Chandra Nandini 16-17: Plot on a trot! - Page 12

Good night, Aunty. Swetha might not be acting much, but her eyes certainly are bobbing from one corner to the other to display emotions. I am literally reminded of my Bharatanatyam classes where we used to have practice sessions bobbing my eyes from left to right, top to bottom, in circular motions, etc. Swetha does just like that. It suits Bharathanatyam or the stage, but not the television. It appears highly unnatural and unrealistic. But since Sweta is not irritating like Jodha or CAS Kaurawaki, I will somehow tolerate all this. Paridhi was undoubtedly the better actress among the two. Aunty I am usually impressionistic when I watch TV. I watch to be entertained and not to analyze or dissect. Any analysis that I do happens just by the way. I don't intend to do it. I reserve all that exclusively for the books I read. It will become too difficult for the CVs to do justice to such a high benchmark.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Not just Swetha the actress, my dear - who is not doing too much but too little, it was all so pedestrian and predictable! - but Nandini the strategist as well. I have rewatched that episode, and I propose to dissect Nandini's grand strategy and demonstrate how air-headed it was.

And no, Shailaja, as an analyst, I never take sides. Not even with my favourite Rajat. And definitely not with Chanakya because he is closer to my age! When I finish with that whole battle sequence, I will show how chaotic his responses are as well. He is not infallible, after all, only far, far wiser than the rest.

The only person who comes out of the whole true to his nature is Chandragupta. You attack him as if he was not a youngster on his first battle but the mature Chandragupta Maurya himself, which is unfair and illogical. He will learn, but his core will always stay the same: a gutsy, never say die warrior. He is the spearhead who will win battles for his guru, and it is for Chanakya to train him in when to tone down his responses and curb his recklessness.

And Rajat was truly fabulous in the fighting sequences. They are even better during a rewatch.

Finally, Amatya Rakshas would hardly think this motley ragtag bunch so dangerous that Magadha should seek help from its allies to tackle them. This is what Chanakya is banking on. And if you think he can go behind Padmanand's back and seek help from others against the king's wishes, that is a no go. Padmanand would have had him executed for insurbodination.

Neither Chanakya, nor Chandragupta for that matter, is over confident. Just think back to their conversation on the night before the battle. That alone negates your theory completely. Chanakya clearly says that anything could happen on the morrow.

Nor does Chanakya underestimate Amatya Rakshas. He says immediately that the vrushchika vyuh (the scorpion formation) is Rakshas' trick and that Chandra should retreat and not walk into a trap. Earlier, he junks the maanchitra of the Pataliputra palace, that Chandra has prepared with so much effort, because he is sure that once Chandra had been exposed, Rakshas would have had all the security arrangements changed completely.

Shailaja my dear, for an analyst, the facts (here as conveyed to us by the CVs) are sacrosanct. One should never try to fit them to a theory. If the facts contradict any theory of mine, I am always ready to abandon the theory.

Why does one have to clutch at straws to build up a character? If the character is going to blossom,that will happen on its own. And lastly, never take sides, for then you are no longer an analyst.

OK, I am tired and my hand is hurting. Good night, my dear girl.

Shyamala Aunty


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Originally posted by: shailusri1983

Good night, Aunty. Swetha might not be acting much, but her eyes certainly are bobbing from one corner to the other to display emotions. I am literally reminded of my Bharatanatyam classes where we used to have practice sessions bobbing my eyes from left to right, top to bottom, in circular motions, etc. Swetha does just like that. It suits Bharathanatyam or the stage, but not the television. It appears highly unnatural and unrealistic. But since Sweta is not irritating like Jodha or CAS Kaurawaki, I will somehow tolerate all this. Paridhi was undoubtedly the better actress among the two. Aunty I am usually impressionistic when I watch TV. I watch to be entertained and not to analyze or dissect. Any analysis that I do happens just by the way. I don't intend to do it. I reserve all that exclusively for the books I read. It will become too difficult for the CVs to do justice to such a high benchmark.

Well, I am still around winding up, and so let me be ill-disciplined😉 and add a few lines before writing finis to this.

You are not just watching, my dear Shailaja. You are analysing, in broad sweeping strokes, not with an impressionistic pointillage. It would be better if you did analyse the segments, for this sort of thing is neither here nor there, and you are such a bright young lady, and your outlook is often so fresh and appealing, that you could do an excellent job of proper analysis. I am sure Lalita Nair would have told you the same!

See, while you say that the CVs cannot be expected to live up to the demands of rigorous analysis, you also want the fledgling Chandragupta to be a combination of Mars,the god of war, and Hannibal, one of the most experienced generals of all time, and not just of Carthage. Look at this extract of yours. This calls for a military paragon of the kind against whom neither Napoleon nor the Duke of Wellington, nor, closer to home, neither Shivaji nor Akbar could have measured up !😉

A good general is not just one who is a brave warrior, knows to fight well, has knowledge of the vyuhs,etc. He should know when to attack and when to beat the retreat.

Even in attack, he should be aware of how to wreak the maximum damage to his enemy army with minimum damage to him and his soldiers. He should know which are the weaklinks in the enemy army and target these spots while taking care to protect his own weaklinks from the enemies. He should strike when the iron is hot and cool his heels when it is cold. Basically he should do a good SWOT analysis of both his and his enemy armies.

I am sure all the American generals did any amount of SWOT analysis and war gaming against the Viet Cong, and yet the army of the most powerful country in the world had to flee from Vietnam in 1975, routed by guerillas in sandals made of discarded car tyres.

