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4.0 out of 5 stars
After the engagement, the courtship begins..., April 5, 2008
This review is from: Vivah (DVD)
So, just this once, toss those hip modern values out the window along with that bathwater. This movie is VIVAH, and it unabashedly hearkens back to India's more traditional conventions, and specifically that of the arranged marriage. Released in 2006 VIVAH tells the story of two young people, Prem and Poonam, strangers to one another yet destined to be wedded. So it'd be nice if they like each other.
Poonam (Amrita Rao) is an orphaned girl from the small town of Madhupur, who was raised in her uncle's household. She is beautiful and demure and brought up to be obedient and traditional. Despite this, her aunt dislikes her intensely, simply because Poonam is far prettier than her own daughter, never mind that Poonam and her daughter get along very well. Poonam has tried to make the best of it, basking in the love lavished on her by her doting uncle and cousin. But, all her life, she's longed for a mother's affection...
Prem (Shahid Kapoor) is the youngest son of an industrial magnate in Delhi. Carefree and just about to settle into his career, Prem is very surprised and unprepared when his father proposes an arranged marriage for him. Yet Prem is respectful enough to at least meet his potential bride, an act which proves fatal to his bachelorhood. Instantly charmed by Poonam, Prem promptly gives the nod to the marriage contract. As for Poonam, it's hard to tell what she's really thinking because she's so damned demure, but she seems to reciprocate Prem's interest. So the contract is finalized, friendships are struck, a romance is fostered, and the nuptials set to take place in six months' time.
As the following weeks and months elapse and the families get better acquainted, Poonam and Prem continue to get ever closer, until that old familiar happens: Poonam and Prem fall in love. And, suddenly, the big day can't come soon enough. But complications surface. Poonam's aunt still bears her a deep jealous resentment and, so, what should have been an idyllic time for Poonam is sabotaged by her aunt's venomous snipings at her uncle, over his extravagant financing of the wedding and over his seeming disregard for his own daughter's future prospects. Then, on the eve of the wedding, a life-threatening tragedy unfolds, and Poonam and Prem and their families will be tested as never before.
Even in Bollywood cinema, the idea of the arranged marriage has taken its share of negative hits. So, every once in a while, for balance's sake, it's nice to see a film which espouses the positives of this age-old institution. I don't necessarily agree with it as I'm more with the free choice side of the fence. But it's nice to hear from the other point of view. And, more importantly, while not a classic, I do think VIVAH is a movie worth watching. It certainly did well enough at India's box office.
Granted, not much of a plot here in VIVAH. Basically, the film is built on simple moments as it tracks the progression of the arranged marriage, from the contractual conception to the courtship to the consummation of the marriage ceremony. Nothing gossip-worthy happens, and, other than the virulent aunt, all is easy-peasy until the last thirty minutes when the tragic twist surfaces. Sadly, the musical interludes are lackluster. And the sedate pacing and lack of narrative punch might've turned me off, except that the superb cast managed to keep me involved. These characters are likable enough (except for the aunt) that you even get immersed in the slow scenes. VIVAH applies a huge chunk of the running time in developing Poonam and Prem's blossoming relationship, as they overcome their mutual shyness and awkwardness and begin to fall for each other. Theirs isn't a raging romance. Their subdued personalities don't lend too much to fiery, over-the-top demonstrations, although there is a moment when Prem shouts "I love you!" in an airport. Rather, theirs is a connection arrived at by achieving a certain mutual comfort level and by clinging to a commitment to and a respect for traditional culture and customs. But, also, that they're both very attractive people probably didn't hurt any.
Again, the glue of VIVAH is the cast. The two young leads, Shahid Kapoor and the ravishing Amrita Rao, turn in sensitive, if bland, performances. The supporting actors turn out to be as equally important. Particularly great are Anupam Kher and Alok Nath, who respectively play Prem's wealthy but grounded father and Poonam's loving uncle and surrogate father. And the fact that you end up hating on Poonam's dour-faced aunt is, of course, a reflection of Seema Biswas's very good acting skills.
For those with the 2-dvd set, the first disc has the film and song selections. The second disc contains the 19-minute-long "Making of the Film" featurette (average) and the 21-minute-long "Making of the Music" (dull).
Graced with a gentle, low key charm and a heartwarming simplicity, the waterworks really come on in the tense and emotional last half hour (Grab your hanky). And yet VIVAH may prove to be too Pollyanna for some. Are arranged marriages really this wonderful? Does love really come after marriage? Well, no, and sometimes. VIVAH is a celebration of this institution and is, for all purposes, a Bollywood fairy tale, an idealization of arranged matrimony. As such, it's about as real and convincing as, well, as a Bollywood motion picture. Would that all arranged marriages work as well as this one did.
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