New & Sealed Bride and Prejudice (DVD)

In Bride and Prejudice, East meets West in a dazzlingly entertaining fusion of Hollywood and Bollywood unlike any interpretation of the classic novel that you have seen.

The framework of the original is still very much in evidence, but the story is re-told with a spectacular splash of colour, and features razzle-dazzle song and dance numbers while it globe trots across India, London and LA.

Cast as Lalita Bakshi – the counterpart to Austen’s Lizzie Bennet – is Bollywood superstar, Aishwarya Rai. Lalita is one of four daughters whose parents (Nadira Babbar and Anupam Kher) are trying to marry off. The arrival in their town of millionaire, Mr Balraj (Naven Andrews) and his best friend, American hotel heir, Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) sets off the romantic entanglements and misunderstandings. Lalita’s sister, Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar) falls for Balraj and there’s immediate attraction between Darcy and Lalita, which is defused for him by her outspokenness and for her because she finds him cold and aloof.