What Went Wrong with Anupamaa?

OK! I used to like Anupamaa a lot before Anuj's entry (No hate to Gaurav Khanna, he's a good actor and I loved him on his previous shows before Anupamaa). But I think a romance angle for Anupamaa was too early at least at the point when she had not resolved her issues. I don't know if that chapter is still in NCERT English Literature but when I was in School, there was a play called Mother's Day in our syllabus in which the protagonist Mrs. Pearson had the same personality and predicament as Anupama and it handled the issue a lot lot better.

Anyways, I always felt ITV shows are too commercial to work as vehicles of social change and yet, if the makers were touting Anupamaa as a woman empowerment show, it was such a negative message to drill in girls' mind that if your husband has abused you for 25 years, don't worry there's a millionaire, almost perfect Mary Sue guy waiting for you since 26 years so that you can marry him and adopt a child and have your happily ever after in a Lala land. It'd have been better if they let Anupama work on her issues like setting boundaries with her children and Shah family, work on building her career realizing bade bade bhashanon se zindagi nahi katti, even a leap would've been better showing Anupamaa 2.0 as a confident, assertive, modern, successful businesswoman and then let her meet Anuj. Regarding Anuj, the way they showed him as a lovesick puppy as a teenager whose only work was to simp over Anupama and sing her praises at every moment was ridiculous. Dude you can show someone in love while retaining his personality and flawed humanity. Regarding this I think Kasautii Zindagi Kay 1 has done much better job showing how a couple is ripped apart after their child's death when the mother spends more time in her ex-husband's house tending to his grown children. Now I only hope in Anupamaa that they completely do away with romance angle for some time, maybe even take a leap and show a real changed Anupamaa as a successful businesswoman like post leap Sonakshi Bose in Kucch Rang Pyaar ke Aise Bhi. Maybe after the leap they show Anupama and Anuj developing organic chemistry.

And please for once let Anupamaa say Sorry and Thank You properly.

I relate to almost everything you wrote. Especially what they can really do about the future track.

The show has just become about the glorification of Anupamaa's character by putting her in unrealistic scenarios where she ends up giving a meaningless lecture only to keep falling into a rut as far as her own life is concerned. New characters and tracks follow the same pattern and it does not seem that the makers have a good long term vision. Rather they'd go about it all quite abruptly and it resembles patch work.

What a lovely reference to Mother's Day. Certainly refreshed some memories and yes there are many parallels here. Anupamaa certainly needs a Mrs. Fitzgerald and also to have an open mind and change (Could have been Devika but the character is completely wasted)

Originally posted by: Autumn09

OK! I used to like Anupamaa a lot before Anuj's entry (No hate to Gaurav Khanna, he's a good actor and I loved him on his previous shows before Anupamaa). But I think a romance angle for Anupamaa was too early at least at the point when she had not resolved her issues. I don't know if that chapter is still in NCERT English Literature but when I was in School, there was a play called Mother's Day in our syllabus in which the protagonist Mrs. Pearson had the same personality and predicament as Anupama and it handled the issue a lot lot better.

Anyways, I always felt ITV shows are too commercial to work as vehicles of social change and yet, if the makers were touting Anupamaa as a woman empowerment show, it was such a negative message to drill in girls' mind that if your husband has abused you for 25 years, don't worry there's a millionaire, almost perfect Mary Sue guy waiting for you since 26 years so that you can marry him and adopt a child and have your happily ever after in a Lala land. It'd have been better if they let Anupama work on her issues like setting boundaries with her children and Shah family, work on building her career realizing bade bade bhashanon se zindagi nahi katti, even a leap would've been better showing Anupamaa 2.0 as a confident, assertive, modern, successful businesswoman and then let her meet Anuj. Regarding Anuj, the way they showed him as a lovesick puppy as a teenager whose only work was to simp over Anupama and sing her praises at every moment was ridiculous. Dude you can show someone in love while retaining his personality and flawed humanity. Regarding this I think Kasautii Zindagi Kay 1 has done much better job showing how a couple is ripped apart after their child's death when the mother spends more time in her ex-husband's house tending to his grown children. Now I only hope in Anupamaa that they completely do away with romance angle for some time, maybe even take a leap and show a real changed Anupamaa as a successful businesswoman like post leap Sonakshi Bose in Kucch Rang Pyaar ke Aise Bhi. Maybe after the leap they show Anupama and Anuj developing organic chemistry.

And please for once let Anupamaa say Sorry and Thank You properly.

