High Kicks and High Jinks on the Border

Advantages: As ceremonies go, it's unique
Disadvantages: It's not the photographic spectacle that many people want and it goes on a very long time.

...The daily flag lowering ceremony at the Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan is one of the world's most bizarre displays of mutual dislike combined with pure theatre and is a great example of nationalism and pride. Every day, come rain or shine, war or peace, the border guards of India and Pakistan go through the motions of closing the gates that join the two countries, under the watchful eyes and with the loud support of thousands of spectators. It also makes great television and has been publicised by Michael Palin in his Himalaya series and was included in Sanjeev Bhaskar's India series a couple of years ago. Where is it and how do you get there? The closest town to Wagah from the Indian side is Amritsar and from the Pakistan side it's Lahore. We visited the border whilst staying in Amritsar and, since there...

koshkha 31.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Wagha Border Ceremony, Amritsar

90 Years on - Remember the dead of Jallianwala Bagh

Advantages: Very moving and important monument
Disadvantages: Can leave you feeling rather uncomfortable

... An Apology Normally I wouldn't dream of posting a review on more than one site on the same day but this time I've planned to do so for many months in order to draw attention to an anniversary that I believe will go unmarked in our country. Nobody likes to be reminded of the sins of the past but in the case of this anniversary, I want to pick at the scab of history and remind people of one of the most shameful days of British history. April 13th 2009 is the 90th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. We visited Amritsar in November 2007 and Jallianwala Bagh (or Jallianwala Gardens) has been in my mind ever since. The gardens and memorial at Jallianwala Bagh are one of the most moving places I've ever been and had a profound impact on my understanding of the Indian Independence movement. The primary reason that...

koshkha 13.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Jallianwallah Bagh Memorial, Amritsar

Don't go looking for Heritage In the Heritage Inn

Advantages: Great location, fair price
Disadvantages: Surly service with too much attitude

...When planning our trip to India in November 2007, there was one attraction that was set in stone - the non-negotiable, 'come hell or high water', must-see destination for us was the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Ever since I read a review in a guidebook to India saying that Golden Temple made the Taj Mahal look a tad on the tacky side, I was hooked. Regardless of where else we were to go, Amritsar was a 100% sure thing. My cultural references for the GT were relatively few. It appears in the background of one of the song and dance sequences in 'Bride and Prejudice'; it has a key role in the life (and death) of Indira Gandhi, a woman I'm fascinated (and sometimes horrified) by; and you'll find a picture (or two) on the wall of any Sikh business you ever visit. I'm fascinated by world religions and there could be no better place to learn...

koshkha 07.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Heritage Inn, Amritsar

No Life Without Wife

Advantages: Lots of colour, Insight to Indian culture, Lead characters make nice eye candy, Great scenes in India, America, London and Goa
Disadvantages: Weak plotline, wooden acting, too many songs.

...with her parents in Amritsar, India. Lalita's mother is a very enthusiastic matchmaker, who is keen to find wealthy husbands who are preferably settled abroad, for each of her four daughters. Lalita is not keen on her mother finding someone for her to marry as she believes in marrying for love. Whilst Lalita's sister Jaya is getting cosy with Mr Balraj, a wealthy Indian man from the UK, it is his American friend Will Darcy that has caught Lalita's eye, and vice versa. The problems they encounter stem from the cultural differences as Lalita is a headstrong, proud Indian girl, whilst Darcy is a white American business man who is used to living the high life and finds it hard to comprehend certain things about Lalita's country and culture, hence the prejudice. Despite his prejudices, Darcy may irritate Lalita, but something about him draws...

Donnie_Brasco 17.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)

  Bollywood Brides - Not Once but Twice!

Advantages: The photography is superb (includes the Golden Temple, the London Eye, the Grand Canyon); the casting was wonderful; it is an extravaganza of colour & culture in English!
Disadvantages: If you dislike "Bollywood" musicals and dancing, Morris dancing or Romance you might not like this.

...for her four beautiful (but dowry-less) daughters, in order that the beautiful old mansion in which they live will not fall completely apart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ there is a wonderful (cameo) scene where the rain is coming in through the roof and is being mopped up in the dark ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bride & Prejudice opens with preparations for an arranged marriage in India. The best man, Balraj ? a handsome and wealthy young man from the UK (played by Naveen Andrews) arrives in Amritsar with his sardonic sister Kiran (Indira Varma) and American friend William Darcy (Martin Henderson), heir to a hotel chain around the world. Balraj has eyes for no one but Jaya Bakshi (Namrata Shirodkar), who is equally struck by him. His...

jesi 08.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)

'Bend it' Productions Has Scored Again!

