Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya says his upcoming TV show "Manpasand Ki Shaadi" is unlike anything he has made before and it tackles the institution of marriage from a modern perspective.
Produced by Barjatya’s banner Rajshri Productions, the show revolves around an Aarohi Shinde (Esha Suryawanshi), who challenges the family’s traditional way of marriage, and expresses her desire to choose her life partner. It will explore the clash between tradition and modernity and the complexities of family and societal pressure. Actor Akshun Mahajan plays the male lead in the show.
“If you’ve seen my movies, each film starts with an arranged marriage setup, and here, for the first time, we are showing that a father is telling his daughter to find a boy for herself. This is the most modern subject that we have made in our space,” the filmmaker told PTI in an interview.
“It is challenging for us. But it’s something that we need it in today’s time, like how a father-daughter, mother-daughter relationship should be. The love story is also different. There are ups and downs, and we see a relationship from a mature perspective,” he said.
Barjatya, celebrated for films like “Hum Aapke Hain Koun”, “Hum Saath Saath Hain”, and “Uunchai”, said the concept for this TV show has been brewing in his mind for a while.
“Marriage is such a relevant and debatable subject today, and the values that we have carried for 25-30 years, it’s all different today. For instance, I got married at the age of 21. But today everyone gets married at the age of 27 or 29, including my children.
"When I saw all this from their point of view, I felt that a story should be made on this, in which we can say something to society about what I’ve learned and experienced,” he said.
Barjatya said he admires the younger generation for their open minded approach to life, however, he believes they need to respect the institution of marriage.
“Children today are non-judgmental, they do not judge by rich, poor, caste, creed, or business, they are professional, you respect everyone, but this is what I want in life (referring to a partner).
"Earlier, people would be like, we need a handsome man, but handsome today is personality wise, some are like, I want a car, I don't work, I want to have a good time, so, they are very clear, and all of this is okay. But you should respect society and marriage,” he said.
Barjatya said all his films and the TV show, “Manpasand Ki Shaadi” draw inspiration from his life experiences and the people he encounters.
"Whatever I’ve seen around me, I’ve made films around it. Like, I made ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’, when my mother passed away. I felt how important family is.
"Similarly, ‘Manpasand Ki Shaadi’ started with the idea to make something around today's marriage,” the filmmaker said, adding that he is excited to explore the Maharashtrian backdrop for the first time with the TV show.
“Manpasand Ki Shaadi”, also starring Milind Gawli, Suchitra Bandekar, Avinash Wadhwan, and Gungun Uprari, will debut on Colors TV channel and JioHotstar from August 11.
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