Piya Ka Ghar

Picked up this DVD from the local Indian store for the following reason. I still remember how much I liked it way back when I watched it in Doordarshan. I was sure that it would still bring back the same feelings of watching a quality Hindi movie with simple people in it.

It is the story of a young village girl who grew up pampered by her rich uncle and parents. She gets married to a young man from a joint family living in a chawl in Mumbai. You can imagine a chawl as this multi storeyed flat structure with more people in each apartment than it could possible accomodate.The rent is cheap so the families living there could not think of moving elsewhere - that is all that they can afford.

Malti(Jaya Bhaduri) finds it hard in this house with someone or the other always intruding the privacy. Ram (Anil) wants to get to know her and talk to her, but she can never be herself in those surroundings. The movie humourously walks you through the struggles Ram goes through to steal a private moment or two with his new bride and how each such plan fails. He gets tips from his friend as well as elder brother. They all get out of the house to let Anil be home with his wife, but here comes a guest. Elder brother suggests to Ram that he should get away for a whole day with his wife.

That is what they do. After roaming around Mumbai with 'Bambai shehar ki chal main tujhe sair kara doon' song in the background, Anil tries to get a room in some hotel as suggested by Bhaiya. That is what Bhaiya-Bhabhi had discovered as a solution to the same problem. But how that lands them in an embarassing moment and how that ruins the day is shown very nicely.
At the end of the day, Malti tells her husband that she needs to move to a new house. Or she wants to go back to her village for a break from all these troubles and Ram has no choice but to agree.

When they come back home, they see Malti's uncle raising a tantrum seeing the size of the house they are all living in. Malti is also overcome by emotion seeing her uncle that she bursts into tears. Uncle vows that he will take her back home. Ram's mom requests him to leave her behind for just one more day and he agrees.

The next day each person in the family contemplates on how to prevent the uncle from taking the Bahu back. Bro and SIL even come to the decision of living separated for some months away from this house so Malti gets more space in the home. Parents in law decide to go on pilgrimage for some months so Malti can have more privacy. Neighbours/friends who are always playing cards in this home arrange for money so that Ram can get a rented home.

Seeing all this, Malti is touched - Mumbai homes have less space, but the hearts of the people who live there are much bigger. When uncle comes to take her away from that home, she tells his she chooses to live there. When everyone is ready to leave the home just so she can live there, it is just not right to reject their love and go back to the villa in the village. When there is closeness in hearts, the lack of physical space in the home does not bother her anymore.

JayaBhaduri in her best plays the role of the youing girl.Anil Dhawan is the handsome bridegroom. Songs are good and melodious - especially "Ye jeevan hai Jeevan Ka Yahi Hai Rang Roop'.

Simple movie with a beautiful message.