sony Pictures’ I Dream of Jeannie.

With a budget between $ 80 to 90 million, this will be a big budget Hollywood movie.

It will also be Chadha’s next directorial project, to begin next year.

Currently in Mumbai promoting the Aishwarya Rai-Martin Henderson starrer Bride and Prejudice, the London-based director describes her soon-to-release film as a “tribute to all musicals, from Hindi films to western ones too”.

She cites influences like Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor and Fiddler on the Roof, among others.

I Dream of Jeannie is based on the popular ’60s American sitcom about a Jeannie who gets a new master in Major Astronaut Nelson. However, the film, said Chadha, “is a prequel, of how she becomes a Jeannie after she rebels against the King’s harem system in Arabia and is cursed to always say Yes Master.” Chadha plans to shoot some part of the film in Rajasthan.

Other than promoting her adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Chadha is occupied by hiring cast and crew for I Dream Of Jeannie and pre-production for a film to be directed by her husband and co-writer Paul Mayeda Berges, The Mistress of Spices.

“I am co-producing Mistress… with Deepak Nayar and we will have Aishwarya Rai and Anupam Kher in that too,” said Chadha.

On Jeannie, she added, “The film appealed to me because it is feminist and has values close to mine. I could have done a Hollywood film before, but I had not found a great script in Hollywood before.”

Speaking of both herself and Nair being approached by big western studios, she said, “Hollywood is big business, and you are only as good as the last film you made. They have seen our films and looked at how much money they made at the box-office, simple.”

Bride and Prejudice releases in India on October 8, in English and Hindi (title Balle Balle, Amritsar to LA). On the recent decision to dub the film in Hindi, Chadha said, “The distributors who saw it here felt that is would work because of how Ash looks and because of the great characters and music.”

Bride and Prejudice also stars Navin Andrews, Nitin Ganatra, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher and Namrata Shirodkar and includes Indian talent like Anu Malik, Santosh Sivan, Saroj Khan and Nitish Roy on the technical side.

Said Chadha, whose previous films include Bhaji On The Beach and Bend It Like Beckham, “Bride… is a complete combination of Hollywood and Bollywood, but with a strong Hindi cinema flavour. I wanted to introduce this film language to all parts of the world.

The west has no concept of the film culture and talent in India. If it’s a hit, other filmmakers will be able to get a bigger audience abroad.”

23 September, 2004 - Can Ash bend it like Becks? (timesofindia.com)

It's got Ashanti crooning on the beaches of Goa, Rishi Rich remixing balle balle to his own techno-funk music. It's got a Jane Austen classic as muse and lavish sets, sequinned dresses and synchronised Bollywood song-and-dance routine with a happy Indian family as essential props. And, it also has the "world's most beautiful woman" Aishwarya Rai as its heroine.

Coming after the debacle of her onscreen chemistry with real life beau Vivek Oberoi in debutant Sameer Karnik's Kyun ho Gaya Na , Rai will be looking forward to scoring a personal victory in this remake of Bride And Prejudice.

Cause Bollywood's most featured woman has not had a solo hit to her credit ever since the stupendous success of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Devdas in 2002. Although she made critics swallow their words with her powerhouse performance in Rituparno Ghosh's period drama Chokher Baali, her personal score is yet to gather steam.

And therefore, Rai has expectations galore from Bride and Prejudice. As does director Gurinder Chadha, who hopes to charm world audience with Indian songs and weddings in her new flick. For the Anglo-Asian Kenya-born director, the adaptation of Austen's novel is her second tryst with commercial cinema after Bend it Like Beckham.

The 2002 gregarious film was about an Asian girl, who takes a fancy to football and tries to balance it with her parent's demands, resulting in a light-hearted comedy and success at the BO.

When the film releases in the UK and India on 8th October, audiences will decide whether Rai's pairing with Hollywood actor Martin Henderson can be a sizzler on screen. This will be the first time that a leading Bollywood heroine will be sharing romantic space with her western counterpart.

Titled Balle Balle - Amritsar to LA! in Hindi, Aishwarya is being touted as the USP of the film. And not without reason. Sharing screen with her are some not-so-dependable Bollywood entities.

While Namrata Shirodhkar is yet to have any BO hit except for a fleeting one in Mahesh Manjrekar's Vaastav (where Sanjay Dutt walked away with all the applause) made it big, Sonali Kulkarni's last taste with visible success was Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai, where the camaraderie between Aamir Khan, Saif Ali and Akshaye Khanna sent the registers ringing.

Meghna Kothari, best remembered/forgotten for her disastrous debut in Feroz Khan's Prem Agaan will desperately be looking for something to smile in commercial cinema as she dons the role of Rai's sister in the film.

Channel veejay model Peeya Ray Chaudhuri, missing in action on the tube for a while will be looking forward to making a presence on the map of cinema.

In the wake of such a situation, it is the light-eyed Rai that Chadha will be looking to for deliverance. While thespian actor Anupam Kher needs no scores, he could do with some brownie points. But the onus remains on the light-eyed Aishwarya Rai to ensure that it becomes a Big Fat Indian Wedding at the BO this autumn!

23 September, 2004 - Why I put Jane Austen in a sari (telegraph.co.uk)

After 'Bend It Like Beckham', filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has given an Indian twist to an English classic. She talks to David Gritten:

I first met the director Gurinder Chadha seven years ago in Bombay, where she was trying something hugely ambitious: she wanted to be the first British filmmaker to make a Bollywood film based largely in the UK.

Growing up in Southall, west London, she had devoured Hindi film musicals at her local cinema (now called the Himalaya) as eagerly as their Western equivalents such as West Side Story and The Sound of Music.

But it was not to be. After a month of shooting, the money abruptly ran out and her British Bollywood extravaganza was closed down. A disappointed Chadha re-grouped, but kept the ambition in the back of her mind. First, though, she resolved to make the most mainstream, broadly appealing British film possible, using an Asian storyline. The result was Bend It Like Beckham, made for a modest £2 million, which to widespread surprise became a runaway hit – not just in Britain, but globally.

Its success encouraged Chadha, who has gradually emerged as one of Britain's most distinctive filmmakers, to press ahead with a very different idea for a Bollywood movie. Boldly, she and her husband and co-writer Paul Mayeda Berges have taken Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and, changing just one letter of its title, transplanted it to India.

In Bride and Prejudice, the Bennet family of sleepy Longbourn, Hertfordshire, become the Bakshis of Amritsar, a city equally far removed from Indian high culture and society. Elizabeth Bennet has become Lalita Bakshi, while Mr Darcy is a wealthy heir to an American hotel chain, who meets Lalita while visiting India for a friend's wedding. With swift changes of locale that would do justice to any Bollywood film, the action ricochets between India, London and Los Angeles.

"I decided to make a film that would play to suburban audiences round the world, who may not be familiar with Bollywood," says Chadha. "All my decisions after that were about helping ordinary movie-going people through the process. Pride and Prejudice is a universal love story that's sort of familiar to people. So they can sit back, not worry they're going to miss the story, and just get into a different film language."

The Jane Austen Society may be reaching for the smelling salts, yet Bride and Prejudice cleaves remarkably close to the original novel.

"The book's themes have all been brought out, but with an Indian twist," says Chadha. "Script editors told me to move away from the book. But I said no. I wanted to come back to the book at every turn."

Some of the changes between Austen's sheltered world and life in today's Indian diaspora are inspired. For instance, Elizabeth's unbearably unctuous suitor Mr Collins is no longer a clergyman, but a dim-witted Indian accountant called Mr Kholi, based in LA and living a materialist's dream; he is played with scene-stealing comic verve by Nitin Ganatra.

Yet Chadha's real coup has been to replace the country-house balls in Austen's novel – events where younger characters intermingle and eye each other up as marriageable prospects – with weddings on three continents. To Indians, she insists, this is perfectly logical.

"Most Indian families are spread around the globe. When Paul and I got married, my relatives came from Kenya, India, Australia, America. It was the same when my dad died. It's the very nature of Indian life, the way we move from country to country. That was an element I wanted to focus on in the film."

Chadha's previous films, including Bhaji on the Beach (1993) and What's Cooking (2000), were made on a shoestring, as was Bend It Like Beckham. But for Bride and Prejudice, she has a substantial budget – £10 million – at her disposal for the first time in her career. This allowed her the freedom not only to shoot in far-flung places, but also to hire top-notch talent. For her heroine, Lalita Bakshi, she secured the services of the stunning Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss India and now Bollywood's most popular actress.

