Given the role Bollywood played in amping up the appeal of Karva Chauth, which was celebrated recently, it is surprising to see the presence of the event diminishing on screen lately. Remember the song Bole Chudiyan from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and the elaborate Karva Chauth sequence with Kajol fasting for SRK, and Kareena Kapoor for Hrithik Roshan? The festival has been celebrated in most family-oriented Bollywood dramas with the participation of the entire clan, where the sequence captured the essence of the festival and showed women getting together to pray for their husband's long life. But which was the last film where you saw the festival being showcased as ostentatiously as the way it has been? Gone are the days of elaborate Karva Chauth song sequences and actresses decked up from head-to-toe performing a puja beside a picturesque vision of diyas floating in a pond. It is now a diminishing trend in Bollywood. We spoke to actors who have been part of such films in the past and they say that the reason is the growing number of realistic movies which echo the trends of the present time.While some say that these tracks won't work for the younger, modern generation, others think that realistic movies have no space for the festival.


GONE ARE THE DAYS OF THE 'MERA PATI SIRF MERA HAI' TRACKS IN MOVIES: DIVYA DUTTA
Divya Dutta acted in Baghban, which was one of the last multi-starrer dramas to feature a Karva Chauth sequence. The film released 14 years ago and Divya feels that the reason why films don't feature these sequences anymore is because of changing cine stories. “If you look at the kind of stories in our films, you won't find many where a Karva Chauth scene would fit. The audience doesn't want that either. They don't have the patience to watch extravagant gestures like that in films anymore. Gaane bhi ab toh lip sync nahin hote. They are just in the background. Toh Karva Chauth sequence ki toh baat hi nahin aati. Filmmakers have realised this. Gone are the days of the 'mera pati sirf mera hai' tracks in movies. The audience of today wouldn't go for that,“ she says.

DECREASE IN FAMILY MOVIES IS THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE KARVA CHAUTH SCENES ANYMORE: SATISH KAUSHIK
“Nowadays, not many directors are making family movies. We see realistic movies or movies from the thriller genre and that is one of the reasons for this. Plus, the present generation believes in equality ­ they do not want only women to fast for their husbands, they strongly believe that if women can do this, why not men? The present generation does not accept that women should only pray for their husbands. For them, it should be both ways. But I think agar aaj bhi dikhaya jaye Karva Chauth scene Hindi movies mein, toh humari desi audience pakka pasand karegi,“ says Kaushik.

I THINK ONLY A FEW DIRECTORS IN OUR INDUSTRY TODAY CAN THINK OF WEAVING A KARVA CHAUTH SEQUENCE IN A STORY: SONU SOOD
“I think, 10-15 years ago, Karva Chauth sequences were imperative for the plot of those movies that had romance and family drama as their highlight. I think that was a good way to present the tradition in a certain glamorous way. What I also liked was how the festival changed from just a family, traditional sequence to something that took the love story forward in our films. I think only a few directors in our industry today can think of weaving a Karva Chauth sequence in a story, even if it is a modern family drama,“ says Sonu.

TODAY, FILMS ARE MORE REALISTIC AND KARVA CHAUTH IS NOT AN IMPORTANT SEQUENCE OF A MODERN STORY: ALOK NATH
“Karva Chauth has been a part of our films like other festivals and it suited the kind of films that were made earlier quite well. Over time, love stories have changed, the portrayal of love on screen has changed and the way love is expressed has changed in our films. Karva Chauth can hardly be a part of movies that are being made today. Today's films are more realistic and in the real world today, we would find women who are okay not keeping a fast for their husbands. They make a choice not to, and so is shown in our films as well.“