A dozen songs, three weddings and a funeral — that, in sum, is the latest offering from Rajshri films.
Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi
Cast: Eesha Koppikhar, Sonu Sood
Director: Kaushik Ghatak
**
A dozen songs, three weddings and a funeral — that, in sum, is the latest offering from Rajshri films. Prem, reincarnated in the form of Sonu Sood, is a ghazal singer in Bhopal who dedicates his life to his art, his widowed mother and a 12 year courtship waiting for Chandni (Eesha Koppikhar) to complete her familial duties and responsibilities. Prem and Chandni are brought together by a common love for music. Mutual respect and love unites them. When her father passes away on her engagement day, Chandni vows to devote her life to raising her two young siblings and maintaining her father’s house, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness. Prem, with his deep sense of commitment, insists he will wait till she is ready. Undoubtedly he does not bargain for a 12 year moratorium.
Sood benefits from being cast as Prem, a character with solid Indian values and perfect manners, which makes it impossible to dislike him. However the filmmakers hardly show us the emotional rollercoaster ride the character must have endured. Koppikhar overacts and does not bring the requisite nuances to her performance. The absence of credible chemistry between the lead pair is only one of its weaknesses. Helmed by TV serial director Kaushik Ghatak, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi fails to capture small town charm or the emotions of close knit traditional families as Vivaah or Hum Aapke Hain Kaun did. Technically, in terms of story, direction, art direction and camera movements, Ek Vivaah… is caught in a time warp. You just have to watch Alok Nath smiling beatifically while singing ‘Mandir hai ghar yeh hamara’ to flashback to 1989 and Maine Pyar Kiya! The opening wedding sequence is reminiscent of the last Rajshri hit Vivaah with even the set of the house seem like a rehash of the Vivaah set. Using some of the many songs in part, and not whole, would have helped quicken the pace of the film which, given the numerous hurdles in Chandni and Prem’s lives, feels like a post-monsoon potholed Mumbai road. Towards the end, Chandni’s taking Prem for granted grates, and you feel far from celebratory. Let’s hope Prem is given a better deal in the next Rajshri production.
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