Hi Everyone,
Every show is based on some story or epic or mythology, or even religious scriptures. However, each have their own take or spin on it, and adapt it to the present time and make changes, leaving the base core or foundation to be the same as the original. However, it is this spin that makes this a new original story that a show tells. The success of the show depends on a lot of factors, one of which is the execution and how well it is portrayed and conveyed to the viewing audience. Does the audience get what it is trying to tell? That is at the root of the success of a producer, a writer, and an editor. The story consists of symbolisms, nuances, and hints. Ek Boond Ishq has these signs, and has been able to get its point across to the audience, while still holding interest, and yet maintaining its mysteries. We have been given numerous inferences, or rather, hints and clues in EBI of there being a parallel in this show with Shiv and Parvati.
In order to understand this, here is a very, very brief summary of the story of Shiv Parvati. Shiv is known and worshipped as the creator and destroyer of the world, universe, our Shristi. He is the beginning and he is the end. Parvati is his wife, also known as the Adi Shakti, and the one who balances Shiv. It is said that Shiv and Parvati are two halves of the same whole. Scriptures say that the main form of Shiv is half man and half woman in the beginning, and then for the good of the world, there was a separation. Shiv was married to Sati (Adi Shakti), who committed suicide due to insults cast on her husband by her own father, at which point Shiv became an angry person who was out to destroy everything and did not really care about anyone. While Vishnu did eventually stop him from totally destroying everything, he also became a recluse meditating, not interested in worldly relationships, activities, and withdrew from everyone and everything. The one to bring him out of that was Parvati, who, it has been said is Sati reborn. Parvati is the one who balances Shiv out, who brought him back to the world of the living, who calmed the fury within Shiv. She and her love, devotion and loyalty, is the balm to Shiv's fury and rage.
How does this relate to our show? Well, let us take a look at the main characters in this show, starting with their names. Rudra is an alternate name of Shiv, who displays the fury and the destructive side of Shiv. Rudra is out to destroy, in this case Jairaj and his family, and anyone or thing that is very dear to Jairaj, because Jairaj was accorded to be the perfect son...Ram. The alternate side of Rudra is Kalawati, yet another inference to Shiv and his original form of half man half woman. Yet, both Kala and Rudra, if one looks at their eyes, they are filled with fury, rage, hatred, and the need for destruction. In this instance Kala seems to be a eunuch, but this is also a show where everything might not be what it seems. Which makes one wonder if Rudra/Kala is just a cross dresser, as opposed to actually being a eunuch. While mannerisms as Kala are spot on, there are certain indicators that hint at this not being the case. We have yet to meet Rudra however, we have certainly seen and heard enough to make us guess fairly accurately that Rudra and Kala are one and the same person. What is still unknown is other than Fahim, who else in that family knows the truth about Rudra? Aditya and his sister believe him to be a Brahmachari. Rudra is also shown to worship Hanumaan, who is yet another form of Shiv, born on earth as a monkey, to aid Ram in getting rid of demons from this earth, and to fight evil. Hanumaan was a Brahmachari, (meaning one who has forsaken women, remaining single for life), known as the Sankat Mochan, (remover of all troubles and danger). Yet there was a dark side to Hanumaan as well. It is symbolic how Rudra is shown to worship Hanumaan, purporting to be a brahmachari, interested in the good of people and society. Rudra is clearly the villain of this show, and certainly not interested in doing good for anyone. He is angry at society that will not accept him as he is, at his family who did not accept him as he is, or support him, in this case the truth about Kala. Whether Jairaj also did not support him and his truth is a matter yet unknown, but even if Jairaj did support him, Rudra still resents Jairaj, because he was held up to Rudra as being perfect, and accorded the place and standing in the family that should have been Rudra's. Ironically, I do believe that while Rudra might be out to try and destroy Mrityunjai, who he hates even more than Jairaj, the reason for which has yet to be shown, but one can guess, probably, because Mrityunjai, who was adopted by Jairaj, was given the place and everything that went with that in the family that Rudra, himself was denied. Ironically, Rudra might just be the one to bring Tara and Mrityunjai together, while he might be in fact trying to separate them.
