/> Patna's poshest theatre Regent, has turned into a quasi-marriage venue. Ever since the release of Sooraj Barjatya's Vivah the wedding spirit has caught on with such vigour in and around Bihar that the theatre management has converted the cinema hall into an impromptu marriage venue.

The front gate of Regent theatre has been adorned with an elobrorate pandaal (festive banner) announcing, 'Punam Weds Prem'. That's Shahid and Amrita in the film. Go forward, and auspicious Shehnai music greets you in full glory. The foyer of the festive theatre is scattered with floral decorations.

Says the theatre owner Suman Sinha, "People have been inquiring if we've shut down our theatre and gone into the wedding business In the coming weeks when the films grows bigger and bigger we intend to diversify into more wedding-related paraphernalia in the theatre. We want Vivah to be not just an on-screen experience, but also a complete family event."

Sinha compares the audiences' enthusiasm for Vivah to the gusto he had experienced first-hand when his theatre had released Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun ten years ago. " Vivah is going to be as big, if not bigger than Hum Aapke Hain Koun in Bihar. The hysterical response to Vivah is not restricted to Patna. In neighbouring cities of and towns of Bihar Vivah is equally successful.

The last time a film had gone beyond an on-screen experience to this extent was when Jai Santoshi Maa had been released in Bihar in 1975. Female audiences did aarti in the theatres, threw flowers at the Goddess on screen. A Santoshi Maa charity fund was started in by the theatre owners.

Says Sinha, "I see the same shared spirit of excitement for Vivah. We had though that level of excitement had ended in the movie theatres. Vivah is an eye-opener."

Sinha attributes the film's unprecedented success in Bihar to the small-town values pertaining to courtship and marriage. "Audiences in Bihar and UP see a bit of themselves in Vivah. Not so in the metropolises where weddings are now arranged on a contract basis and the bride is more concerned with getting her outfit rather than values right," says Sinha.

Vivah isn't the first film to have gripped Bihar more strongly than other parts of the country. The Salman –starrer Kurbaan, the Bachchan -starrer Sooryavansham, the Govinda-comedy Dulhe Raja and the Akshay Kumar –starrer Jaanwar were all mega-hits in Bihar and comparatively less successful elsewhere.

So huge is the impact of Vivah in the state that the marriage market has suddenly gone into over-drive. Many eager marriageable couples are now looking at the possibility of discovering love after engagement.

"They see Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao as their biggest role models ever. If after Bobby couples wanted to elope like Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia after Vivah they want to get married like Shahid and Amrita," observes Suman Sinha happily, as he prepares to add more of the wedding spirit to his bustling theatre.