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‘There’d be no Vivah without Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’: Sooraj Barjatya on how first failure kept him grounded
On this edition of SCREEN Spotlight, filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya looks back at his career's first failure -- Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon -- and how it fuelled his conviction to make his comeback blockbuster Vivah three years later in 2006.
Sooraj Barjatya says there would be no Vivah without Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.
Entering the new millennium, Sooraj Barjatya was one of the most sought-after and successful young filmmakers in Hindi cinema. All his three directorials till then — Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), and Hum Saath – Saath Hain (1999) were blockbusters, one bigger than the other. But then came his first setback, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003), also his first film without Salman Khan aka Prem.
“It did feel like I got lost somewhere. But that’s exactly why Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon is very close to my heart,” says Barjatya on SCREEN Spotlight. In another edition, filmmaker Kunal Kohli revealed that the film’s lead actor, Hrithik Roshan, was also unsure how his rather loud character in the romantic comedy would be received, compelling him to give Kohli’s 2004 hit rom-com Hum Tum a pass.
“We’re all humans. We all learn. All our failures teach you a lot. That’s also required once in a while so that we remain grounded. If Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon didn’t get made, somewhere Vivah wouldn’t get made either,” confesses Barjatya. After the setback, the filmmaker introspected and realized that instead of adapting to a more urban, 21st-century langauge and culture, he should stick to what he knows best — the good ol’ sanskar.
He then bounced back with his 2006 blockbuster Vivah, starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, and never looked back. Even his next film, Yeh Prem Mol Liya, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari Wagh, is a signature middle-of-the-road movie by Rajshri Productions. “Vivah gave me the conviction of who I am and what I want to make. Because people want to see exactly that rather than what works. One has to accept and learn that some films may work and some may not, but what’s the most important is the journey,” says Barjatya.
He’s confident that Yeh Prem Mol Liya would find its place, its audience in a post-Dhurandhar world that reeks of “men-oriented”, violent action thrillers. “The journey should be yours, the sur should be yours, and when there’s so much content today, people will show up when something is exclusive to you, when it’s come straight from your heart. That’s the most beautiful part of a filmmaker’s life,” adds Barjatya.
Whether it’s the dud that was Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon or the sleeper hit that was Vivah, Barjatya’s films have found a new lease of life, thanks to the internet culture. Who hasn’t come across the “woohoo, mummyji!” meme from the former and the viral “jal lijiye” meme from the latter. Barjatya is amused, but also glad about this alternate stream of consumption.
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“I get very surprised that it’s been so many years, but there’s such a strong connect even today. I often wonder what kind of a seed is that that it keeps growing. Thanks to memes, people watch these movies. If the values embedded in them rub off on you in any way, it’d be such a wonderful thing,” he adds.
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