How does Chadha use the concept of the ‘exotic other’ in Bride and Prejudice?

(Chadha, 2004)

 

Gurinder Chadha is a successful transnational director, with an extensive filmography including that of ‘Bend it like Beckham’, ‘The Mistress of Spice’ and ‘Bride and Prejudice’. Gurinder and her family had experienced firsthand the forcible migration from their home country of Kenya and suffered through the Partition of India that happened under the influence of the British Empire, resulting in Britain being established as a direct controller of India and subsequently the population (Koshy & Chadha, 1996). This allowed for Chadha’s films to be classified among the Indian Diaspora cinema, as this was considered a hallmark of the traumatic experience of India in the 19th and moving forwards to the 20th century (Griffin, 2014). As many of her films but focusing primarily on her 2004 film ‘Bride and Prejudice’, involves the concept of ‘the exotic other’ which is the representation of individuals or a group that opposes and stands against everything that the West does (Sexton, 2016). 

It is considered that representation can be closely linked with power structures within a nation or social group and, in context with this movie, particularly in those countries that were once controlled by colonialists (Geraghty, 2006). With India being under the influence of Britain, they were represented the way the coloniser wanted them to be; with the similarities between Austin’s novels and Bollywood films, it strengthens the transnational relevance, and this adaptation could be seen as a ‘tribute’ to the colonial ‘master’ text (Mathur, 2007). Women had the ‘exotic stereotypes’ opposed on them from the colonialists: a term that bared cultural and exotic meanings created through sensual dancing, submissive and sacrificing character types (P. Kasbekar, 2021). However, in this movie Lalita subverts this stereotype by dancing the traditionally and refusing to be married off to Mr. Kohli, who she didn't love. She is a head-strong, beautiful woman who chooses her own destiny. Chadha references British stereotypes of Indian families to create an image of femininity and warmth of family life and uses this to flip the usual stereotype of the exaggerated, uptight Indian mother to naturalise the mother’s behaviour (Geraghty, 2006). In the end Lalita ends up choosing to date Mr. Darcy, after the issues associated with class were resolved. But the main barrier between them wasn’t just their different in class, but rather their difference in national identity (Geraghty, 2006). In the beginning Darcy held much resistance to embracing the Indian culture, with a closed-mind and disgraced facial expressions to show for it in the opening scene. However, as he grew closer to Lalita and watched how she defended her country and home against the ignorance of his own words, he grows to become more accepting, before finally seeing the beauty in Indian traditions, customs and beliefs (Geraghty, 2006). His dull and wooden expressions at the end could signify that despite the love between them, the clash of cultures might be too big to overcome (Geraghty, 2006). 

 

(Chadha, 2004)

Many different elements are drawn together to create the stereotypes that are utilised within the movie to demonstrate the dynamics between each of the different styles, many of which are created through its mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene plays a significant role in establishing the films cultural context and enhancing the storytelling which is done through the characters traditional music and dances (Meyer, 2005). A common theme found in Indian cinema is the using of European novels from the 18th and 19th century that have plots centred around romance, inheritance and feminine frustration as inspiration; they use the mise-en-scene of music, colour and dance to create an updated and relevant adaption associated with Indian culture (Geraghty, 2006). Alike its’ inspiration classic, the film uses a range of colour within its props, costumes, make-up and setting of Amritsar to construct a warm and positive mood which starkly contrasts the bleak setting of LA; therefore, causes the audience to feel more inclined to become immersed in the Indian culture. This continues to separate the ‘east’ from the ‘west’ and challenges how representation is being made by the colonisers (Geraghty, 2006). Extensive soundtracks are common with Bollywood musicals and are still prominent in this Hollywood/Bollywood musical with the use of traditional Punjabi songs. The songs are crucial to the drive of the plot, and accompanied with the traditional dances encompass the history of Bollywood (Griffin, 2014). The dance in the market with the three girls in an array of colour and organised choreography has similar mannerisms as the British stage musical ‘Oliver!’ intensifying the similarities that the ‘east’ shares with the ‘west’ (Geraghty, 2006). Despite, an even blend between all stylistic decisions, American film critics criticised the film for involving ‘tacky, bawdy “songs from nowhere,” (Griffin, 2014, p.531).  

 

‘Bride and Prejudice’, inspired by the 1883 Jane Austen novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, follows the same plot as the original, and involves the same character types (but with a Bollywood twist), making it a beautiful blend between British, Hollywood and Bollywood cinema with Chadha describing it as ‘Bollywood and Hollywood, tied up with a British sensibility’ (Chadha, 2004). With this blend of different styles, layered with the history of colonialism, we are able to interpret how the ‘exotic other’ is depicted through the stereotypes, mise-én-scene and genre structure. 

References

Chadha, G. (Director). (2004). Bride and Prejudice . Pathé Distribution.

Craven, J.-T. (2019, April 30). Thoughts on Cultural Representation: Power and Resistance. Culturico. https://culturico.com/2019/04/30/thoughts-on-cultural-representation-power-and-resistance/

Geraghty, C. (2006). JANE AUSTEN MEETS GURINDER CHADHA. South Asian Popular Culture, 4(2), 163–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746680600797202

Griffin, H. (2014). Songs from Nowhere: Integrating Music, Diaspora, and Gender in Gurinder Chadha’sBride & Prejudice. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 31(6), 531–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2012.679529

Koshy, S., & Chadha, G. (1996). Turning Color. Transition, 72(72), 148–161. https://doi.org/10.2307/2935366

Mathur, S. (2007). From British “Pride” to Indian “Bride”: Mapping the Contours of a Globalised (Post?)Colonialism. M/c Journal, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.2631

Meyer, C. (2005, July 5). Jane Austen, Bollywood and the cobra dance. SFGATE. https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Jane-Austen-Bollywood-and-the-cobra-dance-2623921.php

P. Kasbekar, V. (2021). Bride and Prejudice: Austen Colonized? A Desi (Insider) Perspective. Jasna.org, 41(2). https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/volume-41-no-2/kasbekar2/

Sexton, J. (2016). The allure of otherness: transnational cult film fandom and the exoticist assumption. Transnational Cinemas, 8(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/20403526.2016.1245922