New Delhi: Debutant director Kaushik Ghatak says his Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi is not a take-off on Rajshri Productions' last hit Vivah and insists that the family drama is a completely fresh project.
"Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi is not a sequel or a remake of Vivah. There is no carry forward of any character or the story from Vivah in the film. It is a completely fresh project with a fresh story," said Ghatak.
"The film has been titled such because it is the story about a couple who stay away from each other for 12 years due to circumstances, but after a mutual understanding."
"The understanding between the two is difficult to find even in married couples. Their love binds them together for such a long period of time before they get married and that's where the title of the film comes from," he added.
Releasing on November 7, the film is written by Sooraj Barjatya and Ashapurna Devi and stars Sonu Sood and Eesha Koppikhar in the lead as Prem and Chandni.
Other actors include Alok Nath, Smita Jaykar, Vishal Malhotra and Chhavi Mittal.
Selecting the lead characters was not an easy task for Ghatak.
"I did a lot of study on both the actors - watched their films before meeting them. Eesha has done almost all types of roles and I think Sonu is a little underrated as an actor.
"When I narrated the characters to Eesha and Sonu, they understood the intensity and emotions of their characters as well as the story and were completely into it. Once I started shooting, I realised I could not have found a better Prem and Chandni as my characters," he said.
Ghatak also says that Ek Vivaah... is personal to him and has an individual appeal, as it will allow the audiences to draw personal inferences while watching it.
"The surrounding of the story is very close to my heart. Like the protagonists in the film, my wife and I waited for seven years before getting married. Also, offering prayers to the basil plant and lighting the lamp ...that the audiences will watch Eesha doing in the film ...is what we have been watching our grandmother and mother doing in real life."
"Every little nuance from real life has been kept in mind while making the film and I am sure common people will appreciate and associate with it as their own story in their sub-conscious," he said.
However, unlike other movies, Ek Vivaah... does not boast of an exhaustive pre-release promotion.
"Rajshri Productions have their own strategy of a slow release for their films. They want the audience to watch the film and appreciate it but they don't believe in over-publicising. They have done whatever is needed to inform the people and now they want the film to get publicised by word of mouth," said the director, who has been in the trade for almost a decade."
Not many people know that Ghatak forayed into showbiz as an apprentice assistant to filmmaker Anurag Basu, whom he regards as his "Godfather".
He started his first independent show as a director with Bengali serial Amra Povashi on Alpha Bengali and with Balaji Telefilms' Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in Hindi.
He then wielded the megaphone for shows like Sanskruti, Shhh...Koi Hai, Sanjivani - A Medical Boon, Pyaar Ke Do Naam... Ek Raadha, Ek Shyaam and Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki.
Ghatak's works are known to be women-centric, which also shows in his movie.
The director said: "Women's psychology is the least explored area on the Indian screen. We always tell the story of the hero and not the story of the woman. I have always wanted to portray family values and explore a woman's psychology in what she goes through in life - handling it with a lot of love and respect."
Ghatak is at present waiting for Ek Vivaah... to hit the screens and is "juggling with a couple of more ideas" for a new film.
At the same time, he doesn't rule out returning to the small screen.
"I'd surely love to do TV some time in the future. TV has a kick of its own and is very fast paced. It has its own deadlines and meeting them is challenging, but fun," he said.
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