Advantages: Oh my god its so much fun!!!!!!!!
Disadvantages: Maybe too funny i.e you may wet your pants not to good if your on a date-right?!

.... The story takes place over three major cities Amritsar, London and LA and exposes the best on offer from each of such cities. Amritsar has scenes of the Golden Temple, local market place with henna stalls and decorated elephants that trump the streets at wedding ceremonies. London has the London Eye, Windsor Castle and a funfair!! LA.........er well it has its best hotel set in the valleys of Beverly Hills. (Amritsar wins!!!) The characters are amazing in this film. A few of my favourities include an over-the-top, over-weight and over-hilarious mother obssessed with marring her daughters off to the richest men around. Then there is also a hairy, happy, high-on-something prospective husband who we even get to see parade around in a rather fetching G-STRING (yeh, now you wanna see it....!) and finally Lukhie the youngest of four daughters...

oooo-la-la 11.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)

A failed marriage of adaptations

Advantages: some performances, gives a flavor of Indian life
Disadvantages: Falls far short of the complexities of the original

...from Austen?s classic novel by director Gurinder Chada and Paul Mayeda Berges, the film transplants Austen?s story from England to Amritsar. The movie tells the story of the Bakshi family and their four daughters: Jaya, Lalita, Maya, and Lucky. As is true of most Indian families, one of the Bakshis? central concerns is finding suitable husbands for their daughters. Enter Will Darcy, scion of an American hotelier family, and his best friend, Balraj Bingley, a rich British-Indian. The two are in town for a wedding, and this sets the scene for the meeting between Darcy and Lalita and Jaya and Balraj. Darcy appears interested in Lalita, but the affections are definitely not returned, especially after Darcy makes a few remarks that Lalita takes great offense to. Her dislike of him only increases when she accompanies Jaya to Goa...

mystikchick17 24.12.2004 (27.12.2004) · Read review
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Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)

The best place for Chinese food - India!

Advantages: Fantastic food, sublime service
Disadvantages: Expensive by local standards

...squeezed quite closely together. This is a popular restaurant and they do cram the punters in fairly tightly by local standards. The ground floor is non-smoking and the mezzanine is the only place where smokers can sit. It took us a while to work this out after the table next to us had three different couples each spending a short time having a drink before moving on. We really did wonder if they just didn't want to sit with us until we realised they were all smokers. On our last visit we'd just come into Delhi from Amritsar where the culinary choices were very limited and where two of us had eaten out for little more than £2-3 per meal between us. Prior to that we'd been staying in a small village in the Punjab where our friend's dad had a cook who must have ranked amongst the worst in the country. So we were ready to have a bit of a blow...

koshkha 01.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Zen Restaurant, New Delhi

much ado about nothing

Advantages: light movie for ash fans
Disadvantages: shallow characters and not a good adaptation

...bent on finding a rich handsome green card or british pasport holder man for their beauty queens without realising how they are going to be adjusted in a foreign environment. The movie revolves around the four sisters, Jaya, Lalita, Lakhi, and Maya, of Mr. Bakhshi who is a farmer living in a Amritsar punjab side of india. Different from pride and prejudice here there are four sisters instead of five. Mrs. Bakshi was unhappy with her husband because he didnt agree with her in moving to foreign country when some relative was trying to sponser him. At this point they were invited in a wedding where the four sisters meet Balraj a british indian and Darcy who is a rich british person. The eldest sister didnt like Darcy but Jaya and Balraj really liked each other. The four of them Jaya BAlraj Lalita and Darcy travelled to Goa where they met...

sandy.imy 02.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)

A very Pleasant airline

Advantages: comfortable, fast and friendly
Disadvantages: none

...i travelled on jet airways afew weeks ago and was very impressed. i flew from heathrow london to amritsar india. i had my doubts at the start of our journey as we took off a hour late, i was preparing myself for a very long flight but i was pleasantly surprised. We arrived in india within 7 and a half hours, this was pretty good going. The inflight experience was very pleasant, the staff were friendly and helpful. As far as i know all jet airways aircrafts are relatively new, they have tv's mounted in the seat in front of you. Theres a wide selection of movies to choose from, they really helped make a long journey seem not so long. We were given two main meals during the flight, one eveing meal and breakfast, on our return journey we again got two meals and snacks. The food served is indian food and was actually quite nice...

anita_201 26.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Jet Airways