Before Virgin River, The Vampire Diaries, or even Grey’s Anatomy turned them into household names, Martin Henderson and Daniel Gillies found themselves on a very different stage: performing a traditional Garba dance alongside Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The moment unfolded in Gurinder Chadha’s 2004 cross-cultural musical Bride and Prejudice, a colorful adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that blended Hollywood flair with Bollywood heart. For fans of both Indian and Western cinema, the film remains a fascinating piece of movie history—and the Garba sequence, in particular, continues to spark nostalgia.
From Unknowns to International Stars
When Bride and Prejudice released, Henderson and Gillies were far from the stars audiences know today.
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Daniel Gillies would later gain cult fame as the brooding Elijah Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals.
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Martin Henderson went on to become beloved as Dr. Nathan Riggs in Grey’s Anatomy before charming millions as Jack Sheridan in Netflix’s small-town romance Virgin River.
Back then, though, both actors were relative newcomers, learning to navigate Bollywood-style musical numbers—and trying to keep pace with Aishwarya Rai, already one of India’s most celebrated actresses and former Miss World.
The Playful Rivalry Set to ‘Dola Dola’
One of the film’s most memorable sequences came during the energetic dance number “Dola Dola.”
In it, Henderson’s character William Darcy and Gillies’ George Wickham engage in a playful, almost flirtatious rivalry, both attempting to win the attention of Aishwarya’s Lalita Bakshi. The battleground? The dance floor.
As traditional Garba beats filled the scene, the two actors threw themselves into the choreography—sometimes a little stiff, sometimes surprisingly in sync—while Aishwarya dazzled with effortless grace. The clash of East and West wasn’t just cultural; it was narrative, with two very different suitors literally dancing for her heart.
A Cross-Cultural Cinematic Experiment
Bride and Prejudice may not have been a global blockbuster, but it marked an important moment in cinema history. It represented one of the earliest attempts to bridge Bollywood and Hollywood on a mainstream stage.
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For Aishwarya Rai, it was another step in her journey toward international recognition.
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For Henderson and Gillies, it was an unexpected early credit that would later gain cult status once fans discovered their bigger TV roles.
The film’s Garba sequence has since become a favorite throwback for fans, not only because of its infectious energy but because of what it represents: a rare, joyful collaboration between two cinematic worlds.
Fans Still Marvel at the Trio
Looking back, it almost feels surreal. Today, viewers know Henderson as Virgin River’s rugged small-town hero and Gillies as one of the most iconic vampires in modern TV. Yet there they were, years ago, in brightly colored costumes, learning Garba steps from one of Bollywood’s finest.
It’s a reminder that before fame, even future TV stars sometimes find themselves twirling to the dhol, trying to impress Aishwarya Rai. And honestly—who wouldn’t?
✨ Bride and Prejudice remains a gem of early 2000s cinema, not just for its playful dance battles, but for uniting three actors who would go on to very different, but equally iconic, careers.
