REVIEW: 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' carries the 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' LEGACY forward!

One of the most popular shows of all time, 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' left fans wanting for more when the show went off-air back in September. However, there was an instant buzz and happiness, as the sequel to the show was soon announced.

Fast forward to seven months later, we are introduced to the much-awaited sequel, 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' which showcases a new story, new characters sans Sooraj Rathi (Anas Rashid) and Sandhya Rathi (Deepika Singh).

Let's find out if this new chapter manages to live up to the legacy of its predecessor.

The Story So Far...

From the first frame itself we are introduced to the 'face' of the show, Bhabho (Neelu Vaghela) who is now old and her hands shiver while she sips on her tea. Sitting in the beautiful environment of Kerala, she cribs about coming to this alien city with alien language because of Sooraj and Sandhya's 'Shraadh' (mourning prayers) happening at different places for the past 5 years.

Ved and Vansh Rathi (Mayank Arora and Kabeer Kumar), the Rathi brothers are present there with their Bhabho for the same.

Enter Kanak Rathi, who after a chase sequence with the dogs reaches her hostel and discusses with her friends that inspite of being afraid of travelling alone, she will do so to reach on time for her parents' (Sooraj & Sandhya's) 'shraddh' even skipping her exam.

After some 'not-so' turbulent occurrences, Kanak lands up in a boat with a little boy (who raises the cuteness level to infinity) and explains how did she land up there. Finally, we are introduced to Uma Shankar aka Daado (Avinesh Rekhi) who, with a chiseled physique is doing Suryanamaskar and resembles Prabhas from Baahubali' (only resembles.) The next thing we know, he is a man who does good deeds and infact reads some Sanskrit marriage shloks even explaining the meaning of the same. This is their first indirect encounter of Uma and Kanak, as Kanak watches him and disagrees with the interpretations of the shloks that Uma Shankar is explaining.

Getting off the boat, Kanak reaches the place of mourning prayers and in a fraction of second, we are enlightened with the fact that Bhabho hates Kanak so much that on being asked by the pandit as to who are the dead couple's children; she only mentions Ved and Vansh.

Ved comes to take the jalebis for prasad that are cooked by Kanak and Bhabho reminisces how the amazing taste of the jalebis hasn't changed in the past five years they have been doing the shraadh, without actually knowing they are cooked by Kanak.

Ved and Vansh are furious about their sister Kanak not being accepted by Bhabho and repeatedly question Bhabho on the same. However, Bhabho remains adamant on her stand and mentions how Ved and Vansh have ruined the rituals and jinxed it, thus walking away.

Cut to Pushkar, village habitants' prayers to Sandhya and Sooraj's statue are disrupted by a noise. And the noise was that of a bean bag getting torn due to an overweight boy falling on it. The villagers mock the boy only till they have someone interrupting them.

Enter Meena Rathi (Kanika Maheshwari) who has also grown old like everyone else but has somehow managed to look more beautiful than ever. With a tattoo, new styling and a badass avatar, Meena stands up for her son and defends him.

Parallely, Bhabho is already planning her way out to avoid her granddaughter Kanak as she learns that she has her 2 month long holidays beginning and asks her son to book her tickets to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Bhabho is now back home and is determined to find a way out to get rid of Kanak's presence. At the same time, Kanak is already dreaming about how she will be staying with her Bhabho and is excited about it. However, amidst all that, fate has a different plan as Kanak gets minorly injured and is forced to find a doctor and thus she meets Uma Shankar again (indirectly). However, Uma doesn't touch women due to his beliefs and Kanak is irked about his sexist beahviour. In an ode to break his approach, she touches Uma but that leads to Kanak's bangle falling which has the fragrance of 'chandan' (sandalwood). Kanak runs away and Uma's curiousity has now increased about the fragrance and his quest to find the 'chandan ki mehek vaali ladki' begins.

We are then introduced to one of the biggest twists in the show, where Bhabho and Meena do not see eye to eye and there is a lot of animosity between the other family members. In a shocker of a moment, Babasa (Ashok Lokhande) is shown getting really sweet and romantic with Bhabho which is perceived rather weirdly by other members and soon we see Babasa changing his attitude too.

Already perplexed with what is exactly going on, Babasa clarifies and asks for an apology from Meena and mentions that how due to his forgetfulness, he ended up talking to Bhabho and hates himself for that. So, the saga is about how the house is divided into two parts, one where Meena, Golu, Babasa and Vansh live and the other where Meena's husband, her little son, Ved and Bhabho live. Meena and Babasa shower some really harsh words on Bhabho and blame for the wrath that this house has suffered.

