VIVAH(the journey from torture to entertainment)

VIVAH, the journey from engagement to marriage. At first anyone would think that this movie like all before it, is a typical Suraj Barjatya movie with unlimited song & dance sequences and melo-drama. Well they are not wrong. Before I went to see the movie, one of my colleagues told me that the first half is good, but the 2nd half is too slow with too many emotional scenes. I believed her then. But after the first 30 minutes of the movie, I was fed up with the overflowing emotional scenes. I asked her, if this is good, then what can be more boring. I was contemplating with the idea of leaving the theater after the first half, so as not to subject myself to any more torture.

I would have done that only. But then I wouldn't have been sitting here writing about the movie. After the first 30 minutes I found some interesting sequences in the movie that kept me glued to my seat. The first 30 minutes of the movie is a combination of situation from Maine pyar kiya, Hum aapke hain kaun & Hum saath saath hain. It looked like a bad remake of those movies. But later on as the movie progresses, you will find some situations in the movie, which will touch your heart somewhere & make you, laugh too. Like - when they are playing tug-of-war, where amrita tries to hold saheed. Saheed in turn lets go the rope due to this shock and all the others fall down. That was hilarious & the favorite scenes of the movie according to me.

I agree that this movie belongs to the bygone era. I think if this movie had been released in 1990, it would have been a super duper hit movie, may be even bigger than HAHK. Definitely Suraj Barjatya has not changed with time & still believes that movies which portray family values & tradition will still click on the box office. But he will have to realize that since 2000, when the maa of all daily soaps (Kyun ki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi) got started, people are no longer interested in these sorts of movies. In this context, one name which should be mentioned is that of Yash Chopra. He has changed with time & has always tried to make great money-earners.

There are flaws in direction & art direction too. I think a canvas was used as a background (like a flowing river & mountain as a view from the balcony) in Hum Saath saath hain last. The same has been used in VIVAH & they look outdated. Those days are gone. Suraj should learn to live in the present era.

Still with all these flaws, there is something in the Barjatya movie making style, which I find in no other director. His attention to details of the script & special way of showing love blossoming between two young hearts on screen is amazing. I can’t say that I liked every scene of the movie (like that of a DDLJ or HAHK), but still the movie had enough treasure in itself to satisfy me. Overall I can say that I liked the movie.