preparation thread invitation only

Remembering The Best and Worst

By Happychappy


The Best

Gautam Rode

Gautam plays the title role in Saraswatichandra and has won the hearts of young and old with his amazing talent and incredibly expressive face... When the show started he may have been a relatively unknown actor, but wow, has that changed! The journey of Saras from lonely, unloved and self-contained young man to the complete man-cum-romantic hero may have deviated from the flawed hero of the original novel, but Gautam's straight-from-the-heart acting has garnered him an ever-growing band of loyal viewers. From the moment Saras first appeared in Ratnanagari with his "little boy lost inside a grown man" look, he had us hooked, and GR has disarmed us with the range of expressions that he summons up effortlessly. When we lose track of the fact that he's only an actor playing a role, and relate to Saras as if he were a real person, it's more than clear that Gautam Rode is as good as it gets in this profession.

Jennifer Winget

Jennifer is probably not the most classical beauty ever seen on Indian TV, but Mr.Bhansali surely knew what he was doing when he cast "Jen" as Kumudsundari... Not only is Kumud the object of Saras' affections, she is also a headstrong, even heroic, figure who thinks and acts far ahead of her family and her small-town circumstances; in other words, she is not a bimbo! Jennifer is a perfect fit for Kumud, and is definitely one of the best things about the show... Her immense acting talent is especially evident in the emotional high points of the show, and Jennifer has earned our love and respect many times over with faultless performances. She has brought intelligence, beauty and grace as well as an unique directness and a lively charm to her portrayal of Kumud. We cannot imagine anyone else playing Kumud, and that says it all!

The rest of the cast

The extremely talented supporting cast is one of the unsung highlights of this show. Be it Yatin Karyekar who originally played Vidyachatur, Ragini Shah who's earned a special place in our hearts with her tour-de-force Dugba, Rajesh Zaveri who plays Kumud's irrepressible Dadaji, or Sai Ballal as the idealist politician who is also a dysfunctional parent, the formidable ensemble cast is a major ingredient in this show's heart-warming appeal. Ali Raza Inamdar who took over the mantle of VC midway through the year has also left his mark, though with a less meaty role. While Lakshminandan Vyas may not win any prizes in the Best Dad stakes, Chetan Pandit figures pretty high up on our list of SC favourites... A very special mention to Anshul Trivedi who brought a certain zany edginess to Pramaad, kept us guessing if the black sheep was really turning into a good boy, and at all times held his own against Gautam and Jennifer. Varun Kapoor and Vinita Joshi both bring a special vim and cuteness to their roles of well-loved younger siblings. Aniruddh Singh's Sunny has not been seen for a few months now, but has left such an impact that most viewers would love to see him again!

The Dream Team

Arvind Babbal, Utkarsh Naithani & Saba Mumtaz were the Dream Team of director and writers who brought Mr. Bhansali's vision of Saraswatichandra to life on our TV screens. They captured our imaginations so completely that many of us haven't been able to escape the addiction that SC developed into. Come rain or shine, massacre of plot and character by their successors, nothing could fully break the spell this team cast on us in the first three months. Every scene was so beautifully crafted, and the story and screenplay shone with so much subtlety and thoughtfulness, no wonder we fell in love with Saras and Kumud almost from Day One.

Chemistry in the Family!

Much has been said about the chemistry between Saras and Kumud; they may even have won an award or two for favourite Jodi, but what's also special is the palpable chemistry between them and other members of the Desai parivaar, especially the bond between Saras and his Mai, which has often reduced us to tears. Saras and Kumud also share many precious moments with Vidyachatur, and with Dadaji. Danny is Saras' little brother that he calls 'beta' and the two of them are so close they'd do anything to keep each other happy... Our connect with the "realness" of these relationships has been aided by some top-class writing and abetted by acting of a matching calibre.

A Visual Delight

The sets of Saraswatichandra are a treat for sore eyes, with large roomy interiors and that subtle earthy, and ethnic style that is Mr.Bhansali's hallmark. This style is also carried into the costumes, and every aspect of decor, makeup and accessories for Kumud and other ladies of the Desai parivaar, each of whom has her own signature style of dressing. Lagging not far behind are the Desai men, especially Dadaji and Vidyachatur who wear Gujarati togs with elan. When the haveli was dressed up for Saras & Kumud's wedding, it looked like a palace, but without any trace of garishness.

The Title Song & Other Music

Rarely has a title song captured so much of the soul of a show, and become such a sentimental favourite of so many viewers! "Rahe Na Kuch Bhi Darmiyaan..." will stay with us long after this show has ended (not that we want to think of that yet!) Thanks to Shreya Ghoshal and Javed Ali. Other music themes in the show have also been a pleasure to listen to, and an integral part of our Saraswatichandra experience.

Props - these are a few of our favourite things!

This show has been home to a most remarkable collection of creative props used to symbolise the love between Saras & Kumud, from the sketch that Kumud drew before she had even seen Saras, to the pearl that is the subject of many a lovers' tiff before he presents it to her on their wedding day in the most romantic way possible! These objects may be quite prosaic in themselves - the golden kite that played a key role when Saras first saw Kumud's face, the misshapen matka he made when she was teaching him pottery, the smiley he drew on her palm to cheer her up at Pramaad's house, his mother's paayal that she wore when he was escorting her back to Pramaad's house - but they were uniquely memorable markers of twists and turns in their very special love story. And the most significant of these would be the Kamarband, which went from being the most treasured and loved objects to one that was most feared during Kusum's Meera phase.