Behind the Veil

To be honest, when I started watching Bahu Humari Rajni_Kant, I had no plans to make massive review posts...I'm enjoying the show, with all of its craziness and poignant moments, and it's a very welcome change for me as a viewer. Thanks to the team of BHR, who had the conviction to make a science fiction story that is witty and tongue-in-cheek, but also weaves astute observations about the human condition into the show.

By now it is probably no secret that I absolutely adore Shaan and Rajni and the many fascinating layers of the relationship they share. The writers, in my humble opinion, have done a wonderful job sketching and shaping these two protagonists...And Karan and Ridhima have taken those character sketches and breathed them to life with nuanced performances in a way that made my emotional attachment to Shaan-Rajni inevitable. And so here I am, writing away, because last week's episodes had many moments that I loved and would like to jot down here.

- Shaan has always come across as the kind of man who embodies the phrase "married to his work", to the extent of living in his lab for weeks and devoting all his time towards developing Rajni at the expense of his own love life. Now he is LITERALLY married to his work, and I don't think he had the foresight to see the issues that marrying Rajni would bring in on a personal level...

- And so Shaan finds his wife, Rajni Kant, sitting on his bed, which is now also her bed, waiting for him. Trying to explain to her that these customs don't apply to her obviously has no effect, so Shaan grudgingly lifts the ghoonghat, glances down at his bride, and turns away...and then turns back. She is stunning, and he is mesmerized. This moment reminded me of the time Shaan first saw Rajni in that red/white sari and was left speechless, with his heart racing...At that time, he had told her, "Jab main tumhe bana raha tha, toh mujhe nahi pata tha ki tum itni sundar ban jaaogi." And once again, Shaan can't quite believe his eyes...and he can't take his eyes off her.

- "Aap khush?" "Bahut khush...!" I love Ridhima and Karan's voice modulation all throughout this scene - and that actually applies to all of the scenes that they have together, really. More often than not, they are a study in contrasts, and that always comes across so well when they interact. Here, Rajni hardly speaks, but when she does, there's a sort of weight to her voice that I can't quite describe. It is a lovely contrast to Shaan's tone, which effectively sounds like he's become intoxicated by her beauty.

- Shaan marvels at the beauty of his creation, completely captivated. "Tumhe maine banaaya hai...? I'm so proud of me!" I personally think that this is the BEST one yet! Have to give credit where it's due, haha! He's in such a daze, and she does an adorable half-blink in response as he just keeps gazing at her.

- "Rajni, you are a ROBOT! Main wahan jaa raha hoon, mujhe bahut zaroori kaam hai, OK?" "OK, Shaan." "OK..." He has to remind himself that she's not human, has to physically distance himself from her - and yet he just doesn't want to move, haha. Even when he's trying to distract himself, the attempt fails. He's like, "I can't look at you, I can't look at you...But how can I NOT look at you?!" Poor Shaan! I think frustrated Shaan is just so hilarious. All the little things Karan does - the abrupt movements, the way he runs his fingers through his hair, the super-fast rambling and irritated expressions that change as rapidly as his tone - seriously, no one can portray all of this as seamlessly as Karan can!

- "Stop. Stop! Stop!!! STOP! STOP IT!!!" "Kya stop karoon, Shaan?" "Tum nahi. Main. Meri galti. Meri problem!" The contrast between Shaan's escalating irritation and Rajni's calm response always makes me laugh. It also reminded me of the way Dev tends to say some variation of "Tu, teri Rajni, tera robo, tera problem!" to Shaan, haha.

- "Kya problem hai aapki? Main solve kar sakti hoon." And Shaan pauses. "So sweet..." He turns, a dazed look on his face. "Sachhi?" Rajni smiles back, throws a few rose petals at him. "Muchhi." And as he continues gazing at her, she blushes. Always surprises with these two.

- The part where Shaan sits down on the bed next to Rajni - I love this version of Rajni's Theme so much. It's so soft and soothing! Interesting expressions from Ridhima during this part, too. There's a tinge of intensity or decisiveness in Rajni's eyes as she looks down at Shaan and lets him take her hand. And he is so focused on her and the feel of her skin. I have never seen a romance like this! He's praising her beauty and praising himself for making her the way she is...and it's funny but it's also sensual.

