Despite bad reviews from critics, Soorja Barjatya's Vivah is doing well at the box office and the director feels vindicated that audiences, especially the middle class, have liked his film on the sanctity of marriage.
He says that the simplicity of middle class was the basis of Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao starrer Vivah.
Excerpts from the interview:
What prompted you to put Vivah on the Internet?
Whenever I'd ask my friends in distant European countries if they had seen my films they'd complain they had no access to them. It was then that I decided we needed some way to reach to audiences who have no access to Rajshri films in theatres.
It's my cousin Rajat who has handled the release of Vivah on the Internet. It's not just a way of increasing the reach of my film it's also a good way of stopping piracy.
Were the reviews hurtful?
Every director likes his film to be praised. But if you look at my films even Hum Aapke Hain Koun was panned by the critics. I was prepared for the flak. My audience is the hardcore middleclass - my son's tuition teacher, my maidservant, not the South Mumbai residents.
Even Karan Johar is your biggest fan.
It's his greatness to say that. But the response to Vivah has been amazing. During a tour of north India we were chased my motor-bikers from Faridabad to the Haryana border.
A lady in Kanpur told me Vivah was her love story. I never had people coming to me with this kind of response for my last film Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.
Even Karan Johar is your biggest fan.
It's his greatness to say that. But the response to Vivah has been amazing. During a tour of north India we were chased my motor-bikers from Faridabad to the Haryana border.
A lady in Kanpur told me Vivah was her love story. I never had people coming to me with this kind of response for my last film Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.
Were Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao your only choices?
Looking back, I can't think of any other two actors in the two roles. When I started planning
Vivah
, I thought of two newcomers. But thank god I changed my mind. Shahid, Amrita and I have shared every moment of the film.
What next? A sequel to
Vivah with Salman Khan in the lead?
(Laughs) Right now I'm just too relieved about the response to
Vivah
. I want to read Hindi literature, travel across the world to decide what I want to do next. As for Salman, he'll always be special to our banner. But Shahid has also given a 100 percent of himself, like Salman bhai.
All the questions that he had about an arranged marriage were turned to the film's advantage. Shahid's Prem is as good as Salman's. As Shahid acted I could see Salman return.