"What was different was that we had her looking very simple, with no visible make-up, in jeans and a T-shirt most of the time," Chadha says. "If she came on set in lip-gloss, I'd tell her to take it off. It makes her more beautiful, actually." She sighs. "With this film opening, I'll end up being photographed next to her, and it doesn't matter how much trouble I take – next to her I just look like an old coot." She laughs raucously.

For her Darcy, she passed over a range of English candidates, plumping for Martin Henderson, a New Zealand actor living in Los Angeles. "I liked him because he's handsome like an old-fashioned matinee idol. I knew our film was going to be a bit retro because of Bollywood morals. It's rather chaste. There's no kissing. It's not exactly contemporary in that way."

It's not, so there's no guarantee of box-office success for Bride and Prejudice. Yet, whatever its fate, Chadha's career is already accelerating into another phase; she will soon start directing a big-budget Hollywood action-adventure film for Sony, replete with special effects.

It's based on I Dream of Jeannie, the creaky old 1960s US TV sitcom, but banish any thoughts of Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman: the script Chadha is filming explains how Jeannie became a genie, and starts in Arabia in 200BC. "She's a Muslim girl, and the story is about Muslims," she says. "The notion of women in burkas on a big Hollywood screen is pretty radical."

Studio head Amy Pascal was so determined that Chadha should direct the picture, she pitched the story to her direct. In Hollywood, it just doesn't get any more flattering. Another sign of how far Chadha has come from her low-budget days is that I Dream of Jeannie's producer Sid Ganis told her the money set aside for special effects alone was $10 million – and was worried that it was not enough.

Chadha laughs at the memory: "I thought, blimey. For that money I could give you Bend It Like Beckham 2, 3 and 4!"

She's so open and spiky and honest, it's hard not to worry that Hollywood will simply chew her up and spit her out. Yet Chadha is convinced she can make a difference: "I've learned that if you make a film in America, you don't go in to fight the system. No one's bigger than the story.

"It's my opportunity to go there and make this huge multi-million dollar picture with lots of computer-generated imagery and special effects. That's something boys usually do. Girls never get a chance to do that – never mind girls from Southall."

* 'Bride and Prejudice' opens on Oct 8. Telegraph readers can claim free tickets to a preview screening – see the paper from Friday Oct 1 for details.

23 September, 2004 - Chadha back with "Bride & Prejudice" (ndtv.com)

NRI film director Gurinder Chadha's much-awaited Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-style screen adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, has elevated her to the level of an international filmmaker.

Chadha has become a mainstream international filmmaker with the 12 million pound musical Bride and Prejudice, to be released next month.

The current edition of Newsweek puts Chadha at the head of a new breed of talented women directors who are increasingly being trusted with star names and hefty studio projects.

However, Chadha asserts her soon-to-be-released Aishwarya Rai starrer is not a simple parody. "What I've ended up with is nods to Bollywood and to Hollywood and elements of it feel like the movie Grease. But it is actually a very British movie," she said.

The film revolves around one Bakshi family from Amritsar with four daughters. Aishwarya plays the lead role in the film.

The actress, known as the Queen of Bollywood, has been tipped as a future Bond girl.

Chadha's next film is a $90 million Hollywood juggernaut which is intriguingly pitched as a prequel to I dream of Jeannie, a kitsch 1960s television comedy about a voluptuous girl who lives inside a bottle in a suburban home.

19 September, 2004 - Southall da Saga (indianexpress.com)

The Jane Austen Society must be a pretty propah affair. Most people who attend its annual Bath festival come attired in crisp Georgian outfits.

This year, though, it’ll be different.

Guests attending the screening of Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice, based on the Austen classic, next Sunday (a little before its global release on October 8), are expected to be attired in saris.

Another case of India being big in Britain or Hollywood meeting Bollywood? Chadha, with new haircut and new anticipation, doesn’t think so. She’s clear that the film ‘‘will mean the most to British Indians than anyone else in the world.’’ And she clarifies that Hertfordshire in her film has become Amritsar ‘‘because I am a Punjabi and Southall is very Punjabi. It is the capital of Punjab for me, only 3,000 miles away’’.

Chadha had read Pride and Prejudice in school. She says, ‘‘It is a British classic and I wanted to have a little bit of fun with it. It was an audacious idea, but when I started working on the film I realised how relevant it was. It has the same moral structure as seen in small Indian cities.’’

While the location is Amritsar, the film is British Indian. ‘‘I cannot make a Hindi film. My films are British films that keep pushing the limit,’’ she says.

It might be a Brit film, but the inspiration for Bride... was nothing but Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, a movie that Chadha has seen eight times. ‘‘It was DDLJ that got me back to Hindi films. It was responsible for getting theatrical cinema life in Britain.’’

‘‘I thought I would make a British version of something like DDLJ, because that was not realistic about our (British Indians) lives.’’

Chadha also says her portrayal of India is naturally different because she has never lived there. ‘‘My ancestors are from Jhelum, Rawalpindi. I have no home in India. My parents were from Kenya. Maybe that is why I have been free to create my own sense of homeland, and familiarity and recognition in the characters through people close to me.”

Thus,while the Bennetts become the Bakshis, for Chadha, they are still the ‘Uppals’. As a student, while travelling around India, she had lived with the Uppals in Amritsar; they had three daughters. She still remembers the oldest one being like Austen’s Elizabeth. The family was eager to get the girls married to men from a higher social stratum. The girls “were outspoken and resented the idea that they were not seen as complete without a husband”. The memory lingered, and finally the characters found expression through the movie inspired by Austen’s novel.

But will the film succeed in India? Chadha is not sure, but is optimistic. ‘‘The cheekiness has a lot to do with how we view Hindi cinema and absorb it. For us, it is part of other kinds of things like European and American films and TV. So people in India may say woh maza nahin aaya,’’ she says.

But, she argues, ‘‘Why should I make what Karan (Johar) makes? My film is for the non-Indian suburban audience from across the world.” And for them, the glitz of Bollywood is hip.

Chadha says Bride... “will take Hindi films to all kinds of people, even those who have never seen a Hindi film before”. She proudly recounts that a test screening for a white audience, who had never heard of Bollywood, was a big success. “They loved the innocence of the film. One member said she loved the fact that all the family went to parties together. They have a yearning for the culture I have shown.”

But Darcy (Martin Henderson) who bears the same name, wants to know if it is safe for him to eat pakoras because he does not want to get Delhi belly. And the younger sister of Elizabeth (Aishwarya Rai as Lalita), Mary (Meghna Kothari as Maya), who loves to play the piano, suddenly breaks into a gyrating snake-dance sequence, shocking not simply Darcy but most in the audience. Chadha laughs, “It’s a tribute to Sridevi and Vyjayanthimala.”

Snake charmers and elephants. Chadha’s latest Bollywood-masala-type take on a classic might work, but you can’t help feel that it is an India as the West still sees it.

QUICK TAKE

After the success of Bend It Like Beckham, and now Bride and Prejudice, do you think you will continue with crossover?

I don’t know what crossover films are. I simply make British films. 'Crossover’ is a very parochial term and is also a very Indian term. The sensibility of both my films are British Asian-Punjabi.

Who is dubbing Bride and Prejudice in Hindi?

Poet and writer Anup Singh is doing the Hindi dialogues. It’s quite funny. The scene when Darcy is dancing and he says he is India’s answer to MC Hammer; in the Hindi version, he thinks he is Shah Rukh Khan.

Critics say there are too many song and dance sequences in the film.

Too many songs as compared to what? In Hindi films, there are numerous songs.

Do you think Bollywood films and everything Indian has come to stay in Britain?

I think it has always been there. It’s now appealing to a wider audience. When I was growing up, Britain meant being white, having tea at 4 pm and voting for Thatcher. Now every aspect of British life has changed. Cherie Blair wears a sari at high-profile functions. Bend It Like Beckham is financially the most successful British film. Because we are so much part of the fabric of the country, it opens things up more and more.

Is it pure coincidence that Anupam Kher is in both your latest films?

(Laughs) Anupam said I’m not allowed to make a film without him. He told me he is lucky for me. He’s a committed actor. He is one of the strongest characters in this film because he’s so silent.