I am agree with you on one point instead of showing 26 years wala angle they could have shown that anuj is a business man and anupama works in his company later they both fell for each other. This story line could be so inspirational that a man fall for a divorcee

But instead of this they showed illogical 26 years love angle

Originally posted by: ShahH8er

I relate to almost everything you wrote. Especially what they can really do about the future track.

The show has just become about the glorification of Anupamaa's character by putting her in unrealistic scenarios where she ends up giving a meaningless lecture only to keep falling into a rut as far as her own life is concerned. New characters and tracks follow the same pattern and it does not seem that the makers have a good long term vision. Rather they'd go about it all quite abruptly and it resembles patch work.

What a lovely reference to Mother's Day. Certainly refreshed some memories and yes there are many parallels here. Anupamaa certainly needs a Mrs. Fitzgerald and also to have an open mind and change (Could have been Devika but the character is completely wasted)

I agree. I mean even when they bring the character of Anuj's cousin, they made her a victim of domestic violence and only our great Anupamaa can resolve that trauma. (Resolving a trauma...is that even possible? Therapists be like To main kya karoon?) For Samar's love angle, they bring divorced women. I mean, chill, saari social messaging inhi ki family se honi h. It'd be best if they let Anupama be practical and selfish for some time and at least turn down the frequency and intensity of her speeches. I think makers should learn from the character of post-leap Sonakshi from Kucch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and Prerna in KZK after 8 years leap.

Well they don’t care about story. It’s about how to extend the show to eternity. How can you do that with logically and sensibly? Or the story has to be a real slow burn. If anyone here follows Katha Ankahee, that show is doing a really good job in every department be it story, screenplay, cinematography, direction or background score. But which show hogs all the trp ? 🐶🤡

Originally posted by: Milk_cake

I am agree with you on one point instead of showing 26 years wala angle they could have shown that anuj is a business man and anupama works in his company later they both fell for each other. This story line could be so inspirational that a man fall for a divorcee

But instead of this they showed illogical 26 years love angle

Yes something like that or he and Anupama meet as business rivals, show some tashan. It'd have been so refreshing to see a middle-aged bosswoman. ITV shows suffer from power imbalance where male lead is always super successful millionaire and female lead is a poor, simple family girl with a lot of aatmsamman.

Originally posted by: strancho

Well they don’t care about story. It’s about how to extend the show to eternity. How can you do that with logically and sensibly? Or the story has to be a real slow burn. If anyone here follows Katha Ankahee, that show is doing a really good job in every department be it story, screenplay, cinematography, direction or background score. But which show hogs all the trp ? 🐶🤡

Well, for Katha Ankahee, Sony is as much to blame as audience. They don't even promote the show properly, instead of repeat telecast, they show the same episodes of CID for the 100th time and not to mention how Sony abruptly ends a show. Only reason Anupamaa is better than other shows is that it doesn't feature two sisters simultaneously being wives of same man, after heroine is kicked by hero from his life, without losing a second, she latches on to a completely stranger who happens to be hundred times saner and more decent than the leads.

MAA Kabhie Ghalat Nahin Ho Sakta.

Originally posted by: MOTHERHOOD

MAA Kabhie Ghalat Nahin Ho Sakta.

Anupamaa ko portray kiya gaya tha promos me like Sridevi in English Vinglish and Mom and she turned out to be 70s ki Nirupa Roy

Originally posted by: Autumn09

I agree. I mean even when they bring the character of Anuj's cousin, they made her a victim of domestic violence and only our great Anupamaa can resolve that trauma. (Resolving a trauma...is that even possible? Therapists be like To main kya karoon?) For Samar's love angle, they bring divorced women. I mean, chill, saari social messaging inhi ki family se honi h. It'd be best if they let Anupama be practical and selfish for some time and at least turn down the frequency and intensity of her speeches. I think makers should learn from the character of post-leap Sonakshi from Kucch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and Prerna in KZK after 8 years leap.

And it's probably one of the worst possible families who could preach about any social issue 🤣

By now I feel expecting them to show Anupamaa being realistic and taking a stand for herself, is just a fever dream which will remain unfulfilled. In the other posts, you have broadly mentioned how she can take charge post leap and also, that this started off a show with a relatable premise compared to typical ITV drama. But at least some of those wacky shows take a leap and suddenly the FL is seemingly empowered even if it's for a bit.

Here, Anupamaa has to be always shown as a self sacrificing woman who is constantly on the receiving end and stuck between others (Bati hui orat). Some fans even justify this that her basic nature cannot be changed even if that means she keeps suffering and leads a miserable life impacting others around as well. Since makers just want to project this image of a greater than god Anupamaa, I don't have any particular hope left......