Strain From the Wedding Night: 'Happily Married' on Marriage in the Social Media Age

In the grip of social media, are our relationships slowly rusting away? Chorki's new web film 'Happily Married' is built around that very question of distance and strain in present-day relationships. The film, part of the platform's 'Ministry of Love' project, has been made by Zahid Pritam.

Arifin Shuvo and Keya Payel pair up for the first time in this film. At the centre of the story are Anis and Anamika — two people from two generations, whose complications begin from the very day of their wedding.

Anis is an engineer at an electricity office. Although he is past 35, he does not want to marry. Brides are shown to him, but every plan fails. One day, a girl's father cleverly arranges for him to see his daughter Anamika; Anis does not realise his would-be father-in-law's detective-like manoeuvre, but the girl wins his heart for marriage.

There is a considerable age gap between the two; they belong to two generations. At first none of that is an obstacle, and the wedding takes place. But taking that to mean 'happily married' would be a mistake — that is only the beginning of the story.

Complications grow from the couple's wedding day itself. On the wedding night, bride Anamika sits upset. Her husband is not the person to understand the thoughts of a girl who has just left her teens. That very night Anamika tells her husband, 'Is this even a wedding?' Her dream was that the groom would arrive on horseback like a prince, everyone would be stunned, she would post the wedding photos on Facebook and get lots of likes and comments. Instead, there is not a single wedding photo worth posting on social media.

Anis realises his wife loves Facebook and Instagram more than she loves him. Still, he initially tries to adjust. The couple's similarities, differences and mental conflict begin from that wedding night, and the film's story moves forward from there.

At the premiere, Arifin Shuvo had said in advance, 'Those who are not married will feel like getting married after watching this film. It will make everyone, married or unmarried, think.' The remark perhaps reflects how closely the story connects with the present time.

As sweet as the name 'Happily Married' sounds, is a couple's journey in real life always that smooth? Searching for the answer, the story layer by layer brings forward the many complications of modern life, the strains of family relationships and the influence of social media. The maker has also made clear the gap between the two generations' wants — for some, life means adjusting; for others, it means getting everything their own way.

It is from that desire that Anamika does not let her husband come close; she sets a condition — unless the two become one mentally, physical distance must also be maintained. Will Anis be able to meet that condition? Suspicion takes root in the household. A much-discussed celebrity, of whom Anamika is a fan, enters the scene, played by Arefin Zilani. Has Anamika become romantically involved with her favourite star? With time, that question deepens.

In acting, the film's biggest achievement is its two lead characters. As the simple young man Anis, Arifin Shuvo has brought the character to life with his natural acting. Before marriage, his life held nothing beyond office and cooking; his portrayal at home and as an employee at the office was fitting. Anis, anxious to win his wife's heart, feels like a familiar face from the house next door.

Keya Payel has also fitted well into the role of a social-media-addicted young woman — sometimes angry, sometimes calculating about life, sometimes somewhat attentive to her husband. Anamika, very conscious about food, knows by heart how many calories are in each dish her husband cooks. In time she secretly begins to like her husband's simple way of life, and that chemistry will catch the viewer's eye.

Among the supporting cast, Salahuddin Lavlu as an amateur detective deserves special mention, although he disappears from the story at one point. Deepa Khandaker and Tushar Khan were an added bonus in the family drama — their banter made viewers laugh. Child artiste Rai Rajanya will also earn good marks.

In the making, director Zahid Pritam has shown skill in the aesthetic presentation of scenes. The background music has matched the screenplay, and the cinematographer has beautifully captured both urban mechanisation and the warmth inside middle-class and upper-middle-class homes.

There is criticism too: the story can be guessed in advance, and some feel the film could have been tighter if the long stretch of husband-wife strain had been shorter. Even so, as a light-hearted romantic comedy-drama, the film is on the whole enjoyable.