How is your relationship with Aishwarya?

Great. We recently had dinner together at her favourite Chinese restaurant when she was in London. We are talking to her about doing another film. I feel she is tremendous in the film. I went with her during her sitting at Madame Tussaud’s for her wax replica. I think all that criticism about her in the Cannes festival was appalling. The Indian media treated her very badly.

19 September, 2004 - Anu Malik talks BP's music (rediff.com)

I, me and myself.

That is Anu Malik when he grants an interview.

After Murder, Main Hoon Na and Fida the composer is ecstatic about his score for Gurinder Chada's Bride And Prejudice.

"I have six songs in the film. People who have heard them say they are too good!" Anu tells News Editor (Entertainment) Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

You want to go international?

It is a great feeling to be called an international composer in the true sense.

I have always been an international composer as far as Indian music is concerned. My films -- Main Hoon Na, Fida and Munnabhai MBBS -- were big hits in the UK, US and Canada.

Now Bride And Prejudice is doing excellently. It is a musical. People who have heard the music are completely bowled over by it!

What kind of music does Bride And Prejudice have?

Very friendly music. Not techno, but soul.

It is music that comes from the roots of our country.

People in the West want to hear Indian melody, not someone who is aping the West. So the music is simple and straight from my heart. There are six songs.

Ashanti - the famous singer in the US - has also sung for me. This was the biggest high for me. She has sung a fantastic song. It has been shot in Goa.

There is a garba, a wedding song, a bhangra that is homage to Yash Chopra. He is the greatest living legend of Bollywood. I also have a great love song between Martin Henderson and Aishwarya Rai. The lyrics are in English.

Why didn't you do all this earlier?

I did an English album called Ice earlier but it was too ahead of its time.

Secondly, I was stuck here and never thought of going beyond.

After Main Hoon Na, things have changed.

Karan Johar referred me to Gurinder, and she liked me.

India is happening now. I want my country to be present everywhere in the world.

15 September, 2004 - Let’s go balle balle (telegraphindia.com)

Bend It Like Beckham became Football Shootball Hai Rabba. And now Bride and Prejudice will become Balle Balle — Amritsar to LA. Yes, Gurinder Chadha’s new film is like her last endeavour — by the Punjabis, of the Punjabis… for the world.

“It is completely different from Bend It Like Beckham, this film is about bloody real Punjabis,” exclaims Deepak Nayar, the producer of both of Chadha’s productions. “I am a Punjabi. So is Gurinder. And the film is the celebration of being a Punjabi. It is a beautiful romantic comedy with a happy ending. I hope, financially, it will be much bigger than the earlier film.”

There was a sneak preview of the film in Mumbai and the response was reportedly very good. After the premiere in Delhi on October 7, both the English and Hindi versions of the film will be released in the UK and India on Friday, October 8.

“By releasing Bride and Prejudice simultaneously in the two countries, we are expecting almost no piracy at all,” says Nayar. “Now, we are trying to wrap up the Hindi production as quickly as we can.”

As for the US, Nayar is adopting a different strategy. “We had an NRG (National Research Group) screening in America and we got excellent scores in places like New Jersey and Manhattan. Miramax plans to release the film later in the year.”

Having watched the film quite a few times now, Nayar feels that it has been adapted quite well from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

“Well, it was the best option for making an Indian adaptation. You already have four marriages in the novel, you throw in some songs and you have your Bollywood movie. I think, Gurinder stuck to the original as much as she could. The characters and situations are all the same. It’s just the way it is told that is quite different and that’s what makes it that much fun.”

And what about the Ash effect? “Aishwarya Rai is fantastic in the film. She looks more gorgeous than she has ever looked before. I can guarantee that her marque will shoot up once the film releases.”

An Indian at heart, Nayar has already planned two other productions. “Gurinder’s husband Paul Mayeda Berges will be directing Mistress of Spices. Then there’s a Shyamalan-like scary film titled Sacred Thread to be directed by Mahesh Mathai, who made Bhopal Express.”

9 September, 2004 - Balle Balle for Bride & Prejudice (mid-day.com)

Gurinder Chadha and producer Deepak Nayar have fixed a simultaneous UK and India release for their film Bride and Prejudice.

On October 8, the English film with a Bollywood soul will open across the two countries.

Nayar will distribute the film in India through his company Kintop Pictures (which released The Passion of The Christ here too).

Interestingly, Bride and Prejudice, which stars Aishwarya Rai, Namrata Shirodkar and Martin Henderson, will also be released as a dubbed Hindi version.

On a fleeting visit to Mumbai, Nayar said, “We have titled the Hindi version Balle Balle — Amritsar to LA!” He added that the lyrics, by Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, have been translated into Hindi by Javed Akhtar.

Universal Music is said to have paid a whopping amount for the soundtrack (by Anu Malik) which also features R & B artiste Ashanti. England-based DJ Rishi Rich is being roped in for a remix of the Punjabi song Balle Balle, Soniya De Rang Dekho.

Bride and Prejudice will have its US release only towards the end of the year. In the meanwhile, Nayar will get stuck into his two new projects.

“I am producing The Mistress Of Spices which goes into production from January. Gurinder will be producing that with me and her husband Paul Mayeda Berges is directing.” The film will be shot in London-Isle of Man-India-Oakland (California)."

“The other project is Sacred Thread, directed by Mahesh Mathai. This is a supernatural thriller set between India and England. It’s in the vein of a Manoj Night Shyamalan film.”

Nayar has approached Navin Andrews and Neve Campbell for Sacred Thread.

2 September, 2004 - A Review: Bride & Prejudice (worldmoviemag.com)

Bride and Prejudice, the Bollywood meets Hollywood, Jane Austin inspired extravaganza, is big, bright, and bodacious.

Set in Amritsar, A.K.A the Hicksville of India, director of photography Santosh Sivan, described as ‘India’s best cinematographer’, certainly lives up to his accolades, brilliantly capturing the beauty and colour of both the setting and the stars.

Mr Balraj (Andrews) – one of India’s most eligible bachelors who is India’s answer to Mc Hammer – now resides in Britain and hits Hicksville for a wedding with his entourage of sister, the spoilt, derisive, Miss Bingley (Varma) and Mr Darcy (Henderson) – quite easily New York’s top unattached desirable.

Roll in Mrs Bakshi, hot on the scent of moneyed men. And with four daughters she has yet to sell off, who can really blame her? Using the wedding as a prospective auction for her prize offspring, she makes no bones about the fact that she is a supreme gold-digger – though a loveable one at that. Luckily for her, Balraj’s eyes catch those of her eldest daughter, but while Darcy feels the same spark towards her more headstrong sister (Bakshi), Lalita is not going to be a soft nut to crack. Feelings certainly run high, but are they ones of adoration or abhorrence?

Be warned: There are plenty of elaborate singing and dancing sequences, which are at times too convoluted, but they are all in the spirit of this fun, blithe piece, which, by playing with a heightened cheesiness, never takes itself too seriously. And it’s true what Darcy says about Indian dancing: If you ‘change the light bulb with your left hand and pat your dog with your right one’, you’ll be able to keep up with all the moves on the festive dance floor.

The women are all staggeringly beautiful and with her striking green eyes and vivacious screen presence, expect this film to do the same for Aishwarya Rai that Bend it Like Beckham did for Keira Knightley. Just don’t (implores director Gurinder Chadha) attempt to compare the two films, for the only thing the same about them is the filmmaker.

You won’t grow any brain cells watching this, but you will have a laugh, even if it slips out against your better judgment.

Make sure you stay for the outtakes which include hilarious footage of the making of the film – we even get to see Harvey Weinstein trapped in a chaotic street scene. And it’s clear the actors and crew clearly had as much of a ball making the movie as audience members will have watching it.

Rating : 4/5

2 September, 2004 - "Bride And Prejudice is not a K3G" (rediff.com)

Gurinder Chadha, whose Bend It Like Beckham, was a rage in India and abroad, is ready with her new film, Bride And Prejudice.

Starring Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Namrata Shirodkar, Sonali Kulkarni, Meghna Kothari, Nadeera Zaheer Babbar, Anupam Kher and Peeya Rai Chowdhary, it is based on Jane Austen's classic Pride And Prejudice.

Gurinder Chadha speaks to Subhash K. Jha about her latest film.

