Yes. The gauntlet has been thrown by Saudamini and Sir John Greenwood and Anirudh and the Roy Chaudharys have picked it up and taken up the challenge.
ACT 1
Saudamini aka Mrs. Betty Greenwood nee Bhaumik has sunk to new lows to get her purported vengeance. To match the conditions laid by her dear beloved husband she decided that the entire RC family should be enslaved with Anirudh wearing a dog collar (Ofcourse it is over the top but simple challenges don't work in period dramas. It has to be either slavery or teen guna lagaan. Sigh🥱). That being said, she really did not expect the RCs to even take up the challenge. Like the last time she was ousted, she banked on her reliability on Binoy's unreliability. She fully expected him to cower and back off. But Bidu came through👏. And for me the most important moment was when he embraced Anirudh and apologised publicly. i mean, wow. This shows that this man, no matter how shrewd, values family over everything. This is the beginning of the redemption arc. He is not fully redeemed yet, mind you as we see in the scene with the villagers where he tries to tell them about the profit of this arrangement. Binoy has many lessons to learn and i hope he does too but at the same time doesn't become goody two shoes like his son. He need to remain a bit grey.
Bondita rightly observes how the british have brought them together rather than breaking them apart. They came into Woodstock House with differences and differently and were humiliated, but left the place together as a family with head held high. And the dressing down she gave to Mrs. Greenwood was a treat to watch. She tore the vile woman into shreds. While Betty was spouting the same old nonsense, Bondita called her out on not learning from her past mistakes and even going on about asking her husband to once again show Betty her place. I mean, a grown woman getting owned by a preteen. If you ask me, kaka's slaps were less humiliating. What I liked was when the last confrontation happened, Bondita was a silent observer and kept to herself because the situation did not involve her and the adult's had it handled. But this time Bondita decided to make a stand and show Betty that she is not the same helpless girl who once hanged onto every false thing she said. She has outgrown her phase of blind faith. The pride on RC men(add Binoy as well) indicates how she will be the one they will all look upto. She will always defend her family against these vile characters. Some may the whole scene OTT but this is a girl in the 1900s who is a wife, a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law, was humiliate as an abandoned woman, was abducted and almost forced into prostitution, saw her husband almost die, was betrayed by her aunt and her pari didi ,and faced numerous situations a child should not have faced. She ain't no ordinary girl. She comes from the era of girls like Rani Gaidinliu (look her up, she is one badass).The bravery of Bondita is always a treat to the eyes.
PS: noticed how Greenwood was enjoying Betty getting owned by Bondita? what is up with that? I still can't if he is a 100% lame villain or there are layers to his character we can't see. I second Kaka's words as how one cant decipher Greenwood's intentions.
ACT 2
Anirudh and bondita discussing the nature of the task ahead of them is an indication to their future together. They will have many missions to complete, many injustices to fight against and many victims to fight for and they will face hurdles and stones while they do it. Anirudh came to India with a grand idea of reforming the nation and he would have probably failed had he not married Bondita that night. Because she once again pledged her unflinching and undying support for her husband and his dreams. They are now hers as well. Bondita is only 11 but Anirudh still needs her as his strength and he has no qualms in asking his child bride to be his partner in his war for women rights. And she heartily gives it to him.
i loved how anirudh said he is not her rakshak anymore. No. He is her support and always will be. But not she and the girls have to fight and show the villains what they are made of. That they are no less than any man and that they are only asking what is due to them. This is the lesson we need even in today's world. As a woman I don't want to be above a man or dominate a man. but i also don't want to beg anyone to get what I deserve. And what I deserve is my place as an equal which I earn with my hard work and determination. And Anirudh has taught that to Bondita 100 years ago.
To the Roy Chaudharys, MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR!
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
Cricket
Tum Se Tum Tak
