To Marry Or Not To Marry

Film: Just Married
Cast: Fardeen Khan, Esha Deol, Bikram Saluja, Perizaad Zorabian, Satish Shah, Kirron Kher
Direction: Meghana Gulzar
Production: Pritish Nandy Communications
Star: ***


The denouement of the film goes like this – the half-Indian girl, Sara, who derides the marriage custom in the early part of the movie by saying that “To me attachment is of more importance than marriage”, falls prey finally to arranged marriage and marry her boyfriend living with her for last 9 years. Likewise, the female protagonist (Esha Deol) who is too uncomfortable with her husband (Fardeen) soon after her (arranged) marriage in the beginning of film, feels lastly the warmer comfort in the arms of her husband.

I am sure, fools like me, after watching the movie, shall be getting themselves in quandary while musing whether to marry or not to marry according to our tradition of arranged marriage. The film, portraying the success of arranged marriage, might not be successful in grater sense, as it lacks good plots and story as well. Nitty-gritty presentation of problems of arranged marriage are shown vivaciously, but its solutions come nowhere of greater importance to the director. A simple hug is not the solution of skirmishes taking place in a couple’s life, i suppose.

The storyteller, Meghana Gulzar, though has penned down a very fine screenplay throughout the movie. Dialogues like “Harek kahaani kahi na kahi se suru hoti hai... kabhi kabhi do kahaani mil bhi jaati hai... aur kabhi kabhi ek kahaani me hi bahut saari kahaani ban jaati hai..” show Meghana’s greater depth of understanding of relationships. Undoubtedly she has inherited a good part of her writing acumen of her father, Gulzar Ji, who has written songs for this film.

The most to cherish are many of scenes taking place between two couples – older one (Satish Kaushik and Kirron Kher) and newer one (Fardeen and Esha). On the one hand, comic scenes between the old couple, celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary (obviously the arranged one), are worth amusing; on the other, scenes between newly wedded couple, presenting honeymoon activities like communication gap, shyness of bride, and of course first night’s hesitations, are no less than golden learning opportunity for unmarried lots.

And yes.. a neat advice from me. It is better to sit still in your room and listen to some of your favourite tracks than going for this movie without your alter-ego right to you rubbing your palms and sharing oodles of giggles.

:- Rajeev