Can’t Get Enough “Pride and Prejudice”? Check Out These South Asian Takes on Jane Austen
There’s a reason why the works of Jane Austen have endured far beyond the 19th century: they’re just too relatable. Who hasn’t gotten off on the worst foot with someone you desperately want to befriend, wanted to don a fancy outfit to attend a fun party, or walked miles in the mud to visit their sick sister at a wealthy family’s estate? (Well…maybe the last one isn’t as common.)
The warmth and timelessness of Austen’s works have led to many film adaptations – including the beloved Pride and Prejudice (2005), which just celebrated its 20th anniversary this year with a theatrical re-release. The flexibility of these works allows them to easily be adapted cross-culturally, which has led to a number of fun adaptations worldwide. If you’re still riding the high from experiencing Pride and Prejudice in theaters, try checking out these South Asian film adaptations of some of Jane Austen’s most famous works.
Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
This Tamil language reimagining of Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811) follows two sisters as they navigate love and loss in their small, countryside village in the mid ’90s. Sowmya (Tabu), the down-to-earth older sister, hasn’t been able to get married because of the “bad luck” that supposedly killed one of her suitors. Meanwhile, second daughter Meenakshi (Aishwarya Rai) dreams of a fairytale romance, dreamily reading poetry about love and – literally – singing her way across the countryside.
Both sisters eventually find themselves pursued by potential suitors – Sowmya by Manohar, an aspiring film director who promises to marry her after he finds success, and Meenakshi by Srikanth, a charming businessman (while Bala, an older army veteran who lost his leg in action, pines for her from afar). However, when family tragedy forces them away from their home, the sisters and their mother have to adapt to a new world, all while still trying to keep their love alive.
While this movie is undoubtedly dated in many places (I giggled during the dance number where two characters are suddenly at the Egyptian pyramids), I was genuinely surprised to find that it was as stunningly lush and vibrant as it was when I watched it as a small child. I was even more surprised to find that the songs I had only heard once were immediately memorable during this rewatch. Kandukondain Kandukondain fluidly adapts Sense and Sensibility from the sleepy English countryside to the green hills and bustling cities of southern India, adding the drama (and dance numbers) that many have come to expect from a good Kollywood film. While it changes some aspects of the story, it still has enough of an Austen spin for your next movie night.
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
Aishwarya Rai stars in another Austen adaptation – a retelling of the timeless 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice. While not as famous as the beloved Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfayden feature released a year later, this movie is still a fun rendition of the classic romance.
Bride and Prejudice is predominantly an English-language film, with some lines spoken in Hindi and Punjabi. The movie introduces us to the Bakshi family, which, just as in the original story, has a mother dying to marry off her four daughters. Eldest daughter Jaya hits it off with Bhalraj, an eligible bachelor from the U.K., but her younger sister (and movie protagonist) Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) has a prickly introduction to Bhalraj’s American friend, William Darcy. Against the backdrop of various cities in India’s Punjab region – and, eventually, Europe and the U.S. – Lalita and Darcy continue to feud, inexplicably growing closer through (and despite) the meddlings of friends, family members, and ne’er-do-wells.
This movie can be best described as “camp” at its finest. The music is often off-beat; the singing is often off-key (or possibly off-sync). Even the core of the Pride and Prejudice narrative – the pride and the prejudice that kicks off Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett’s standoff in the first place – seemed a little awkward and contrived, even though the movie’s creators were clearly trying to shift the conflict to center around culture rather than the original’s focus on class. Still, Bride and Prejudice is obviously a labor of love, and endearing in its own early aughts way. Coming from Gurinder Chadha, creator of one of the U.K.’s highest grossing films, Bend it Like Beckham (2002), the movie offers a fun spin on a beloved classic – and a great option for when you feel the need for a lighthearted watch.
Aisha (2010)
Aisha (2010), a Hindi-language Bollywood film, is meant to be based off of Austen’s novel Emma (1816). However, it feels more heavily inspired by Clueless (1994), a more modern rendition of the movie set in ’90s Los Angeles. This take reimagines Emma as Aisha (Sonam Kapoor), a woman who loves art, shopping, and matchmaking her friends and acquaintances. While she actually has a decent record of setting up successful couples – her sister and aunt, to name a few – she ends up slowly moving into overbearing territory when she makes newcomer Shefali (Amrita Puri) her new project. After several failed attempts at setting Shefali up with others, much to the disapproval of her best friend Pinky and her childhood friend/love interest Arjun (Abhay Deol), Aisha is forced to face up to how her actions have been harming those around her – as well as herself.
As far as movie adaptations go, Aisha wasn’t bad – just underwhelming. Certain scenes linger far longer than comfortable and, unfortunately, it’s a bit difficult to find the characters likeable at first. Taking cues from Clueless, the movie borrows the shopping addiction and mean girl talk – but not so much the clumsy but meaningful attempts at redemption that made the protagonist so endearing. There are redeeming factors, however: a sweet, romantic confession scene and a lovable dad that is so South Asian dad-coded, he feels more like he wandered on set than was cast. Put this movie on your rotation when you want to turn off your brain and simply digest the drama.
Eager for more movies and TV to binge? Check out our article on the upcoming shows and movies unveiled at Netflix’s TUDUM event here!
