Bride & Prejudice

Mrs. Bakshi is determined to marry off her four daughters, and the arrival of a wealthy suitor and his American friend in their small Indian town seems like the opportunity she has been waiting for. Her headstrong daughter Lalita, however, insists she will marry only for love. Sparks fly when she meets the American Will Darcy, though neither is sure whether what grows between them is attraction or irritation, and family expectations push her toward a different match altogether.

Gurinder Chadha directed and co-wrote this Bollywood-style reworking of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, set in modern India and blending musical numbers with the courtship plot. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Lalita, with Martin Henderson as Darcy, Naveen Andrews as Balraj, Daniel Gillies as Wickham, Indira Varma and Marsha Mason in supporting roles. It followed Chadha's What's Cooking? and Bend It Like Beckham, and precedes Paris Je T'aime and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging in her filmography.

Made for about 7 million dollars, the film took roughly 25 million worldwide, a solid return for a modest production. On IMDb it holds 6.2 out of 10 from around 23,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.5 from over 400 votes. A critics' rating of 6.1 from 131 reviews places it close to the audience scores. The cast mixes Indian and Western actors, reflecting the cross-cultural story at its centre.