It carried all the red flags of a film I would hate--shoddy subtitles (could be the copy I rented--it didn't look pirated but there were no previews at the beginning and the subtitles were worse than I've ever, ever seen...something I usually have very little patience for), a weak story, and mostly forgettable songs. However, something about the love story was so sweet and relaxing that none of those things mattered. Go figure (I'm not kidding about the subtitles, though--see for yourself below).
I've said it about the new Umrao Jaan and I'll say it here--The film had that typical "bleached out" look you see in pirated movies and low budget films. Much of the scenes reminded me of an Indian soap opera, which I actually don't happen to mind (reminds me of my childhood). However, to some it might just look cheap.
Vivah has a very basic story, with a script that feels like it crawls at a snail's pace. As Ajnabi so accurately put it, by intermission you feel like you're watching the film in "real time". This appears to be director Sooraj R. Barjatya's style, because like his older classic Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, the movie feels very much like a reality show of a family wedding. There's really not much more to it, which may be frustrating for some. It usually is for me, but for some reason in this film I loved the simplicity of it all.
There were so many aww moments Vivah. I'm not sure how old their characters were supposed to be, but Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao reminded me of two teenagers falling in love for the very first time. I could practically feel the butterflies in their stomachs! There were shy glances...
Lowered eyelids (wink, wink Ajnabi)...
Gazes from afar...
I truly felt excited and happy for Prem and Ponam, as if I was there celebrating their engagement along with everyone else.
Actually, if I'm being honest, most of the time I was daydreaming about Prem right along with Ponam. So there's a very good possibility that my reason for liking this film may have a lot to do with my crush on Shahid Kapoor.
Shahid had a lot of opportunities to be sweet here, and he made me melt every time.
I'm a sucker for stuff like that. For example, when Prem shows Ponam their future bedroom, we see there are framed photos of her relatives on the nightstand. Not only was this meant to make her feel at home, but Prem was showing that her family was his own because he loved her.
This was my first introduction to Amrita Rao.
Her character reminded me of a Disney princess like Cinderella or Snow White--Ponam was as kind as she was beautiful. She even had a "wicked stepmother" who was jealous of her and a handsome Prince Charming waiting to whisk her away. I don't know if I got to see enough of her personality in this film, but I can't really complain about her, either. Her beauty added a much needed glow to Vivah. It was hard to be bored when she kept popping up in different colored outfits, looking Princess-pretty every single time. I'm not exaggerating--Not one hair ever fell out of place. Not one.
Ok, on second thought, it was a bit sickening.
But how cute was the little girl who played the younger Ponam?
(***Spoilers ahead--if you haven't yet seen Vivah you may want to stop reading now***)
As in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, director Sooraj R. Barjatya chose to wait until two-thirds of the movie had passed before throwing a plot twist in. At that point, it felt a little forced. Luckily, things weren't too long and drawn out--Once you got past the dreary hospital scenes, it wrapped up fairly quickly.
It would have been interesting if the fire had occured earlier on, and if the writers had explored in greater detail the aftermath of Ponam's injuries (Would Prem still love her and want to marry her if her face and body were scarred?). This film could have went into Satyam Shivam Sundaram territory minus the glamour and pigheaded hero (No offense, Shashi fans), and turned out a heartwrenching drama. But, for some reason, the movie shies away from any real repercussions, save Prem applying burn treatment to Ponam before making love to her on their wedding night.
Unlike the treasured songs of Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, the music in Vivah is mostly forgettable. "Mujhe Haq Hai" was pretty and "Hamari Shaadi" was fun, but neither was outstanding. I will, however, give the director a nod of appreciation for the first song (I can't find the name) which is played over Prem's first meeting with Ponam's family. The song's not that great, and there is no lipsynching or dancing, yet we are spared the agony of sitting through seven minutes of small talk and get to just observe their interactions with body language instead.
Aside: Prem's brother, played by Samir Soni, looked a lot like Chris Noth from Sex and the City fame. Does anybody else think so?
I'm sure you figured out that my decision to finally rent Vivah had a lot to do with my being in a Shahid Kapoor mood. This came on the heels of a Jab We Met hangover (I rewatched it the other day with a friend) and a delightful discovery that Kismat Konnection is actually playing at my local theater. I'll be going on Friday, so stay tuned...Let's hope this one is a good one!
Text © 2008 Nida Nazir Bitten By Bollywood
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