Bride and Prejudice
By Will Fertman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fluffy Bollywood-style musical romance.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Report this review
Multicultural twist on a classic story
Report this review
What's the Story?
By director Gurinder Chadha, responsible for the great Bend it Like Beckham, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a pretty faithful retelling of Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice". Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) is the second oldest daughter of a well-to-do Indian family, celebrating the arranged engagement of their oldest to the wealthy and handsome Balraj Bingley (Naveen Andrews), an Indian living in Britain. He's come to meet his future wife, and he's brought his aristocratic sister Kiran (Indira Varma) and American buddy William Darcy (Martin Henderson). It's Darcy's first time in India, and he's having trouble adjusting. So when a huge musical number breaks out, he just doesn't feel comfortable jumping into the swirling throng and dancing. To Lalita, he comes off as aloof, and she dismisses him as a boorish American, more interested in making money than in the beautiful culture around him. As in Austin's novel, Lalita and Darcy repeatedly grow closer and draw apart.
Is It Any Good?
Bride and Prejudice is a fluffy Bollywood-style musical romance that will be fun for teens and parents who can forgive some half-baked lyrics. The film is beautiful -- the musical bits are swirls of choreographed color, with dozens of synchronized dancers reminiscent of Busby Berkeley productions.
The music never quite rises to the level of the dancing, however, and the tepid English lyrics in particular grow tiring as the movie goes on, as. The actors are charming, though, and the inevitable crisis near the end of the film gives the movie a needed pick-up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how money affects the characters in the film. Which do the characters care about more, the cultural differences between India, England, and America or the economic differences? How does Lalita's perception of Darcy as a wealthy American affect her attitude toward him? How does Bijili seem to feel about America versus India?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 11, 2005
- On DVD or streaming: July 5, 2005
- Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews
- Director: Gurinder Chadha
- Studio: Miramax
- Genre: Musical
- Run time: 111 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: some sexual references
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate