Balle Balle! Amritsar to L.A. (India: English title) (Bride & Prejudice) (2004)

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago at Jul 26 17:59

Having not seen Bend It Like Beckham, or anything that was even close to a Bollywood flick, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I had two thoughts while watching this movie. First, that it was similar to My Big Fat Greek wedding on the romance side, as it was a love story which dealt a great deal with the culture one of the love interests is from. I loved the glimpse it gave into the non-commercial world of Indian culture, and how the creators weren't afraid of laughing at the silliness of Bollywood movies. The other was that despite the change of location and time from the original subject matter, Pride and Prejudice translated amazingly well, and I was often surprised at the bits that translated almost directly from the original story. Characters: the lead ingenue, Lalita, is l...Read more

Rating : 9/10

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago at Feb 28 5:51

This is such a weird combination. The mixture of one of the most famous books about the constraints of British Society with a Bollywood Musical. And I have to disclose that I hate musicals! However, I was able to give much more leeway in honor to the Indian tradition of outlandish musicals. And I'm glad I did. The dancing and costumes was so riotous and joyful. The singing wasn't my cup of tea, but only moderately tripped up the pace. Although the storyline might be quite accurate, the choice of actors wasn't perfect. Darcy was just too wimpy, and Lalita was much too strong. But they were pleasant to look at. All in all I liked it, and hope to check out something true Bollywood soon.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago at Feb 19 20:14

Given that this is set in modern time and in a different culture, I was pleasantly surprised how close they managed to stay to Austen's plot. This really is Pride and Prejudice, even though the dialogue is different and there are crazy musical numbers, which I loved. I found the Indian music and costumes very enjoyable and fun; Ashanti also has a great musical performance in this film.
I'm kind of ambivalent about the actors cast to play Lizzy and Darcy. They just aren't in the same league as the other actors who have played the roles so excellently. On the upside, I loved Mr. Collins and there is a very funny performance by the nerdy sister.
I found this to be a enjoyable refreshing take on Austen's Pride and Prejudice.


Rating : 9/10