Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">GURINDER CHADHA </span>Film maker on the criticism over <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bride and Prejudice</span>.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How do you react to the bad publicity over </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Bride and Prejudice</span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">?</span><br /><br />I have been a journalist before I became a filmmaker, so I know that all reviews, good or bad, are written with an agenda.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What do you attribute it to?</span><br /><br />I made a British film using a Bollywood narrative style and most people seem to have missed that point.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">So how did it fare abroad?</span><br /><br />It grossed 16 crore in its opening weekend in UK.That''s a first of sorts.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Are you seeing better reviews abroad then?</span><br /><br />Yes, the reviews have been largely positive in the UK.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Then what happened down here?</span><br /><br />I find that in India people seem to be deriving some kind of pleasure by ripping the film apart.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">So do you think you should have used a different treatment for the film?</span><br /><br />No, from all the reactions I''ve got, there is no other way I would have made this film.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What about the criticism against Aishwarya Rai, your beautiful heroine?</span><br /><br />That''s unfair, so much has been made out of her performance and clothes in the Indian media. I am glad that at least in the UK, they have been able to judge her on her merit.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What''s on the anvil?</span><br /><br />I am all set to fly to the US, where Miramax has picked up Bride and Prejudice for a wider release.</div> </div>