I’m sure you’ve been there too. You’re in the mood for a movie and naturally craving another hit of Pride and Prejudice. The problem is you’ve watched the classic film adaptations so recently that repeating one of them again this soon just doesn’t quite appeal. Perhaps, then, something that retains the flavor of the original story but is presented in an entirely different style. Yes, that would be just the thing!

I was in that situation the other night, so I pulled the 2004 movie Bride and Prejudice out of my DVD collection. Since I hadn’t watched it in a long time, I knew it would feel fresh and new to me. And it definitely did.

In this Bollywood style retelling, the P&P story has been transplanted to modern-day India (with stop offs in London and LA), where a beautiful, feisty Indian young woman, Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai), falls into a love/hate relationship with handsome American hotel mogul William Darcy (Martin Henderson). As with the original Darcy and Elizabeth, their mutual attraction keeps running up against thorny roadblocks – in this case, primarily his perceived Western arrogance clashing against her defensiveness about her country, culture, and family. And as with the original, there’s fault and misunderstanding on both sides.

P&P translates well into this new setting, where at least some of the same social dynamics still exist: class distinctions, pressure to arrange advantageous matches for single daughters. You will easily recognize the counterparts for the characters we know and love so well, too, most of them appropriately portrayed,. And it’s always good sport to discover lines and plot points from Austen’s original story strewn here and there along the way.

Beyond the story itself, though, Bride and Prejudice provides a feast for eyes and ears: – riotous color, scenery from three continents, with lots of Indian-flavored music and dance – all of which makes for a very entertaining 2 hours.

This film doesn’t take itself too seriously (which, in case you hadn’t figured it out by then, you know for sure when a robed gospel choir shows up at a rave beach party to serenade D&L). As long as you don’t try to take it too seriously either, I think you will enjoy watching it at least once. It will never be your go-to movie for the authentic P&P experience, but it’s a great choice when you’re in the mood to change things up a little. In that respect, it’s like watching Pride and Prejudice 1940 with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier – a fun romp rather than a faithful interpretation of the classic novel.

4 stars

Have you seen this film? What did you think of it? Did you enjoy the color, song, and dance aspects? Will you watch it again?

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“Nothing could be so gratifying to me as to hear your opinion of it,” was his answer; “but I fear there would be some disappointment; you would not find it equal to your present ideas…” (Mansfield Park, chapter 6)