Sooraj shoots for <i>Vivah</i> despite injury

Courtesy: Upala KBR, Mid-Day

Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya is currently shooting for Rajshri Productions' Vivah, a musical love story, at the massive sets opposite Adlabs, in Film City.

But what few people don't know is that the ever-professional director is continuing with the shoot despite being in a lot of pain because of an injured hand.

Sooraj is unwilling to discuss his ligament injury. "It is nothing, just an old injury. I am fine," he brushes off, watching the scene he has shot on the monitor - Amrita Rao and Amrita Prakash are running into the room; Alok Nath is already there.

But a unit member says, "The pain is quite strong, and began when shooting started a week ago. Sooraj is getting treated for it, and has a bandage too on his left hand."

Family enterprise

Father Rajkumar Barjatya is very much a part of the shooting experience. "Good family values are the core of everything we do," says Sooraj, the man behind blockbusters Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Maine Pyar Kiya. Vivah traces the relationship of two youngsters, Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao, who are set to be married.

"My grandfather created the image of our company from the image of goddess Rajshri, and we always want to keep to those values. We want to project goodness; that is very important for us," the director maintains.

Marriage: Sacred bond

He adds, "Vivah is about the sanctity of marriage and I am looking at the sanctity of marital bonding. At 40, I can look at the man-woman relationship with some detachment. There's nothing beyond the chemistry between the boy from Delhi, and the girl from Mathura, to peg the plot on."

So what's the film about? "The film is only about the gradual growth in the couple's (Amrita and Shahid) relationship. Unlike my earlier films, Vivah isn't about the festivities and celebrations connected with a marriage. It's about the definitions and dynamics of the relationship.

Once that engagement ring is exchanged, you suddenly become so important to someone else. I feel today's youngsters are losing touch with the beauty and relevance of such relationships. My film starts with engagement and ends with marriage."

The current schedule will have Amrita Rao's home being featured. Seema Biswas, Alok Nath, Amrita Rao and Amrita Prakash will be there in the first part, while Shahid Kapur, Anupam Kher, Sameer Soni and Lata Sabharwal will join them later.

Regional films

"In Vivah, I am going by purely by my instinct," confesses Sooraj. "It's a part of my life that I am living now." Rajshri Productions Pvt Ltd has also ventured into making television soaps and creating content for mobile phones and personal computers.

The Rajashri banner is also making regional films. Says Sooraj, "Our Oriya film has done well. We have just released a Bengali film, directed by Prabhat Roy. Next year, we will make a Bhojpuri film. Personally, I will focus on Vivah. We hope to release it next Diwali."