MUMBAI: In two weeks time Gurinder Chadha's latest film Bride and Prejudice hits cinemas across the country. For the uninitiated, the film updates the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice.

Two companies, diamond jewelry brand Nakshatra and Samsung have come on board as partners.

The Nakshtra tie up is not surprising. After all, the film's lead Aishwarya Rai is their brand ambassador. TVCs promoting the film are already airing on different channels. Shots of Nakshatra have been interspersed with clips of the film. The TVC was done so that the brand values of Nakshatra were in synch with the message of the film.

Samsung on the other hand will use the film as a platform to push their home appliances. Epigram, which deals with the marketing and promotion of films has done the campaign for Bride and Prejudice.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com, a company spokesperson said, "What makes Bride and Prejudice different from other films out there is the fact that it has strong female characters. Therefore women will be drawn to the film in a big way. Samsung is looking to leverage this factor by touting the utility of products like cooking appliances. They will have brand visibility on the film's posters. Nakshtra too will have visibility on the hoarding," he said.

"The outdoor campaign kicks off early next week. There will be around six hoardings in major metros. We will also be using the backs of buses to create heightened visibility. We will also be launching an extensive print campaign from Sunday. In all the mediums, we kept in mind the need for consistency in visual imagery. If this is there, then there is a greater chance of brand recall. The film's theme is East meets West. That is what we have tried to showcase. So in the TVCs you will see bhangra dancing juxtaposed with Los Angeles skyscrapers," the spokesperson informed.

He added that the company had also designed the website for the film. "Here film buffs can view video clips, trailers. They can also download screensavers and wallpapers. Of course, there is also abundant information on the stars and the production."

The film is being released in Hindi and English on 8 October. The Hindi version is called Balle Balle! Amritsar To LA. In all, 200 prints will be released. The film was produced by Kintop Pictures. Columbia Tristar is doing the distribution.

Last evening, the music for the Hindi version was released by Universal. In fact Universal has taken the worldwide music rights for this film. Anu Malik composed the seven songs while Javed Akhtar provided the lyrics. Speaking on the film Chadha said, "We have stayed true to Jane Austen's characters. Anyone who has read the novel will immediately recognise Aishwarya Rai's character. While Austen's novel dealt with class conflict we have updated it by having Darcy as an American. He is initially standoffish towards India. He believes that America is the most important country in the world and that India is backward. Lalita Bakshi (Rai's character) is open enough to correct him on a few points even though her mother urges her not to sound too intelligent."

"That thing is that, not a lot has changed for women in the society. In the 18th century a woman was not considered a 100 per cent citizen unless she had status or money or was married. That is still the case today in many parts of the world including India. Therefore it is not surprising that Mrs Bakshi is anxious to have her four daughters married off as soon as possible," Chadha said.

She added that choosing Rai enabled her to get funding more easily. "Rai has international exposure. She is known abroad as she is a former Miss World. She also increased her profile by being on the Cannes jury. I would call Bride and Prejudice an British Asian movie which pays homage to Hindi cinema - Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra."

Rai added that she had learnt a lot while shooting. "Our delivery of English language is different from how the British and Americans speak. Also the film brought different acting styles together. For my co-star Martin Henderson the dance sequences were a new experience. He was however extremely willing to learn and adapt." Chadha added that choreographer Saroj Khan had trained actors Naveen Andrews and Daniel Gillies, neither of whom had danced on screen before.

Will Bride and Prejudice prove to be another hit from the director of Bend It like Beckham and Bhajji On The Beach? Wait and see.