Let us take a look at Mrityunjai, yet another name of Shiv. Mrityunjai is portrayed as being one who had embraced life and society and living at one point, until he lost someone he cared for very deeply. He is currently shown to have embraced death, in fact wanting death, but at the very least just being a walking corpse, and not a living, breathing person. He has withdrawn from relationships, society, and people. Someone who prefers solitude and nature and lost in the past and in his own world, where there is no room for anyone else. By the time it was time for Shiv to marry Parvati, Shiv had become a recluse, preferring to stay in solitude, meditating, had withdrawn from the world, not caring about anything or anyone, lifeless and emotionless. This is exactly the state that Mrityunjai is portrayed to be at. Mrityunjai is not out to destroy, but is also not interested in anyone or anything, in society, what society or anyone for that matter thinks of him, and is certainly not interested in his wife, or rather would not be and wishes that she would just stay away from him and leave him alone. He would rather be left alone, in fact would prefer to die. Before their marriage, there were a number of times that Shiv tried various ways to have his and Parvati's alliance broken. Mrityunjai, while, married Tara, because his Baba asked him to, he is not ready or willing to accord Tara the status of his wife at this point. One of the biggest hints of Mrityunjai representing Shiv was when Tara's mother asked Tara, right after her wedding, how her husband looked, and Tara showed her the idol of Shiv.
Tara, another name for Parvati, is portrayed to be this bubbly girl, who embraces life, and yet is mature and adult enough to shoulder the responsibility of providing for her family, despite being the younger sister. Parvati, who was also a younger sister, was the one who fulfilled her parents' desire of seeing their daughter married. Tara is the light that will light Mrityunjai's dark world, and bring him back to the world of the living, wanting to live. She will be the one to balance him out. Tara is very loyal, devoted and dedicated to the people she loves and cares for and considers her own family. She will do anything for them; this is indicated by her agreeing to marry Mrityunjai, sight unseen, and despite learning that he is facing charges of rape and murder currently. She is not afraid of facing adversities, and yet will not tell anyone her troubles and sorrows, simply because she does not want to see her loved ones hurting because of her. A parallel of Parvati, one instance that Tara does not portray Parvati is that while Parvati is said to have been calm and Tara is more like a storm, in this instance might be more like Sati. However in the end, it is believed that Parvati is Sati reborn, so it is a very clever depiction here. While most people are shown to be afraid of Kala/Rudra, or at the very least not speaking out against him, Tara is the one who will do exactly that. We have already seen that, when in the temple she stood upto Kalawati and in order to escape, threw kumkum on Kala's face to get away. She has yet to learn that the Tauji and Kala are one and the same. When she comes face to face with Rudra, will she recognize him, one thinks probably not at this point. It will be interesting to see what she will do when she does realize it. Parvati has absolute trust and loyalty towards Shiv, and once Tara gets to know Mrityunjai, and learns for herself that he is in fact innocent of the charges against him, she will be his biggest strength, ally and defense against anyone out to destroy, hurt or harm him. One thing that really confirms Tara as Parvati and this story being based on Shiv Parvati is also when Mrityunjai pulls Tara out of the ditch, and we get a close shot of the two holding each other's hands, we can see a Rudraksh bangle/bracelet on Tara's hand. Another aspect is that Tara is also shown to be a Hanumaan Bhakt, always chanting Hanumaan prayers and chalisas and mantras.
Jairaj, who is shown as being either Ram; or, in some instances his father, Dashrat. Ram was accorded as being the perfect gentleman, the one who always followed the rules, no questions asked, even at great personal costs and sacrifices. Dashrat was cursed that he would die alone, without any of his sons with him when he dies. Rudra is certainly trying his absolute best to make that happen. He has already created the distance between Jairaj and Aditya, wherein he gives Aditya whatever he wants, leaving no stone unturned in spoiling him, and being good in the eyes of Aditya. He probably was involved in framing Mrityunjai with these charges of rape and murder, hoping to have him executed, thereby separating him from Jairaj as well. Jairaj is portrayed to be perfect, who behaves perfectly, even not really gainsaying anything that Rudra says, except in the case of Mrityunjai. He is willing to accept any punishment that Rudra might dole out for going against his wishes and getting Mrityunjai married so that he can be released from prison, and hoping to have him absolved from these charges. Being from a very wealthy family, he could even have tried to buy his son's freedom, however, he went about it within the rules of society and the law to get him released. He is shown to have a special connection and bond with Tara, who he believes can be his son's savior from not only the charges against him, but also from Mrityunjai himself, who has given up on life. He believes that Tara is the one who will make want to live again, and bring love and laughter back into his life. He believes that Tara is the one who will prevent his family from breaking apart, as it seems that right now it is held together just by a thread, on the verge of breaking. As it is, currently they do not all sit together and eat even one meal together, let alone spending time with each other.
