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Karva Chauth special: Bollywood’s depiction of husband-wife bonds

Karva Chauth is a festival that demonstrates devotion, endurance and most importantly love. This one-day occasion is celebrated by Hindu and some Sikh women around the world. Married women fast from sunrise until the time the moon is sighted, for the safety and life-longevity of their husbands. Some unmarried girls fast too, in the hope of finding a nice husband.

BizAsia is going to look at five films where the festival of Karva Chauth was celebrated.

Baghban Karva Chauth 340x

‘Baghban’ (2003)

Every Karva Chauth, Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) joins his wife Pooja (Hema Malini) in holding a fast. It displays the love between the two characters and shows how with age the love between them has grown even stronger. When the couple are living separately because of their children, they continue this tradition of fasting together.

Raj rushes home to answer Pooja�۪s phone call on which Pooja asks Raj if he has had some water. When Raj has had a drink Pooja also has some water, she then asks him to eat something. After checking the kitchen he realises that there isn�۪t any food in the house so to satisfy Pooja he pretends to eat. Pooja can tell that he is lying and knowing this she leaves her food untouched. Although they are far away they remain close at heart because of their love for one another.

��Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge�۪ (1995)

Simran tells Raj that she will be fasting for the very first time and the first drop of water that she has will have to be given by him. Hearing this Raj mocks Simran and as a result she leaves angrily.

The next day Raj is seen in his usual good mood and when Simran is complaining of hunger he replies in a sarcastic manner saying ��I didn�۪t tell you to fast�۪. When the moon is sighted Simran pretends to faint so that Raj can give her water instead of her fianc̩ Kuljeet.

After waiting for a long time for Raj to come and feed her the first morsel of food Simran becomes angry. She complains to her sister Chutki that he was probably sat around with the men, eating to his heart�۪s content. Chutki reveals that Raj hadn�۪t eaten all day because he wanted the two of them to eat together. Hearing this Simran apologises and the two of them break their fast together by feeding each other.

��Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani�۪ (1988)

Aruna Irani and Shashikala play the part of a mother and daughter who treat their husbands badly. Even fasting for their husbands is something they do out of compulsion not because they actually care about their husbands.

When the moon is sighted the daughter Uma (Irani) runs to a photograph of her husband and breaks her fast. The husband enters his in laws house shocked to see his wife stuffing her face with food. He questions her about this and she explains that she used his photograph to break her fast. Not impressed with her reply he responds by saying that he�۪ll make her understand the value of a husband and grabs her arm to take her to their home. His mother in law not impressed with this bravado act of her son in law picks up her walking stick and begins to beat him.

��Baabul�۪ (2006)

For Malvika (Rani Mukherji) life couldn�۪t have been better, she has a darling son and a wonderful husband in Avinash (Salman Khan). Sadly when Avinash passes away in a car accident Malvika doesn�۪t know how to live.

There is an emotional scene where on the day of Karva Chauth, Shobhna (Malini) and Balraj (Bachchan) walk in to find their daughter in law dressed in a colourful sari. She is sat eating sargi (pre-dawn meal) as she believes that if she holds a fast she will be able to have Avinash as her husband in her next life time. Seeing this, her in laws are touched by her devotion but sad as they feel helpless.

��Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham�۪ (2001)

Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) overhears Anjali (Kajol) telling her husband about her plans for Karva Chauth. He asks her whether she has received her sargi from her mother in law as it is tradition for the sargi to be sent to the woman by her mother-in-law.

Anjali doesn�۪t know what to say as she isn�۪t in contact with her mother in law and doesn�۪t really have anyone else who would send it to her.

Knowing that Anjali has never received sargi before he promises that this year she will. He calls his mother and has her explain to Anjali what sargi is, unaware that she is actually speaking to her mother in law (Jaya Bachchan).

Whilst talking to each other both women become very emotional ending the call in tears. Bachchan�۪s acting in this scene would make anyone want to grab a tissue. It is evident how much she misses her children and the fact that she is unable to do all these traditions with her own daughter in law makes her sad.

An emotional Anjali thanks Rohan for this kind act and says it is strange how sometimes a stranger can feel like a family member. In Johar style the festival ends on a cheerful note with the beautiful song ��Bole Chudiyan�۪.

BizAsia wishes its readers a blessed Karva Chauth.

By Yasmin Shabir