Was it difficult breaking into Hollywood?

I guess breaking into commercial cinema was difficult because most of the people who decide whether your film deserves funding are men and they do not see things from a woman's perspective.

For me as a woman, the issues and sentiments that matter to me might not matter to the male financier.

It was tough to make Bhaji On The Beach and Bend It Like Beckham. But not Bride And Prejudice.

Let me add that putting together a movie project is hard enough for anyone -- man or woman.

Did you have the luxury of options after Bend It?

Yes. I did what my heart told me. I made a complete Hindi movie.

I grew up in a part of London where Hindi films were screened in three theatres. I loved watching all of them even in the 1970s when they got really bad.

I chose Pride And Prejudice because I feel 200 years ago, England was no different than Amritsar today. Believe me, the transposition did not offend the purists in England at all.

The news that I was making Bride And Prejudice was welcomed with broad grins by everyone because it's such a cheeky thing to do.

I was invited by the Jane Austen Society in England and America to apprise them of my plans. They were delighted that Jane Austen was being kept alive. Simon Langton's recent adaptation of Pride And Prejudice was stunning. I hope I have done justice to it. They had six hours while I had only two, including seven songs.

I will release the full version with songs everywhere.

How would you define Bride And Prejudice?

It is a British film made by British finance, obviously because I am British.

But it is a homage to Hindi cinema and to Hollywood musicals. My friends in the West, who have seen it, have compared it to Grease. They don't know the musical references from Hindi films. There are very deliberate references to the cinema of Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Karan Johar.

Do you see yourself as an outsider in India?

I am English. When I speak in Punjabi, I seem very Indian.

But yes, in India, I am seen as an outsider who has an interesting take on their world. Bride And Prejudice is not a Hindi film in the true sense. That rickshawallah in the front row in Patna is going to say, 'Yeh kya hua? Aishwarya ko kya kiya?' [What did you do to Aishwarya?]

Of course, they will all go and see it for Aishwarya and the songs. And because Bend It was released in Hindi with what I thought was a witty title -- Football-Shootball Hai Rabba. I wasn't around when they dubbed it in Hindi. I was quite amused when I saw the Hindi version. It was not my script. They had cut out all the gay references (laughs).

Now, in France, they're planning to make a French version of Bend It.

What do you think of the other Indian women filmmakers who operate from abroad like Deepa Mehta and Mira Nair?

Are you mad? You think I am going to tell you! (laughs)

No seriously, there is a world of difference. Deepa and Mira went to school in India. They are both Delhi girls. That shows up in interesting ways in their work.

On the other hand, I went to school in Southall. I have been in England all my life. My links with India were through Hindi movies in the local theatres. I see myself as British-Punjabi. It works for me. I have a different relationship with the West. I never see myself as an outsider in the West.

But the same Punjabi energy ran through Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding and your Bend It!

Yeah, that's true! Maybe that had to do with the narrative mood rather than our cultural backgrounds.

Do you think post-Bend It, Bride And Prejudice might be over-sold to the public?

I don't think so. I know audiences will go to the theatres with a lot of expectations. But they will enjoy it.

I don't think it will be a huge 100-week 'House Full' film in India because it's in English.

It's not a Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

It's not a full-on mega-star bonanza. That is what Karan Johar does. Those are the movies that go whoosh, and that's great.

I'm not sure if Bride And Prejudice will be liked by hardcore audiences. There will be a Hindi version for India. This time, I will be more involved with the dialogues than I was with Bend It. Anoop Singh is doing the Hindi translation for me. He's quite a poet.

It will be very popular with those who liked Bend It, and with those who find the average Hindi film stale.

As for the rest of the world, I think it will do very well! (laughs)

It will be released in India and the UK on October 8, and over Christmas in the US.

What I hope to do with Bride And Prejudice is make the Hindi language familiar to the world. After all, Bollywood is much bigger than Hollywood. Hopefully, it will work both ways. It will spur Westerners to watch more Hindi movies and also inspire Bollywood filmmakers towards better narratives.

28 August, 2004 - GMTV praises "Bride & Prejudice" (radiosargam.com)

Gurinder Chadha's forthcoming musical is receiving some impressive comments from the British media following a series of recent screening.

More and more reviews are trickling out as the release date gets closer and closer. The UK breakfast television show GMTV recently showed some clips from the film and were very positive about the film - saying "its destined to become a smash!"

28 August, 2004 - The Bride goes to Bath (thisisbath.com)

A Bollywood blockbuster with a twist is to get its first screening in Bath, ahead of London or Los Angeles. Bride and Prejudice is a Bollywood-take on the classic Jane Austen tale Pride and Prejudice, and will be shown in Bath as part of the Jane Austen Festival.

The film has been directed by Gurinder Chadha, who directed hit Hollywood film Bend It Like Beckham, which launched the career of actress Keira Knightley.

In her latest film, the Bennets of Longbourn become the Bakshis of Amritsar.

Darcy owns a Hollywood hotel, Bingley is a second-generation British Asian, while Mr Collins has made it big in Silicon Valley and wants to buy a traditional Indian bride.

Elizabeth Bennet is played by Aishwarya Rai, who has been dubbed the most beautiful woman in the world.

When the former beauty queen's website was launched last year, so many people tried to log on that it overloaded and crashed.

"We have had our fingers crossed for some time," said Jane Austen Festival director Sue Hughes.

"We are thrilled to be staging this exciting adaptation before it goes on general release in October.

"It will be a very special night to remember here in Bath."

The film is set in India, London and America and, in true Bollywood style, has exciting song and dance numbers.

Ms Chadha and members of the cast are expected to attend the screening.

The annual festival is a firm favourite with Austenites around the world, and runs from Saturday, September 18 until September 26.

Jane Austen paid long visits to the city towards the end of the 18th century, and lived in Bath from 1801-1806.

The festival has 40 tickets to give away to people attending the screening on Saturday, September 25 in Regency or Georgian costume.

For more information, contact the centre on 443000.

Tickets are available from the Bath Festival Box Office by calling 463362.

A full programme of festival events is available online at JaneAustenFestival.co.uk.

28 August, 2004 - Fall Preview (time.com)

Yes, we've seen Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice before — as an MGM classic, a BBC mini-series and, last year, a modern-day Mormon movie.

But Bride and Prejudice will mark the first time we've seen it go Bollywood. Director Gurinder Chadha enjoyed a surprise smash with Bend It like Beckham. Can she go from goal to gold?

5 August, 2004 - Sleeping Beauty (filmfare.com)

Gurinder Chadha says that if there's one thing Aishwarya Rai luxuriates in, it's that extra hour of sleep.

During the filming of Bride and Prejudice in the UK, what Ash apparently looked forward to the most was getting weekends off so she could catch up on her sleep. "It's a luxury we stars in India don't get," Ms. Rai is suppose to have told the British film-maker.

4 August, 2004 - Gurinder Chadha pays homage to Bollywood (timesofindia.com)

Why the big time gap between Bhaji and Beckham?

I agree it took an awful amount of time to get there. Making the leap from the first to the second film was very hard. But I felt no sense of burden making Beckham or Bride & Prejudice . Well, the way I look at it, I just have to make the films I want to. If you and the people you care about enjoy it then that's all you can do. If others don't enjoy your film there is precious little you can do about it. There were some critics who thought Beckham was a terrible film. The thing is, I'm not someone who wants everyone to love my film. There are different kinds of viewers and responses.

Was it difficult breaking into a male domain in Hollywood?

Well, there're quite a lot of arthouse women directors in both India and Hollywood. I guess breaking into commercial cinema was difficult because most of the people who decide whether your film deserves funding are men who don't see things from a woman's perspective. Let me add, putting together a movie project is hard enough for anyone — man or woman. But for me as a woman, issues and sentiments that matter to me might not matter to the male financier. Yes, it was tough to make Bhaji and Beckham. But not Bride & Prejudice.

Was there the luxury of too many options after Beckham?

Yes. I did what my heart told me. Make a full Hindi movie. I grew up in an area of London where we had Hindi films showing in three theatres. I chose Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice because, I feel, England 200 years ago is no different from Amritsar today. Believe me, the transposition did not offend the purists in England at all. The news that I was making Bride & Prejudice was welcomed with broad grins by everyone. Because it's such a cheeky thing to do. I was invited by the Jane Austen Society in both England and America to apprise them of my plans. They were delighted that Jane Austen was being kept alive.

