Away from the by-now-mandatory bikinis and brawns of Bollywood, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi takes you into a different world, where love happens in mere passing of glances, and where values like sacrifice for one’s family forms the premise of an entire story.
Some things remain untouched by the passage of time. One such is the genre of family flicks by Rajshree Films, with its helmsman Sooraj Barjatya having himself churned out a good number of love stories set against the backdrop of families. Now, debutant director Kaushik Ghatak adapts himself well to the Rajshree genre and comes out with a simple and evocative story, rich in emotions that perhaps some, if not many, of us can barely identify with.
‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ is a film with an old-world charm. It’s a charm we haven’t yet become alien to. That’s perhaps why it appeals. It’s a love story where romance brews despite any physical closeness between the lovers. In fact, the film is about separation, about not being able to be together despite wanting to. The villain in the story is not any character, but circumstances. Circumstances that test the story’s characters. It may sound cheesy, but ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ does get your handkerchiefs out in the second half.
The movie tells the unique love story of Chandni ( Eesha Koppikhar ) and Prem ( Sonu Sood ). The two meet and fall in love at a singing performance. She comes from a poor family with an old father and two younger siblings. He hails from a rich family.
Chandni is set to get engaged to Prem. But she postpones her marriage plans after her father passes away and she has to assume the responsibility of her younger siblings. Prem waits for Chandni. But the wait lasts nine long years. And after that when it looks Chandni and Prem would unite forever, another twist gives a new direction to their love tale.
‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ conforms to the quintessential Barjatya tradition of songs set against the backdrop of weddings. That’s what pinches you in the first half, when you are served a good number of songs in quick succession. The story takes a serious turn in the second half. At one point, it appears that Prem and Chandni’s love story is doomed to die. But then, it’s a Rajshree film. The ending always has to be on a positive note.
Eesha Koppikhar excels in a role that focuses not on glamour or skin-show, but solely on performance. And she does act well for the most part. Sonu Sood looks a tad mature for his role, but the actor delivers a fine performance. On the sidelines, Alok Nath and Vishal Malhotra (as Chandni’s brother) are good.
The music of ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ doesn’t exactly win your heart. The cinematographic style too is pretty traditional, with smiling characters moving into the frames and the camera panning across to establish the setting of a scene. Kaushik Ghatak ’s style of direction is simple. He lets the story come to the fore without letting the style take over. Now, that’s another thing that the story is such that it appeals to us solely for nostalgic reasons. That’s the film’s shortcoming and yet also its uniqueness.
Rating: **1/2
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