A distraught Bhabho goes to her room and is seen missing Sooraj and Sandhya mentioning how only they would have understood her and she doesn't know what to do with the current situation. Finally, Kanak is excited on the way home and cannot wait to live with Bhabho.

Little does she know that Bhabho is already planning to get her married where Meena is trying to save Kanak from. And simultaneously, Uma Shankar's quest of finding the chandan ki mehek vaali ladki' will lead him to Kanak once again.

Will Kanak be married to Uma Shankar already? Will Bhabho's master plan be successful? How will Kanak react to these occurrences? Only time will tell..

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)

The way the show has managed to showcase the scenic beauty with some breathtaking aerial shots is absolutely mesmerizing. One feels that he/she is visiting the city of Kerala through celluloid and still enjoying the bliss.

The music and background score of the show is not only good but also nostalgic for the viewers as the 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' track plays in the background also uttering the words, 'Diya Aur Baati Hum.'

The scale and treatment of the show is absolutely amazing as the cinematography and screen presentation is alluring. There is a huge difference between 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' and 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' and it is a good one.

What's Not-So-Good?

'Na Darrna, Na Rona, Na Hichki..Yaad Rakh Kanak, Tu Beti Hai Kiski.' 9 times!!! Yes, 9 times this catchphrase is hammered to the viewers like a punishment in a matter of 5-6 episodes by Kanak. She rattles the phrase as if it's a medicine which gets really irritating after a point of time.

Avinesh Rekhi aka Uma Shankar certainly has a fabulous screen presence thanks to his chiseled, lean and ripped physique, but he lacks some serious acting skills when it comes to portraying his character. When you are in a sequel, the expectations are bound to be infinite and especially when you are stepping into the shoes of a character like Sooraj Rathi. He really needs to polish up on his skills and make a larger impact in the future.

The idea of pairing Rhea Sharma aka Kanak and Avinesh Rekhi aka Uma Shankar seems odd as they look like a really unconventional couple and there is some visible age difference. While, this is only the visual appeal we are talking about, we will have to wait to witness how their on-screen chemistry works out.

Rating - ** (2/5)

The Performances

Neelu Vaghela aka Bhabho slays the character once again after she did the same back in 'Diya Aur Baati Hum.' The actress' prowess towards playing a really old Bhabho in this show is evident by the way Neelu Vaghela acts. From shivering hands to the portrayal of insecurities to a huskier and sick voice, Neelu is no more the loud and screaming Bhabho but is still the best factor of Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji.'

You don't become a veteran just like that, do you! Just like Neelu, Kanika Maheshwari reprises her character of Meena and is absolutely fantastic in her character. While, she still carries the innocent stupidity that Meena from Diya Aur Baati Hum', this new Meena is stylish and is protective about her children. The display of emotions has been amazing where once she is the comic relief and on another instance, she is emotional too.

Rhea Sharma aka Kanak Rathi is endearing to watch and lights up the screen everytime she appears. She looks adorable, cute and her innocence as Kanak is contagious. However, Rhea may have to keep upping her ante as her scenes with Neelu are going to be tough for her to standout, if not taken care of.

Avinesh Rekhi aka Uma Shankar has surprisingly the lowest amount of screen presence inspite of being the male lead. However, that will be increasing in the coming episodes. His screen presence is soothing as he plays a calm and composed character. However, as good as he underplays Uma Shankar, his presence is overpowered by others in the show. We are hoping this changes really soon.

The rest of the cast which include Kabeer Kumar, Mayank Arora, Ashok Lokhande among others perform their characters with full conviction and are the perfect blend amidst the leads.

The Verdict

A lot of factors about 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' are blended by how people will reminisce 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' and will not miss the predecessor at all. One of the rare Indian TV shows which is primarily helmed by a then supporting character and now the fact of the show, it is indeed a worthy addition to the television programming. With some powerhouse performances and surprising twists and turns, the sequel has added an element which 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' did not from day one and that is mystery.

Having said that it will be a massive challenge for the show to be completely dependent on Neelu Vaghela's presence and hope that the on-screen Jodi of Avinesh and Rhea is liked. 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji' carries the legacy of 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' but with some actual hurdles to overcome.