I have been a very avid viewer of Balika Vadhu right from start. It was a show different from others'it handled a sensitive social issue & handled it realistically! Also, the characterization was very different from other Ekta type shows, there was very less dramatization and those characters one could actually have found in our own villages, or even in cities for that matter. There are only 2 phases in BV when I stopped watching ' one was when Teepri was shown & other was after the leap. Dadisa, Jagya, Anandi, Sumitra, Bhairon...all are very well scripted & the actors chosen do full justice to their roles. In my post today I just want to touch upon two aspects of this brilliant show, which according to me are very important.
Let me warn you at the outset that this is gonna be a LONG post'this has been on my mind for quite some time!
Jagya and Anandi
Different people view their relationship differently depending on whose POV they see it from. I have been an ardent JaAn fan till very recently and always hoped that Jagya comes back home to Anandi (Till Jagya got Gauri home...that's when I decided that now their reunion would be too wrong). I sincerely felt that they were soul mates & meant to be together. The kids played JaAn to perfection...you couldn't help but fall in love with them! They practically grew up together; she was not only his wife, but also his friend, philosopher, guide. Jagya was always a spoilt, self - indulgent brat but he was essentially a nice guy. He wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone' definitely not his Anandi...he genuinely cared for Anandi. I very well remember a scene from their childhood when Dadisa is trying to stop Anandi's education and Jagya comes and says that she is my beendni so this decision should be mine, and as her beend I have decided that Anandi will study further...it was such a sweet scene!
After the leap, I saw for a little while, but I couldn't connect to these 2...I missed Avika & Avinash too muchL I was watching BV on - off till Anandi convinces DS & Bhairon to let Jagya study medicine in Mumbai' somehow after that I stopped completely. And then I started seeing again around the time when Anandi goes to Mumbai for Jagya's birthday. So I have missed seeing all the romantic moments between these two...and also the times when Jag insulted her. (If anyone has links to the sweet romance of JaAn, please PM me...I'd still like to see it).
Anandi was always a guiding light in Jagya's life. She was the one who used to stop him from straying on the wrong path...and headstrong as he was, he did listen to her. He never had those ego issues with Anandi coz she never challenged him...she used to steer him on the right path without hurting his overinflated male ego. That is the primary difference between Anandi & Gauri...what Gauri tells Jagya is also right...but the way she says offends him so doesn't listen. While dealing with any person, you have to appeal to his good side...and Anandi always does that with everybody.
In Thursday's episode the flashbacks they showed were so good. Jagya & Anandi have spent 18 long years together...no matter what the current circumstances are, these 2 can never truly forget each other...and according to me, there is no need either. They are childhood friends and share many many happy memories and cherished childhood together. Jagya may have outgrown his love for Anandi, but he still has a soft corner for her, which is evident from the flashbacks. Jagya & Anandi have to move on in life, definitely! But for that they don't need to hate each other or forget each other...I don't think it is possible either. Hate also is a strong emotion & invokes passion. I want both of them to be comfortable with their past & then move on to their future.
Bhairon and Anandi
Now Bhairon is one character from Telly that I absolutely adore!!! There no one quite like him...he is always very honest, firm & truthful but without being preachy. He says what he wants in a few sentences...no drama! He treats all women with respect & all elders with deference. Even if the elders are wrong, he will not mind apologizing as long as the wrong is not against morality. Two scenes which come to my mind right now are ' 1) Due to his adamant stance on either Suguna's gauna or Anandi's education, Dadisa was not talking to Bhairon...he had been trying for many days without success. Finally he falls at her feet & apologises for disrespecting her; seeing his repentance DS finally melts! 2) In the recent Nandu incident, at the end he tells Basant that he is elder, if he felt Bhairon was wrong, Basant has all the right to chastise him. Point to be noted here is that though Bhairon fervently apologized in both cases for no mistake of his, he managed to keep the relationship intact. And also did not give up on his POV which was morally correct. He just avoided the ego clashes by allowing DS & Basant, a face saving alternative. I have always loved this guy...but his 2 scenes on Thursday were so excellently executed that I feel short of words!
The first scene where Bhairon speaks to Anandi, telling her that the least she can do is being civil to Shiv! He explains everything so nicely & clearly...he did not sugarcoat his words...he told her that the mistake was on their part so she should not hold Shiv responsible. He told her that she was being immature & Shiv was tolerating a behavior which could have been perceived as an insult to his male ego! And the best statement was when he said he wished Shiv was HIS son, that his own son was like Shiv! That was the statement which made most impact on Anandi I think. I love to see Bhairon & Anandi interact...they are so much at ease, that it is difficult to remember that he is her FIL...she was never so free with her own father also!
And the other scene was in the living room where Dadisa, Basant, Gehna and Bhairon were discussing abt the divorce. It was a very powerful scene wherein all the elders of the family, the decision makers were sitting and contemplating the disastrous consequences of their faulty choices.
And then Bhairon made the master statement which described Anandi's state of mind most perfectly. He said, "Anandi is still standing where Jagya left her. She is not waiting for anyone now, not expecting anything. But she doesn't have the courage to move ahead either." A huge round of applause for the dialogue writer...what a dialogue! I can't think of any better way to express Anandi's feelings. That is exactly what all of us at the forum have been trying to say...Anandi doesn't love Jagya now, but he left her emotionally so battered & bruised, that she is not capable of loving anyone else right now. She needs time to heal. One is definite...the whole world (Anandi included) may forgive Jagya, but he will never get a reprieve in Bhairon's eyes. Every time Bhairon sees her, the enormity of Jagya's sins come to the fore.
The pain, the frustration, the repentance in Bhairon's voice was so heartfelt & genuine. I don't think Anandi's own parents repent her child marriage as much, or feel her pain so much. The guilt he felt at being responsible for Anandi's situation, his inability to heal her' Anoop Soni's portrayal was absolutely heart wrenching...it pulled at your heart strings.
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