- I also think Shaan leans down to kiss Rajni's arm...? Shaan snaps into awareness of what he was about to do, and he panics. She's a robot! Your robot! She's a... "Par hot kitni hai...!" "AARGH! Shut up, Shaan!" And a tentative solution to this? He tells her to sleep in the cupboard. OK, Shaan. LOL, good luck with that!

Those are all the thoughts I have time for now...Thanks for reading! 😳

~ Borna

*To Be Continued...?*

Thanks so much for reading! I'm glad you liked it, since I am prone to rambling quite a bit sometimes! 😆 😳

Ah, that Balma sequence was really something! There was so much hilarity the morning after the suhaag raat, too. I will eventually get around to writing about that episode...

- "Yeh tum kya kar rahi ho, Rajni?" "Main aapko rijhaa rahi hoon...Apni husn aur adaaon se." "Tum mujhe tease kar rahi ho?" "Yes...Tease...Tadpaa rahi hoon..." And it is definitely working. I like that even when Rajni goes into seduction mode, the moment is punctuated with a dialogue between them. Especially since we can see and hear Shaan's self-restraint slipping away bit by bit as Rajni continues to caress his face and speak to him with a voice as smooth as satin, almost like a purr. Very well enacted, with great voice modulation by Karan and Ridhima!

- A few thoughts about the Balma sequence. One, Karan-Ridhima's height difference is perfect! ❤️ Two, they both have gorgeous hair. Three, I love how the mood of the song shifts from burning-up-the-screen intense to playful and then back again in a matter of seconds. Their onscreen chemistry is equal parts sweet and sensual, and their comfort level is just so wonderful! I don't think I'll ever stop saying that!

- Shaan and Rajni playing a sort of cat-and-mouse game, running around the bedroom. I was legitimately scared that one or both of them would catch on fire, literally, with all those candles on the bedside tables! But it's so cute how Rajni hops off of the bed and Shaan leaps onto it to try and block her path. That height difference!

- "Par kitni hot robot hai...So very hot! Shut up, shut up! She's a robot! She's a machine! Tune banaayi hai, paagal!" And yet, even as he tells Rajni to jolt him back to his senses, he can't stop himself from reaching out to touch her and marvel at the softness of her skin. This is the crux of the issue, isn't it? It's interesting that, unlike the usual sci-fi trope, Shaan didn't make Rajni with the ultimate goal of being his perfect woman...He made her so that the balance of his household could be restored, since no one could be relied upon to keep it running smoothly. In this sense, he's not like Pygmalion, who fell in love with his statue before Galatea actually came to life. Shaan explicitly said that he didn't make Rajni for all this pyaar, ishq, mohabbat stuff, which he claims he has no time for...But it cannot be denied that Shaan is extremely attached to Rajni, probably in more ways than he even realizes yet. There is a physical attraction starting to simmer beneath the surface, but I think a lot of his fondness for Rajni stems from the fact that she is a being that he can talk to and share his concerns with openly. I presume that he talked to her a lot while he was still in the process of developing her...So on Shaan's part, with Rajni, there's an emotional attachment and a friendship that is unlike any other. And since he created her...maybe there are more aspects of his personality and/or personal preferences subliminally embedded within her...?

- The morning after...does not start well for Shaan, haha. As if a headache and possibly more aches weren't enough, he's subjected to his father and brothers teasing him about all the noise he and Rajni made last night. Of course, this all goes over Shaan's head. But Rajni appears, and her innocent comment about fixing their broken bed gives the others at the table even more to tease Shaan about...

- "Maine nahi...Shaan ne kal raat ko palang tod diya!" Shaan's finally catching up with the proceedings. "Shut uppp!" LOL, poor Shaan is on the verge of officially becoming Pareshaan, thanks to his wife and her honesty.

- "Aji sunte ho...Kuhu ke chacha?" Favorite line of the week, no contest! (Special mention to the KZK and KGGK references as well as Rajni calling Surili "Saasumom", LOL!) But Rajni's "Aji sunte ho?" is the cutest! I miss Kuhu - at least Rajni remembers her adorable niece! When he finally realizes he is being spoken to, Shaan's "Hein?!?!" in response is too funny, as is his facepalm moment as Rajni continues to put them both into an awkward situation by warning him to stay away from her in the kitchen. Could it get any worse?