14th Feb 2005 18.52 IST
By Aparajita Ghosh
Bollywood stunner Aishwarya Rai 's first English film Bride and Prejudice has got off to a good start at the US box-office.
Ash's television appearance on the Late Show may not have gone as well as expected, but her movie certainly seems to be laughing its way to the top-20 chart and setting the cash registers ringing, despite a limited release.
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According to box office expert Gitesh Pandya, the film grossed an estimated $388,000 from only 32 theatres over the weekend, delivering a strong average of $12,125 per theatre.
"That was good enough to give 'Bride' the second best average in the Top 20 close behind Will Smith's number-one hit 'Hitch'," Pandya is quoted to have said.
A Bollywoodish adaptation of Jane Austen classic novel of 1813, 'Bride and Prejudice' stars Aishwarya Rai, Martin Hendersen , Namrata Shirodkar and Naveen Andrews in the main roles.
So far, the reviews of film critics in America has been less scathing than the criticism 'Bride' met in the UK and India.
Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times described the movie as "a Hollywood musical comedy incorporating Bollywood elements."
Peter Travers of the Rolling Stone absolved the film's director of taking too much liberty with Austen's story with his statement: "Purists who think Austen will be spinning in her grave will be wrong. She'll be dancing."
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