I loved your Bharatanatyam comparison for Nandini. I had used it in one of my earlier posts - the theatre or dance style vs the cinema - perhaps the one on the episode where Chandra kidnaps her, and Shreya was arguing with me about that. I had to cite examples to convince her! Such exaggerated facial expressions are OK in the theatre and in dance, but look OTT in film, as you have also pointed out.

Kaurwaki was in a class by herself😉, but yes, Nandini is not as irritating as Jodha. But Shwetha is an acclaimed actress, and I want her to start showing her acting chops. I am sure she can if she tries a bit harder, regardless of the script.

OK, now really good night!😆

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

Good night, Aunty. Swetha might not be acting much, but her eyes certainly are bobbing from one corner to the other to display emotions. I am literally reminded of my Bharatanatyam classes where we used to have practice sessions bobbing my eyes from left to right, top to bottom, in circular motions, etc. Swetha does just like that. It suits Bharathanatyam or the stage, but not the television. It appears highly unnatural and unrealistic. But since Sweta is not irritating like Jodha or CAS Kaurawaki, I will somehow tolerate all this. Paridhi was undoubtedly the better actress among the two. Aunty I am usually impressionistic when I watch TV. I watch to be entertained and not to analyze or dissect. Any analysis that I do happens just by the way. I don't intend to do it. I reserve all that exclusively for the books I read. It will become too difficult for the CVs to do justice to such a high benchmark.

The only thing i did not like about yesterdays episode how they ran from battle,just a flag and hes gone on horse would have looked real but it was comical,and now baba ki ladli is going to fight😡 nand again proved hes no king the way he cut off avantika

Aunty to me this whole war against nand is between good and evil,i used to watch americal series on vietnam war,i dont remember much ,just when i read it on your post,but it was heart touching specially how the locals were shown andpain from both sides

Shweta hasnt done much but shes not at all liks ps and she doesnt use the word grihna rather pyar so shes going to love chadra as much as sghe hates him up till now shes hr pit ki ladli putri and nothing else

There were many occasions in JA forum when I was tempted to drop in and give my two cents. But it was peopled with such Jodha Bhakts that I used to be truly rattled. I hated her smugness, her frog in the well mentality, her hypocrisy, and many more things.

It used to beat me many times what poor Jalal saw in her to be so besotted, as were half the characters like Hamida, Salima and more than half the IF forum of JA who danced to her tunes like cheerleaders. It was truly baffling and incomprehensible. I felt it futile to bang my head against all this.

At least in CAS forum of IF all of us were of the same mind. The dislike and hatred for Karuwaki was universal. Here I am not able to make up my mind regarding Nandini. I don't like her but at the same time I don't hate her as well.

Shall I tell a small niggling doubt I have. I think that the CVs are frequently lurking and haunting these threads. I see many of the things we discuss here being reflected in the episodes. If at all CVs are taking feedback and our criticism in a positive and constructive manner, it should be appreciated.

It never happened in the EDT of CAS! We used to discuss a lot of things there as well. But the CVs never took any ideas or inspiration from any of them.

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">@bold: Agree completely. Right now Nandini is far from being mahaan and Sweta far from donning the expressions of smug superiority. So I can tolerate Nandini any day to Jodha and KVK. Paridhi looked far more prettier though.</font>

But why did you not come to my Jodha Akbar threads? I was there till the first 200 odd episodes. I would have loved to have had you.

The EDT in the CAS forum was totally lacking in influence because it was in a straightjacket of its own - acute dislike of Kaurwaki and the accompanying undue elevation of Devi - and the members never had anything to say about any of the good scenes in the show. The CVs were completely out of sync with this approach, and they called the shots. So the EDT members were all left talking to each other and patting each other's backs, and making jokes, at times distinctly off colour jokes.

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

There were many occasions in JA forum when I was tempted to drop in and give my two cents. But it was peopled with such Jodha Bhakts that I used to be truly rattled. I hated her smugness, her frog in the well mentality, her hypocrisy, and many more things.

It used to beat me many times what poor Jalal saw in her to be so besotted, as were half the characters like Hamida, Salima and more than half the IF forum of JA who danced to her tunes like cheerleaders. It was truly baffling and incomprehensible. I felt it futile to bang my head against all this.

At least in CAS forum of IF all of us were of the same mind. The dislike and hatred for Karuwaki was universal. Here I am not able to make up my mind regarding Nandini. I don't like her but at the same time I don't hate her as well.

Shall I tell a small niggling doubt I have. I think that the CVs are frequently lurking and haunting these threads. I see many of the things we discuss here being reflected in the episodes. If at all CVs are taking feedback and our criticism in a positive and constructive manner, it should be appreciated.

It never happened in the EDT of CAS! We used to discuss a lot of things there as well. But the CVs never took any ideas or inspiration from any of them.

Remember reading in history about this battle- that first time Chanakya and CG were defeated Square by Magad Army. It was because they went straight to Capital without conquering the peripherals.

Once they retreated, Chanakya and CGM overheard a mother scolding her son trying to eat a Hot Dosa or Roti from center and says do not be like Chandra gupt. Eat from periphery and by the time you get to center, it would have cooled. Chanakya gets a flash. They realign the strategy.

He starts from periphery, keeps winning zillas and then hits it square for the Pataliputra. Military Strategy from a Mom !!!

Shyamala Aunty...hope all is OK at your end health wise...have been waiting for your new post 😃