How would you define Bride & Prejudice?

It's a British film made by British finance, obviously because I am British. But it is a homage to Hindi cinema and to the Hollywood musical. Friends in the West who have seen it have compared it with Grease . They don't know the musical references from Hindi films. There are very deliberate references to the cinema of Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. They'll think I've gone mad.

How did Aishwarya come into the picture?

I like her a lot! She has a bit of an international presence. I liked her self-dependence. When I met her, she negotiated on her own. She's very much like my character Elizabeth Bennett. She could also look like a Punjabi from Amritsar. I made her look like me (laughs). No, she's utterly charming.

And Namrata Shirodkar?

She is gorgeous! Bride & Prejudice is not just about Ash. Namrata and Ash are foils in the film. Namrata and Naveen Andrews make a fantastic couple. Their love story is stronger in my film than in the book. Funnily enough, when I showed the film to some executives at Miramax, one of the guys said, Oh my God. This is another beautiful girl! People will also like Tia Raichaudhary. Preview audiences loved her. And Meghna Kothari plays the boring sister. In the novel, her character plays the piano badly. Meghna mauls the tanpura . She does the ragas all out of key. One of the finest moments in the film is Meghna doing Sridevi's dance from Nagina. I hope Sridevi sees it as a homage.

What next?

A major Hollywood movie. There are a few offers. The one that I am doing is for Columbia Pictures, a version of the Arabian Nights with lots of magic, swashbuckling and special effects. It'll have a young cast.

I hope it will do to Arabian Nights what Pirates of the Caribbean did to pirate movies. I try to do things that interest me. This one is again about a girl who is a non-conformist. I'm looking at many girls.

Not Aishwarya Rai?

No. It has got to be an American girl, about 18. It will be a $80 million summer blockbuster kind of movie.

3 August, 2004 - Everybody loves Aishwarya (mid-day.com)

Remember we told you about the rave reviews received by Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice (especially Aishwarya Rai) by a British tabloid, following a sneak preview to the press in the UK?

Well, we also found out what Sunny Handal, editor of Asians in Media, a UK publication, who was also among the privileged few to sneak a peek into the much-hyped film, had to say. The man’s review reads more like a clear case of sitting on the fence:

“The film is loud, stereotypical, and surprisingly, quite funny. That is of course what stereotypes are for. But the fact that Chadha manages to pull off the humour, safely negates some of the bizarre sights, such as Indians singing out loud in English and Baywatch style bodyguards doing Indian dancing.”

He goes on to say: “None of the songs actually made any impression on me. It’s not that they were awful, they just were not good enough to make you sit up and take notice…

The principal strength of the movie is Aishwarya Rai’s great acting and the fact that she looks… well… really hot. Martin Henderson is as wooden as a plank. Anupam Kher played his role with professionalism as always.”

And that’s a non-critic’s verdict. Let’s wait and see what the true critics have to say when the film releases in October.

3 August, 2004 - Meghna plays sister of the bride (mid-day.com)

She may not have had the most memorable debut with Prem Aggan way back in 1998, but Meghna Kothari is all set to make a mark with Gurinder Chadha’s forthcoming release Bride and Prejudice.

This Oshiwara resident plays Maya, the third sister in the Bakshi family around which the film is centered.

Namrata Shirodkar, Aishwarya Rai and Peeya Rai Chowdhury play the other sisters in the Bakshi family. “It’s great to be part of the Bakshi family amidst all these gorgeous women!” exclaims Meghna.

Talking about her character in Bride and Prejudice, Meghna says, “Maya is prudish and a slightly confused girl. She’s very serious and unlike her sisters, she isn’t chasing any guys in the film.”

Meghna has just completed shooting for the film in London and Mumbai, and is now eagerly awaiting its release.

The actress, who bagged the role after a round of auditions, says that every moment of working with the Bride and Prejudice team has proved to be memorable.

The film is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. “Bride and Prejudice is like a mega Bollywood film, but Gurinder’s finesse has made it different from other films. The script, the cinematography, the team, everything about this film is amazing.” says Meghna.

A trained Kathak dancer, Meghna also has a dance sequence in the film choreographed by Saroj Khan. “It’s the nagin dance and is a tribute to Sridevi,” she says.

In case you were wondering where she was all this while between her last release — Shyam Benegal’s Hari Bhari in 2000 — and Bride and Prejudice, Meghna has been performing all over the world including London, Bangladesh, and Pakistan with her mother Padmashri Professor Rita Ganguly, a renowned classical singer.

Readying herself for the October 8 release of Bride and Prejudice, this petite actress says she is open to working with different directors. “Fortunately, the times have changed and there are some very good films being made. I believe in taking each day as it comes and want to make the most of every opportunity I get,” says Meghna.

29 July, 2004 - Bride & Prejudice: A Review (radiosargam.com)

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.

29 July, 2004 - Special Preview Of ´Bride And Prejudice´ (planetbollywood.com)

A special preview show of Gurinder Chadha´s ´Bride And prejudice´ was held at Odeon cinema in London, recently.

The film starring Aishwarya Rai and actors from Britain and America drew huge crowds and though the movie received mixed reviews a lot of Londoners, who are big fans of Bollywood, liked the Bollywood style presentation of Jane Austin´s classic novel, ´Pride And Prejudice´.

26 July, 2004 - A Mere Flick Of The Ash (outlook.com)

The superficially clever renaming of Jane Austen's novel should be warning enough of what to expect at a screen near you later this year. Not because a serialised Indianisation of English icons is in itself a bad idea—Gurinder Chadha has now done the beach, Beckham, and now Jane Austen, and may she grab more. But in the end it is uncertain how much better Bride and Prejudice was than merely a good idea.

"Just forget about Bend It Like Beckham when you watch this," Chadha announced at its first screening in London last week. Because this would be different, it would be the story of the Bennet family from Hertfordshire of the early 19th century transferred to the Bakshis of Amritsar in the 21st.

What London was to the countryside then, Los Angeles and a new NRI London would be to Amritsar.

This would be different also because the style is an idea of Bollywood. Countryside balls of Hertfordshire where so much happens transfer easily enough into dance parties in Amritsar, though how many Amritsaris do the garba is another matter. To the transposition of novel to cinema, add a transliteration of milieu from Victorian to Punjabi.

The transfer follows Austen's novel pretty closely all the way, even to the extent that Darcy is called Darcy, appearing here as a crass American, not the uppity Englishman. Wickham too gets to keep his name besides his wicked ways.

Reading the novel cannot, of course, be as mandatory as the cinema ticket, even if Bride sets out to follow Pride this closely. Ideally, the film should stand both alone and as a rendering. The suggestion of many who saw it is that it doesn't stand straight as either. It seems in different ways to do as little for the Austen-literate as for her many non-readers.

In the bare plot of the novel, Mrs. Bennet is anxious to get her daughters married. Bingley arrives in the neighbourhood as a suitable match for Jane. His rich and proud friend Darcy talks him out of it because he finds the Bennets low country folk. Darcy likes Jane's younger sister Elizabeth, though, but she detests his snobbish ways. She also naturally turns down the comical Collins. Wickham elopes with the younger Bennet sister Lydia, and the good side of Darcy emerges when he prevails on Wickham to marry her. Eventually Darcy sees the follies of his pride, and Elizabeth of her prejudices. Darcy marries Elizabeth, and Bingley, Jane.

In Gurinder Chadha's hands, Balraj (Bingley, Naveen Andrews) arrives in Amritsar from Los Angeles with the American hotelier Darcy (Martin Henderson). Balraj likes Maya (Jane, Meghna Kothari), and there is tension, or in Amritsari, 'tashn' between Darcy and Lalita (Elizabeth, Aishwarya Rai). But Balraj and Darcy return to LA and it is only after the Bakshi sisters visit London and LA on the invitation of Kohli (Collins, Nitin Ganatra) that some sort of crisis develops by way of a punch-up between Darcy and Wickham (Daniel Gillies) in a cinema hall and successive slaps for Wickham from two Miss Bakshis'.

