Critical reception was mixed; some reviewers found it dramatically lacking and bloated, but it also has been credited for triggering changes to the way marriage is depicted on film.

Vivah is the first Indian film to be simultaneously released in cinema and on the internet (through the production company's official site).

[5] Poonam is a middle-class girl living in the small town of Madhupur in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh.

However, his wife Rama is jealous and unable to accept Poonam, driven by the fact that their own daughter Rajni is darker in complexion and not as fair skinned as her cousin.

Harish Chandra Bajpayee, a renowned businessman in New Delhi, has two sons: the married Sunil and the soft-spoken and well-educated Prem.

Poonam's simple and affectionate demeanor impresses Bhagatji, a jeweller and Krishnakant's friend, who takes her marriage proposal for Prem.

Krishnakant finds her and angrily confronts his wife, calling her out on her refusal to accept Poonam despite her attempts throughout her life to win Rama's love.

Upon hearing Poonam's diagnosis and the fact that she was injured saving Rajni, a remorseful Rama breaks down, realizing how cruel she has been to her niece.

The cast is listed below: Sooraj Barjatya noted that the story of Vivah is based upon a newspaper article his father read in 1988.

[7] In an interview with Times of India Barjatya said, he kept in mind all the novels of Saratchandra Chatterjee while making Vivah.

Anupam Kher, Alok Nath, Seema Biswas, Manoj Joshi and Amrita Prakash were cast in other prominent roles.

[15] Additional production credits include: Jay Borade – dance choreographer, Sound — Jitendra Chaudhary, Dialogue — Aash Karan Atal, Cinematography — Harish Joshi and Editor — V N Mayekar.

[9] To promote the film, Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao sold tickets at the Fame Theatre in Malad, Mumbai.

The composer primarily gave special importance to "taal" and opted to keep two "antras" followed by a "mukhra" in the songs.

"[26] Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India called it a "simple documentation of something as banal as an engagement to a vivah".

[27] Madhuparna Das of The Telegraph criticised Vivah for lacking plot, flat characters and mentioning that the story was "rather weak and improbable.

"[28] BBC described Vivah as "a didactic, worthy, and highly sanitised take on reality in keeping with the Rajshri tradition.

"[29] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave only 1 out of 5 stars and condemned the screenplay, calling both Kapoor and Rao "insipid and boring.

"[30] A review carried by Anupama Chopra mentioned, "Sooraj Barjatya's fantasy world is carefully constructed, but his conviction infuses his films with an emotional heft.

[38] Indian painter M. F. Husain, decided to create a series of paintings inspired by Amrita Rao and Vivah.

[39] He organised a private screening for 150 friends and press attendees to "convey his interest for the film" at Dubai's Plaza cinema.