Posted:
Manipulation is the word of the day. The only thing that happened in today's episode was a systematic and humiliating manipulation of Priya and her feelings, her thoughts and her desires.
From her mother, editing her age to make her more attractive to men, practically begging the pandit-ji to find a guy for her, to Ram with his iPad-ed shortlist and even smaller opinion of Priya - if it were up to him, he would have married Priya off to the first guy who came along. Thank God for the common sense that was Vikram in this episode.
I just was amazed at the way in which everybody steam-rolled over Priya the person and began to treat her as Priya the commodity. After Ram's very pious and prideful declaration last week that he would find the man for Priya, everyone seemed to grow a pair of wings each and started running around like headless chickens to find a marriage that would work. Why? For Priya's happiness? No - because she was the obstacle standing in Karthik and Nuts' way. Priya's sister Ayesha was the sanest person (aside from Priya) in today's episode and I loved her exchange with Priya - when she asked her if she wasn't fed up and irritated of the whole arranged marriage circus, I finally saw something other than a bimbo. And add to that her perception of Nuts and how she didn't seem to fit in their family or with Karthik, and believe me, I was halfway in love with this girl š Sorry Priya - love you to bits but today I sided with Ayesha on the question of Nuts-Karthik; love might conquer all, but I don't think it can conquer inborn insanity.
How dare Ram, with his supercilious expression and the upturned nose, list Priya's supposedly not-so-great qualities without once stopping to consider that he is hardly a Prince Charming himself? That really and practically the only quality that other people might perceive in him would be his money? That they might make fun of his OCD-ness, his unease in social situations, his gait and his weight? Listing someone else's flaws is all very well, Mr Kapoor, but have you looked in a mirror recently? More to the point, have you taken a look at your darling sister? Priya is worth a thousand of her and more.
And Priya's dad - while he might have her best interests at heart, supposedly, what exactly is he doing except rejecting offers? At least Shipra is trying something, insulting as that might be to think that your mother doesn't consider a twice-divorced man a bad catch. But Sudhir in his ultimate laziness is a dhabba on the word father, and I honestly fail to see the point of him. For a humdard for Priya, we can have Karthik, or Ayesha or Ram. We don't need Sudhir the useless.
All of this is not to say that I didn't enjoy this episode or think it was good - it was, and I did. Ram and Sakshi as always impressed me, and Ayesha and the other sidey characters were also good today.
I loved that scene in Ram's car where Priya gets incredibly pissed off at the way that he is parading men for her like she is choosing a horse and not a life partner - money, check. Face, check. Height, check. Good teeth and bones, check. I also loved how she didn't go off on a random bhashan and start lecturing him about "insaan ki pavitrata" or some crap like that, but simply made her point in the most sarcastic and comical way as possible. A 7 foot man with extremely dark skin? Was she thinking of Michael Jordan for a possible suitor?? And I loved how she left it simply to "let my parents choose for me" and got out of his car and walked away. This was a very mature way to handle this kind of situation and increased my hope and belief in this show's ability to handle sensitive, mature and interesting storylines. I loved the scene in which Priya adamantly tells her mother that she is 33, and will be 33 for every potential suitor, and that changing her age will bring nothing but lies and negativity into a new rishta. A strong Priya, a confident Priya despite the bechaarapan that people keep trying to force upon her. This is a far cry from week one of this show and I am loving the change. Looking forward to more common sense.
P.S. I loved Vikram's amused expressions throughout all the scenes with Ram, and he's probably going to be the first one to figure out that they are perfect for each other. Unless Niharika does the "let's grab Priya and pretend her to be the potential bride I picked for Ram" scenario.
P.P.S I know I was supposed to rip a few themes but I got busy over the weekend so I'm so sorry š If someone could remind me what the themes were that they wanted, I promise I will do those and today's immediately.
CID
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