The plot does not make a film any more than it does a novel. The quality of the novel is in the texture of the interaction among characters and their ideas. "Now be sincere," Elizabeth says to Darcy in the end. "Did you admire me for my impertinence?" "For the liveliness of your mind, I did," Darcy replies. It is largely Austen's creation of that mind that gives Pride and Prejudice its character, and makes of it such a celebrated novel.

The film script is another story. In snobbery as directed by Chadha, Darcy wants to know if it's safe to eat a pakora because he doesn't want Delhi belly on his first day in India. He says rude things about arranged marriages. Lalita defends it as a global dating service, and so no different from western ways. Darcy says people pay $500 a day for one of his hotel rooms.That's more than what a lot of Indians earn in a year, Lalita replies by way of lively repartee.

Nothing wrong in having standards, he says. So long as you don't impose them on others, replies she. Later, Darcy gallantly gives his first-class seat to Mrs Bakshi to seat himself next to Lalita in economy class when they all happen to meet at Heathrow en route to LA. How can anyone sleep in economy class, Darcy wants to know. Lively Lalita says she will sleep 10 hours in a 10-hour, 53-minute flight.

A film that grandly declares itself inspired by Austen's novel deserved something better than this for screenplay. After taking on an interesting idea, Chadha deserved to give herself a better scriptwriter than herself. Some of the better lines come straight from the novel; pity that Austen could provide no NRI material for Chadha to lift. What should have been the strength of a film like this emerges as its weakest link.

Austen aside, it's hard to see what this kind of script can do for anyone other than feeding a British audience yet more cliches of their idea of ways Indian. This is the flip side of Indianising icons; every such feed adds to a reduction. Within this adventure, Indianness is reduced, and by the same failing, Elizabeth is reduced. Far from the style of Elizabeth, Lalita emerges as a singularly dumb creature.

Here Aishwarya, such as she is, seems to fit the script, such as it is. She never gets past that 'look-at-doe-eyed-me' look. She rode a chariot that her admirers made for her when she became Miss World, and she hasn't gotten off it yet. She looks afraid that a real expression would mark her as a woman of the world rather than the lady on the chariot. Her expressions seem to halt in the early stages of formation; who knows which particular look might trap her in an unflattering snapshot? She travels the world a prisoner of her facial paint.

Chadha's shadow of the book limps along in faltering episodes that fail to hold together, or to hold the audience. The characters only move from one country to another without appearing much moved in their selves. At the heart of the story is the idea of giving up pride and letting go of prejudices. Elizabeth sees how hearsay and her own misjudgement led her away from truth. She thinks she was "blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd", "I, who prided myself on my discernment". Nothing much happens to Chadha's characters. They're comfortable 'passengers' (pardon the Punjabi!), just transferring from a jumbo jet to a couple of elephants in Amritsar for the shaadi in the end.

The faux-Bollywood style doesn't quite pull off either. The song-and-dance sequences seem to follow the dumb end of Bollywood style. Coming to Bollywood, as it has so regrettably come to be known, the film probably needed Madhuri Dixit, and screenplay of the Farhan Akhtar class. The script is self-consciously synthetic, the lyrics flat when audible, the music forgotten as you hear it, the film forgettable once you've seen it. The idea of adaptation wasn't bad, the adaptation is. It is a translation that fails both languages.

22 July, 2004 - Bride & Prejudice: First Review (asiansinmedia)

Just before Gurinder Chadha launched the preview for her new movie Bride and Prejudice, she told the audience not to take into account her previous hit Bend It Like Beckham. She might have wanted to start with a clean slate, but its impossible to deny that expectations were high following the huge and unexpected success of the latter, which has now earned over $60million in the US alone through word of mouth.

After months of hype which is befits one of UK's most successful (Asian) directors, Bride and Prejudice was finally on the big screen in Odeon Leicester Square on Monday. My job was of course to go there and review, so here it is.

The movie

Shot at location in Amritsar, London and Los Angeles, the movie opens with an opening shot of the Golden Temple in Amritsar with a traditional morning call of 'Bole Sohne haal…' which the director could have chosen simply because it's a beautiful opening shot, or she wants to assert that she is quite proud of emphasising her cultural roots in a movie squarely aimed at everyone in Britain.

The latter impression becomes more obvious as the movie goes on. Bride and Prejudice is essentially a musical, based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Chadha has given the story a modern Indian twist, transporting the Victorian age families into a globalised India.

In the story, a determined Mrs. Bakshi is out to find marriage matches for her four beautiful daughters while there's a lavish wedding party in town. Arriving from London is Mr. Balraj (Naveen Andrews, Buddha of Suburbia) with his cousin Miss Bingley (Indira Varma, Canterbury Tales and Jinnah) and friend Mr Darcy (Martin Henderson, The Ring). The two men catch the eye of two of the daughters Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar) and Lalitha (Aishwarya Rai) respectively and the intrigue begins.

Things get complicated as Darcy comes off to Lalita as an arrogant Californian snob. Lalita looks to Darcy like a small-town Indian beauty who knows nothing of the world. Alternately enchanted by and suspicious of one another, Lalita and Darcy nearly fall prey to assumptions, gossip and a comedy of errors... but how will it pan out in the end? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

The film is loud, stereotypical, and surprisingly, quite funny. That is of course what stereotypes are for. But the fact that Chadha manages to pull of the humour safely negates some of the bizarre sights, such as Indians singing out loud in English and Baywatch style bodyguards doing Indian dancing.

Acting and music

The songs in the movie, this is after all a musical, are very much based on theatre. A leaf from Bombay Dreams' book perhaps? Certainly, without the success of the west-end production, there would be a lot more uncertainty on whether the formula will work in British cinema. That said, none of the songs actually made any impression on me. It's not that they were awful, they just were not good enough to make you sit up and take notice.

The principal strength of the movie is Aishwarya Rai's great acting and the fact that she looks…well… really hot. Martin Henderson is as wooden as a plank. British actor Nitin Ganatra is another excellent character, playing a bumbling and naïve Indian-American looking for a desi bride from India. Indira Varma as usual excelled in the short scenes she had (the woman is seriously under-rated). Anupam Kher played his role with professionalism as always.

The Verdict

I don't claim to be an experienced movie commentator or a pundit on what will succeed in the box office, however I do have a make-shift crystal ball. I enjoyed the movie quite a lot and do think it will do well. It moves with good pace; is quite funny with Gurinder Chadha showing some predictable and some unexpected humour; the production quality is of a higher standard than Bollywood despite the limited budget.

Most responses I got after were quite positive. A good analogy I heard was: 'she has a knack of mixing up cocktails which are easy to drink'. I'm not really a fan of romantic comedies and I don't watch Bollywood often, so for me to come out pleased must be a positive sign.

The film also needs to do well just so the Film Council and other funding bodies can be persuaded that Asian film makers can also produce worthwhile projects. Gurinder obviously has a long standing relationship with them and joined the board recently, but there is a distinct feeling with many that many bodies still have a problem funding projects which are by ethnic minority film makers. The more success stories we have the better it is for the whole industry.

The bigger question is will it please the British white audiences? And what about the Americans? Asian audiences alone could push Bride and Prejudice into the top 10, as they have been doing with recent Bollywood films, but as Chadha said to me, it was most definitely a British movie with a nod to Bollywood and Hollywood. She clearly doesn't intend for it to be watched just by Asians.

If we are to judge it on the basis of the last Bollywood musical in English, Bollywood Queen, then it doesn't look good. Fortunately Bride and Prejudice is nowhere near as tacky and cringingly bad. With the marketing and distribution might of Pathe and Miramax behind her, the scales are no longer tipped against the director as they once were.

Lastly, while Gurinder Chadha cares how well the movie will do, I doubt that limited success will be a big setback as it once could have been. She has signed up for no less than 5 more movies by major Hollywood studios and will start work on her next production, I Dream of Jeannie (Columbia pictures), next year. Like it or not, this lady doesn't plan to fall off the radar anytime soon.

Bride and Prejudice opens on 8th October.

20 July, 2004 - "Bride and Prejudice is British," says Gurinder (hindustantimes.com)

"Forget Bend It Like Beckham", Gurinder Chadha told the audience before the screening of her latest film Bride and Prejudice. And so it was.

A special press preview at Leicester Square's Odeon had a packed crowd, eager to relish the film, to be released in October. The film opened beautifully, but the promise withered away gradually. The Bollywood-style interpretation of Jane Austin's novel, where the Bennetts are the Bakshis in Amritsar, with stars from India, the UK and the US, had masala, to say the least. It is a celebration of colour and vibrancy.

