Live In Relationships The New Formula For Hindi Cinema?

The last three films of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions Ae Dil hai Mushkil , Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi and the forthcoming Ok Jaanu all deal with the highs and lows of a live-in relationship.

Aditya Chopra’s Befikre also dealt with the dips and curves in a live-in relationship.

Are these films a sign of the times? Or are we looking at a fad that may have far-reaching consequences?

The censor board is loath to take  a lenient view of live-in relationships as depicted in our films, At the same time the censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani admits the live-in relationship is a social reality.

“Lots of couples in big cities do prefer to stay together without the commitment and  obligations of marriage. So we can’t shy away from reality. Cinema is at the end of the day a mirror image of society. At the same time live-in relationships are a reality only for a very small fraction of our population. So what should we do?” asks Pahlaj Nihalani.

He hopes the trend would die down soon.

“We cannot endorse live-in relationships beyond a point, as they do not reflect the reality of the majority of the population. Banners like Yashraj Films and Dharma Productions should address themselves to larger social and domestic issues,” says Nihalani.