One more aspect that needs mentioning is the placement of the idols by Tara on that first night in her bedroom. She placed Shiv in meditation form first and in the back, with Hanumaan in the front right and Radha Krishna in the front left. If one looks at that, it might be overall story represented right there. We started out seeing Mrityunjai, who is supposed to represent the Meditative and withdrawn from the world Shiv, who did not have any inclination to live, and was heartbroken in mind, body and soul. Hanumaan who I do believe is represented by Rudra, with a little twist of being out to destroy, but worships Hanumaan. Hanumaan also went through that phase after the death of Ram, for a long period, so in that context, Rudra does represent Hanumaan. And then lastly we had the idols of Radha Krishna, which is the symbol of love, representing Mrityunjai and Tarva's love and their uniting to fight Rudra together. Their love will be the force to defeat Rudra, and bring Jairaj's family together. Their love can never be broken by anyone, not even Rudra. These idols also represent the depiction that is tried to convey to the audience, with Rudra representing the dark side of Shiv, that was prevailent and dominant and in control after Sati's death and before the advent of Parvati into his life, with Mrityunjai, being the good side, that gave up and went into hiding not caring about anyone or anything, withdrawing, which was then drawn out by Parvati, and the Radha Krishna that represents love, is for Tara, whose love will bring Mrityunjai (the good side) back to the fore, and will aid in his battle against evil or Rudra, in this case.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the Glass shattering. The shattering of glass is indicative of the shattering of illusions. From what we have seen the Shekhawat household is a house of illusions. If you look from the outside, everything is perfect in that house, however, if one looks closely and inside, one will find that it is just an illusion. Things are far from being perfect in this house. Everyone lives in their own world, just cohabiting together, not living together as a family. They each portray as having the perfect life, but no one in that household is truly happy. Tara, within hours of her arriving in this house broke glass objects three times, at least. It is very likely indicative that Tara will be the one who will shatter the illusions in this family and will bring everyone's secrets out, whether that is Aditya's reality or Rudra's secret, which will very likely shake the very foundations of this family. She already knows that Meethi's life is the complete opposite of what Meethi tells her it is. She has had a glimpse of the truth about Aditya, when she saw him come home drunk and demean Meethi there in the family hallway, but one wonders what Tara will do when she finds out about his having affairs, and the way he treated Nandini, Tara's sister.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the painting in Mrityunjai's room, which can be interpreted as half man and half woman or two halves of the same whole, however, either way you look at it, here is another inference to Shiv, indicating Mrityunjai representing Shiv. On the other hand, it can also be interpreted as two halves forming a whole, which might be indicative of Mrityunjai and Tara's relationship; that they are two halves of the same whole, or their union will complete both of them. They are each other's soul mates; the other halves of themselves, who will complete them, balance them; make them whole. It is this completeness of them that will be their strength in their fight against Rudra/Kala, that neither of them are even aware is being waged on them. It will be interesting to see how they deal with it, and how they deal with the other members of the family and bring this family together.
It is ironic that Rudra the antagonist, and Tara, the Protagonist both are devotees of Hanumaan. This brings in the dual nature of Hanumaan as well in here. After all Hanumaan is Shiv born as monkey on earth one of the forms of Shiv. So as such, it is natural, that Hanumaan, also like Shiv will have a dark ruthless and destructive side, as well as the calm, good and creative side. This is certainly a spin and an angle on these epic mythological religious stories, and makes one wonder what we will get to see next in this show. This is just the beginning of the show; it will be interesting to see what happens next, and how this whole story unravels. So far, everything is good here, execution, acting, production, editing, with some slight bloopers, but overall very good, but hopefully it remains that way. This show certainly makes one think, and draws one in and holds one's interest, wherein one is anxious to know and see what happens next. As time goes on, there might be additions to this. If anyone wishes to add to this view, they are welcome to do so, in fact I would love it, especially if they are covering points and inferences and nuances that I might have missed. And please leave me your comments, good or bad, whether you liked reading my view or not. I welcome comments and knowing what my readers think of my views.
Till the next time...
Book Talk
Anupamaa