The film it seems has made a laboured attempt to squeeze in every success formula available in the two-and-a-half hours or so. There is glamour but there is kitsch too. If the musical Bombay Dreams is a yardstick, this film will succeed. Although Chadha did not particularly like the musical, and thought it was: "Terrible. An awful pastiche." However, she praised its choreography: "The only elements that worked in Bombay Dreams were the ones done by hard-core Bollywood people, like the choreography." She hopes to have paid tribute to the genre in her film.

True, Bollywood films have enough songs and dances around trees in the rain. There are songs galore but trees in the rain have been replaced by sprinklers in the US. Amidst dream sequences and a brief Bollywood-style fight scene, the most bizarre act was a snake-dance sequence by Meghna Kothari, one of the daughters in the Bakshi family. She is the Indian version of the Bennett girl who insisted on playing the piano when her skills were questionable.

Chadha's effort to bat for India and bring it centre-stage has to be admired. The portrayal of the green-card-holder "Amrican" by actor Nitin Ganatra was succint. Naveen Andrews, as the British Asian from London who goes to Amritsar is Mr Bingley, who falls in love with Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar). His sister Keiron's (Indira Varma) attitude fits the stereotype image of certain British Asians who always look down on everything Indian.

Aishwarya Rai, as Lalita, it is believed put on 20 pounds for the film because she apparently wanted her character to look real rather than super-modellish. In the novel, the conflict between William Darcy, played by the handsome Martin Henderson, and Elizabeth (Lalita) revolved around their social status whereas in this Bollywood version, cross cultures added to the problem between the two.

On her experience of getting together actors from different acting traditions, Chadha told The Guardian: "It was tough because every actor thought their way was best. The Americans thought Bollywood was very inferior. The British actors thought they were better than the Americans. I felt like Russell Crowe in Master and Commander; it was my job to keep on course and I kept steering it with my map of British-Asian sensibility. What I've ended up with nods to Bollywood and to Hollywood and elements of it feel like the movie Grease. But it is actually a very British movie." And the British undoubtedly love Bollywood.

A particular song in Bride and Prejudice called No Life Without Wife, touches a special cord for Chadha. It is something her late father used to say to relatives moaning about their wives.

17 July, 2004 - Jane Austen gets turn as star, not storyteller (charlotte observer)

Her most celebrated work is "Pride and Prejudice," which has enjoyed numerous incarnations and is guaranteed to see at least two more. "Bend It Like Beckham" director Gurinder Chadha is currently wrapping a Bollywood version of the story called "Bride and Prejudice," which will open in limited release at the end of the year. A more traditional version begins shooting in London soon and stars "Pirates of the Caribbean's" Keira Knightley.

11 July, 2004 - Chadha: By this time next year, Ash will be the toast of Hollywood! (filmfare.com)

She’s back, with yet another bang. Gurinder Chadha is raring to go with her next release, Bride and Prejudice. In a tête-à-tête with Sudeshna Chatterjee, she says that she wants to make films that provide the audience with a feel-good factor.

The maker of films like Bhaji on the Beach and Bend it like Beckham is all set to release her next film, Bride and Prejudice, based on Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, on October 8, 2004, in India and the UK, simultaneously.

Gurinder Chadha. The name itself is now synonymous with cinema that’s a healthy mix of masala, comedy, emotions that the common man can identify with and a storyline that does not meander all over the countryside. And make no mistake, one cannot take her lightly – after all, British premier John Major is on her list of admirers!

Excited about her latest venture, Bride and Prejudice, Chadha holds forth, “ Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular British Classics. I wanted to deal with a familiar story infused with my vision. It is an extension of Bend it like Beckham, but with songs that include an item number done by American singer Ashanti and my type of humour. You see, I wanted to do a Hindi film (though the language here is English) with my kind of subtleties. My films are for an international audience, but even those who see a lot of Hindi films will find it different. The film is suffused with both British and Indian sensibilities.”

The cast is also truly international in nature – Martin Henderson, the New Zealand-born Hollywood actor, paired with our very own Aishwarya Rai. For Chadha, the entire experience was quite stimulating, though exhausting. Talking about the camaraderie evident in the unit, she says, “There were huge crowds for Aishwarya in Southall and we had to summon security, otherwise everyone was treated the same and I think Ash liked that.” Ask her about Aishwarya’s acting prowess, and she answers, “Impeccable. This film is going to launch her in a big way globally. I made a star out of Parminder Nagra (lead in Bend...). Ash is going to be the next one. By this time next year, Ash will be the toast of Hollywood, I am sure.”

The current trend is for our Bollywood producers to rake in the moolah overseas. Are Hindi movies truly getting an international audience? Breaking into a smile, Chadha says, “The audience is more Indian than international in the sense that it is not bringing in the ‘Whites’ into the theatres. Of course, Lagaan brought a lot of them in the theatre as the subject also included them. In any case, in Britain, we have a very strong British-Indian culture. So we don’t have to look towards a Hindi film to identify who we are. But having said that, Hindi films have become pretty popular in the Indian pockets with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. If the film has a storyline and is quite funny, it clicks. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham did very well. Recently, Kal Ho Naa Ho did well too. Saif did very well here.”

She continues, “With Bride..., I want to make the first Hindi film that is going to appeal to non-Indians world wide. The only Indian director who made films for an international audience was Satyajit Ray.”

However, ask her one Indian film that left an indelible impression on her and she immediately names Manoj Kumar’s Purab Aur Paschim. “It was the first Hindi film I saw that featured Indians staying in England. Though they were really funny, it was a wonderful film about changing culture,” she observes. But that apart, she personally relates more to Raj Kapoor’s films. “He was more populist. My method of filmmaking is like that. I want people from different backgrounds to come and watch my film,” she admits.

One wonders, how in spite of making films in a British-Indian background, Chadha’s films don’t depict too much racial tension. “Of course my father went through a lot of racism and it exists in my films as well, but finally my films have a feel-good factor as my experience says that there are many more good people than bad ones. Secondly, racism is present everywhere. In India, there is so much hatred in the name of religion, caste and prejudices. But on the whole, you will see more people who want to know each other and understand the differences. Hence, my films talk of both sides...” she trails off.

Finally, what matters to her is regaling people with human interest stories. And that’s something the lady is very good at.

6 July, 2004 - British tabloid in love with Ash (mid-day.com)

Aishwarya Rai is so smoulderingly gorgeous in Gurinder Chadha’s Bride And Prejudice that you can’t take your eyes off her, says British tabloid, Daily Mail.

She is the star of Gurinder’s film, which has been freely adapted from Jane Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice. It’s a truth not universally acknowledged these days that any mother will want her daughter to marry well and above her station, begins the film.

Gurinder, who scored so well with Bend It Like Beckham (and made stars out of Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra) has done it again with this Bollywood musical version of Austen’s tale about a mother — this time Mrs Bakshi — who wants to find suitable husbands for her daughters.

Aishwarya plays strong-willed Lalita who meets handsome Will Darcy, played by New Zealander Martin Henderson, who thinks Lalitha and her family, particularly her mother (Nadira Babbar, regarded as India’s Judi Dench) are from Hicksville, India. Nitin Chandra Ganatra plays a rather oleaginous suitor from Los Angeles and he’s hilarious.

This is what a British scribe had to say after watching the screening of an unfinished print of the film: “I had the best time watching this movie — it’s extravagant, romantic, funny and so sexy with Ms Rai.

“Gurinder calls her film ‘Bollywood for the West’. I disagree. There’s no reason why audiences from all corners of the planet won’t love this movie.”

29 June, 2004 - Chadha: "Elizabeth Bennett is very much suited to Aishwarya" (ians)

Director Gurinder Chadha says she can't imagine Aishwarya Rai in a Bollywood film after casting the actress in her own movie "Bride & Prejudice".

"It will be interesting to watch her in a completely different manner," Chadha, who is one of the biggest names on the British Asian film scene after "Bend It Like Beckham", told IANS in an interview.

Based on Jane Austen's classic "Pride And Prejudice", the film stars Aishwarya and the New Zealand-born Martin Henderson.

But Chadha said it was "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" that really inspired her to make a Bollywood-like film. Excerpts:

What was the reason for making a Hollywood film in Bollywood style?

