Bollywood films are increasing in popularity in the UK all the time, regularly appearing in the weekly box office chart.

However, these films, which run the gamut from musical romances to action thrillers, have yet to cross over fully into the mainstream.

Award-winning writer-director Gurinder Chadha, who scored an international smash hit with the culture clash comedy Bend It Like Beckham, tries to remedy the situation with this lavish musical update of Jane Austen's novel.

Bride And Prejudice transplants the classic tale of marriages and manners to modern-day India, England and America, punctuating the giddy affairs of the heart with spectacular, colour-drenched dance sequences.

In a small town in the Indian countryside, Mr and Mrs Bakshi (Babbar, Kher) make plans to marry off their four daughters. Their eldest, the lovely Jaya, falls madly in love with exceedingly wealthy Balraj Bingley, who is equally taken with her.

Sparks fly, even more so when Balraj's good friend, American hotelier Will Darcy (Henderson), sees Jaya's headstrong sister Lalita (Rai). It's lust at first sight but Jaya is far from impressed by Darcy's blinkered, western outlook on life. Instead, she falls under the spell of charming rogue Johnny Wickham (Daniel Gillies), whose boundless energy is in stark contrast to Darcy's stuffy, sophisticated ways.

Bride And Prejudice boasts all of Chadha's trademarks including earthy cross-generational humour, acid-tongued matriarchs and a feelgood finale.

The film's production design is simply glorious and choreographer Saroj Khan joins forces with composer Anu Malik, lyricists the Akhtar family and cinematographer Santish Sivan to infuse Bollywood tradition into this distinctly western treatment.

Rai produces a star-making turn full of emotion, making Henderson seem rather staid in comparison. He also looks uncomfortable lip-synching their big love duet but there's a pleasing chemistry between the pair.

Gillies oozes sex appeal and there is ample comic relief from the wonderful Nitin Ganatra as bumbling suitor Mr Kholi (aka Austen's Mr Collins).

OUT! rating: 8 out of 10

Bride and Prejudice

Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson

Director: Gurinder Chadha

Certificate 12A, 114 minutes

Showing at: UGC and Cineworld from today