Overrated neo- elitist Indian fantasy. Review on Bride and Prejudice

Aishwarya Rai; for over a decade now she has been the ultimate symbol of beauty, hyped up to a point that has resulted in the belief that she is the most beautiful woman on the planet. True, Ash is beautiful and smart, in fact very smart. That is why she won the Miss World title in 1994! It is almost second nature for most Indians who are of the firm belief that Ash is their pride and joy, their ethereal goddess, the untouchable diva! With all the hype generated around her, it was only a matter of time before she would be signed up for movies by overseas directors which would then eventually lead her to star in the real deal, Hollywood blockblusters!

But there is a difference between hype and living up to it, between being beautiful woman who acts and being a good actress; I could go on. Bride and prejudice is one of the movies where Aishwarya Rai plays Aishwarya Rai and not Lalita Bakshi. It is all too evident in the way the script has been written for her character and the way Aishwarya carries it off. I could give her a perfect 10 on that one. But looking at the storyline, the film smacks of the typical attitude of Indian elites, that the white skin is right and having a handsome gora fall for a desi gal, even if it is the beautiful Aishwarya is the a yearning and achievement we should all strive to emulate.

Having said so much for what I think about the movie, the plot revolves around a Punjabi family with 4 girls of marriageable age. The eldest is engaged to be wedded to a British NRI. The American gora chum of the British son-in -law is in love with the second daughter , played by our Miss World who strangely is putoff completely by the earnest American. She eventually has to end up with him; who can turn down an offer from a rich, handsome and eligible gora tophy husband ? To eventually get to the end, you have to put up with a number of made-up scenes and a storyline that takes you to London, L.A and finally back to Punjab. So much to emphasize celebration of romance in a globalized world!

Gurinder Chaddha, the British director somehow has this notion that true love has to be a white man falling for a desi woman, or vice versa. We saw the same theme in ''Bend it like Beckham'' where the main character falls in love with her gora white football coach, who in turn gives up his stunning Brit girlfriend played by Keira Knightley. Does this mean that having a desi guy fall for a desi woman and have her reciprocate is no mean achievement ? Perhaps she should answer that.

What bugs me about this movie is the embrace of elitism and schoolgirl fantasy while at the same time pretending to celebrate the Indian spirit and values. With the attitude that the lead character of Lalita Bakshi displays, one would sooner say ''good riddance'' than attempt to send romantic feelers.