I had been wanting to make a Hindi style picture for a very long time. I even attempted that with the Deols, but for some reason that never worked out. My film is intended to make the Bollywood style of films popular with people who have heard about it but don't know what it is like.

"Bend It Like Beckham" was a typical British Asian film while "Bride & Prejudice" is a combination of three styles as the story is based in the US, Britain and India. Also, the actors are from three nations and traditions.

It has music by a guy who is so Bollywood (Anu Mallik) while the choreography is by another Bollywood legend (Farah Khan). At the same the time the music is mixed in England and has a British feel to it.

What were your Bollywood references while making this film?

If you watch this film then you will surely find references of the great Bollywood legends that I have grown up watching. Manoj Kumar's film "Purab Paschim" was one of the foremost films that influenced me. Then there is Yash Chopra and Raj Kapoor who have inspired me.

I can actually sing every song from the film "Baiju Bawra" as I have seen that film and "Mother India" hundreds of time. At the same time you will also see the influence of Hollywood films.

I think this film will have a great impact on the Indian filmmakers who are trying to take their movies to a worldwide audience. Karan Johar is not interested in making any English film like this and that is very good for him because he is excellent at making films of his kind.

In the case of a person like Aishwarya, it will be interesting to watch her in a completely different manner. But must say "Dilwale Dulaniya Le Jayenge" was my first real inspiration to make a Bollywood kind of film.

The story of my film is about a mother who wants her four daughters to get married and everything is about marriage.

What made you cast Aishwarya?

I think the character of Elizabeth Bennett is very much suited to Aishwarya. The character of Elizabeth is very feisty, aggressive and very proud of who she is. We made it the same, but the only difference is that she is from Amritsar and is proud to be an Indian. So when Mr. Darcy lands in India and expresses his criticism of India, she is the first one to clear his point-of-view.

I cannot even imagine seeing Aishwarya in a Bollywood film after my film.

What was the reason for selecting the novel "Pride And Prejudice"?

That novel is popular not just in England but around the world. Most people in Britain know the story as it is taught in schools and so I thought of adapting a popular story. How different the film is from the real one is what will interest the ones who have read the novel.

For example, in the novel, the Bennett family is based outside London and that's why they are not part of the fashionable scene. So I set the movie in Amritsar and not Delhi. Mr. Darcy is a gentleman from England in the novel but I adapted his character in my film as an American coming to India and meeting Aishwarya.

How was the experience working with Martin Henderson?

He is fantastic and loves India and Indian food. The moment he landed in Amritsar he was on his own. He took a cycle rickshaw and went on a tour on his own, at the same time he joined a gym somewhere there! We also had a very big singer from America, Ashanti, singing a Hindi track "Payal Bajake". We shot with her in Goa and gave her a typical Helen look. Perhaps this is first time a major black singer has sung a song in Hindi!

What will your next project be like?

It will definitely be a musical or an adventure. Right now, I'm working on an adventure film that will be on the lines of "Arabian Nights" and will also have a Bollywood star.

19 June, 2004 - Aishwarya & Gurinder together again? (newkerala.com)

Internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Gurinder Chadha and actress Aishwarya Rai may join forces again after 'Bride and Prejudice', with the director indicating her preference to cast the former Miss World in her next venture.

Chadha is currently in India in connection with the song recordings for 'Bride and Prejudice', her film based on Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice'. The film stars British actor Martin Henderson alongside Aishwarya.

Asked whether Aishwarya would be there in her next film as well, Chadha, who won worldwide renown for 'Bend It Like Beckham', told reporters here recently that she was working on many scripts and had not planned anything yet, but if a character emerged that was suitable for the actress, they could end up working together again.

Speaking about her current venture, the director said the film, set against the backdrop of a Punjabi wedding, was to be released, jointly in UK and India, on October 8.

Talking about her future plans, she said she had been approached by Hollywood to direct three films.

"But I prefer to work on my own story," she added.

Chadha stated that she would continue to make crossover films as she felt that in the changing scenario, where Indian films were being widely appreciated globally, it was the duty of filmmakers to promote Hindi films.

16 June, 2004 - Austen power: The empire writes back (hindustantimes.com)

If Gurinder Chadha decided to rediscover Jane Austen within the realm of the peculiar musical genre that defines Bollywood, thank Aditya Chopra for it in a way. After all, Chadha changed her notion that Hindi films are all “mindless stuff” after seeing Dilwaale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, “a romance that’s fantastically true”.

Her US $24 million crossover entertainer, Bride And Prejudice – a Bollywoodised version of Austen’s Pride And Prejudice (she terms the shift in the first word of the title as a “witty add-on”) – is ready. And this time, what with the mega success of her last feature, Bend It Like Beckham (the film raked in US$ 76.1 million worldwide), expectations are sky-high. More so, because Chadha has cast contemporary Bollywood’s most recognised face in the West, Aishwarya Rai (the fact that Julia Roberts called Ash “the most beautiful woman in the world” has received adequate spread in the British Press), opposite Martin Henderson, star of films such as The Ring, Windtalkers and Torque.

But Chadha is unperturbed. “When you’ve enjoyed doing a job, you don’t feel the pressure,” she says. “I simply wanted to make a musical that would appeal to audiences all over. So, I picked up an English classic and gave it a Bollywood twist.”

Bollywood twist, of course, means more than packing in Anu Malik’s music (the lyrics have been penned by Farhan and Zoya Akhtar) for the Bhangra jig that Ash does with Henderson. It is a twist that sees the Bennets from Austen’s pages become the Bakshis of Amritsar in Chadha’s film. The protagonist Elizabeth, or Lizzy, is Lalita (the character played by Ash), Charles Bingley becomes Balraj and Mr Darcy (Henderson) is a rich American hotelier here. “Like the re-worked script itself, the film too is a combination of Indian and English cinema. I’d say it is 50 per cent Bollywood in that sense,” says Chadha.

Chadha’s filming a highlight song sequence in an Amritsar street on Ash and Henderson saw her employ eight rickshaw-pullers, 44 extras picked randomly from the streets, 40 professional extras, 35 children, a 21-piece wedding band and eight singing eunuchs. And the Bajrang Dal promptly burned her effigy, reportedly alleging her film denigrates Indian culture and values by filming Indian actresses with foreign actors. “When you arrive at a place with such a heavy-duty cast, you bump into many people who look for some quick publicity,” she dismisses. “I may be from Southall, but I’ve spent a lot of time in Amritsar and I have cousins here too. I know my culture well.”

When Bride And Prejudice opens on October 8, Chadha will want to prove as much, among other points.

Spot Kick: Some Like It Crisp

Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein arrived on the sets of Bride And Prejudice with loads of cheese and onion crisps for the crisp-addict Gurinder Chadha. “When Weinstein comes halfway round the world bearing crisps, you know you have arrived,” wrote The Sunday Telegraph, London.

Miramax subsequently bought the US $24 million film, and will distribute it worldwide. Is it the first sign of Chadha treading Hollywood domain? “Plans for a big film in Hollywood are definitely on. It will be something in the lines of The Arabian Nights,” is all that she’ll say for now.

7 June, 2004 - "Bride" in UK on October 8th (asiansinmedia.org)

Gurinder Chadha's Pride and Prejudice has finally set a release date. The distributor for the film, Pathé Distribution, announced yesterday that the film would hit British screens on 8th October 2004.

The film, with the tagline 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a fortune must be in want of a wife...' has been the source of much anticipation following the unexpected success of Bend it Like Beckham in the United States. It is a modern Bollywood style re-telling of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice.

According to the makers the film blends the best of Bollywood and classic Hollywood musicals, yet stays faithful to the classic novel - the story of a mother and father with four unmarried daughters and no dowry to help entice rich, well-bred husbands. The Bennets become the Bakshis, who live in small town in India and Darcy is a wealthy American, and son of a successful hotelier.

Starring Aishwarya Rai as Lalita and Martin Henderson (The Ring) as Darcy, the film also boasts a supporting cast from the UK, India and US. The line up includes Anupam Kher, Nitin Ganatra, Naveen Andrews, Indira Varma and Daniel Gillies. It was filmed at Ealing Studios and on location in the UK, India and LA.

Director Gurinder Chadha has signed up to six more movies following the release of Bride and Prejudice.