Q: Vivah being a Sooraj R. Barjatya film, the expectations would be pretty high!

I think I’m lucky to have worked with Soorajji. I am personally a very big fan of his films. Being a part of Rajshri Productions is a privilege for me. I think the audiences have high expectations and we all are just hoping that they get their due.

Q: Seeing the promos, it looks like another family film. Do you think it will bring back the glory of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!?

I think it’s very wrong to compare two films to begin with. Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! was an outstanding film in itself and it would be wrong to try and make another Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! Soorajji has not tried to re-do what he has done before. He has reinvented himself. Vivah is an original film with original characters to begin with. It is probably the most sensitive film he has made. It is definitely a very Indian and a complete traditional film. But at the same time it’s a very real film. We have seen so many love stories, but no love story has ever been made about arranged marriage when actually 80 per cent of our country still gets into arranged marriages. Somehow, nobody has told that story which according to me is a very interesting area to talk about.

Q: You and Amrita Rao have been paired for the fourth time. Let’s talk about your onscreen chemistry with her.

Amrita and I were very fortunate to be a part of Ishq Vishk, our first film together. We were offered very interesting characters. Maybe, in the film, people like us jell well together. This is our second love story together. We haven’t done a love story after Ishq Vishk. We are very fortunate that people like to see us together and we hope that people like us in Vivah, too, as Amrita has done a very good job in the film. She got a very difficult character to play. The love story is different from that of Ishq Vishk. When you see the film, you’ll understand our interaction is totally different when compared to our previous film.

Q: Tell us about your look in the film?

I’m playing a boy from a business background in Delhi. So the look is like what he would be wearing in his real life. It differs from blazers to T-shirts and jeans.

Q: The catchline describes the film as ‘a journey from engagement to marriage’. What’s so unique about that?

Like I said, it’s a film about arranged marriage, which has never been attempted before. Soorajji has always made love stories so it is very much his forte. He has kind of given a lesson to the younger generations about what marriage actually stands for and how strong the institution of marriage is and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

In today’s times everything has become very fast. People get in and out of relationships like they change their cars or houses. Marriage is something which should be a one-time commitment. Obviously, there are times when it doesn’t work, but at least one’s intentions should be to keep it going. Soorajji has told the story through two very young characters. It’s a simple story told very simply and very honestly. And I think honesty never goes wrong.

Q: Would we be seeing a lot of song and dance, antaksharis and rituals in the film?

No, the film is not about the ceremonies surrounding marriage. It has nothing to do with the way marriage is celebrated. It has to do with what marriage stands for and what the relationship between the boy and the girl is about.

Q: We’ll see you dancing in the film?

There is not much dancing in the film. There was no situation that demanded it and I don’t think it’s right to put in a dance number just because I can dance.

Q: How was it working with Sooraj Barjatya?

Soorajji is great as a director and as a human being. I have seldom come across anybody better than him. He is a great teacher and a fantastic director.

Q: Where has the film been shot?

It’s mostly shot on location. The film has been shot wherever it is supposed to be placed. The large part of it was shot in Delhi. Some parts were shot on the sets in Bombay. We also shot certain portions in Nainital and some in Varanasi.

Q: What are the other projects you are working on?

There is a film called Fool and Final, which is going to be directed by Ahmed Khan. Apart from that I’m just listening to scripts.