Review : Bride and Prejudice

B&P is a typical, feel-good Bollywood entertainer with a mind of its own. Inspired by the Jane Austen novel, Chaddha adapts the age-old storyline of the hunt for a suitable boy, to a family in lush Punjab, in modern-day India. The Bakshi parivar is composed of the father (Kher), the mother (Babbar) and the four daughters : Jaya (Shirodkar), Lalitha (Aishwarya), Lakhi (Pia RC), and Maya (Kothari). Jaya is the shy “good” girl, while Lalitha is the outspoken fire-ball who helps her father with his business, and appreciates having a mind.

We first see the lead pair together when the family goes to a wedding, and meets Balraj Bingley (Andrews), who is in India on business. He is accompanied by his sister, the statuesque Krishna (Varma) and American friend William Darcy (Henderson). Mrs. Bakshi is keen to make a matrimonial match between Jaya and Balraj, and is delighted when the pair take a liking to each other. Lalitha and Will eye each other, but a mutual dislike is apparent when Will rejects friendly overtures by the Bakshi family.

Later the same evening, when Balraj asks Mr.Bakshi if Jaya can accompany them (Balraj and Co.) to Goa for a few days, Mr. Bakshi demurs. Matters are resolved satisfactorily however, on Mrs. Bakshi’s insistence, with Lalitha being volunteered as a chaperone to accompany Jaya. The Goa trip, while bringing Jaya and Balraj closer only heightens the differences between Darcy and Lalitha. In Goa, Lalitha also meets Johnny Wickham , Darcy’s old adversary, finds herself drawn to his honesty and straightforwardness, and invites him to Amritsar.

When they return from the trip, Jaya and Lalitha find the Bakshi household awash in preparations for the arrival of NRI Mr. Kohli (Ganatra). Mrs. Bakshi has set her sights on Kohli-saab (caricaturised as a typical Californian NRI) ,as a prospective son-in-law. Wickham too arrives in Amritsar, having accepted Lalitha’s invitation, and is welcomed into the Bakshi household as Lalitha’s friend. Does Balraj indeed woo Jaya ? Does Mrs. Bakshi snag Kohli as a son-in-law or do Lalitha and Wickham get more involved ? The rest of the movie follows along the novel’s plot, and resolves misunderstandings/squabbles and does the “bad” men in.

Acting is adequate all around. Nadira Babbar plays the exaggerated, raving and ranting Punjabi Mom to the hilt, while Kher turns in a sterling performance as the long-suffering, cringing husband. Peeya Rai C. delivers a peppy performance as the younger sister Lakhi, while Ganatra delivers the laughs in his potraiture of the materialistic Kohli-saab. The romantic pairs add pizzazz. Direction is good, and the film is colorful, and peppered with songs, dances and the sights and smells of India.

On the philosophical front, it makes one reflect a bit, when you think that an 1813 Victorian-ish novel fits so well into modern day Indian society. And it jars you a bit, when see the four sisters so baldly “marketed” in the marriage market, by their well-meaning mom.

Music is poor, with many songs awkward-sounding in English, and the compositions not very catchy. The only enjoyable songs are “No Life without wife”, a peppy number picturised on the four sisters, and the initial Hindi wedding song. Although Chaddha takes liberties with the original storyline, as well as with Indian inhibitions, she does it well. The film in parts has some incongruities, but overall is a crowd-pleasing entertainer.