Shravan and the BFF zone - Page 4

Great analysis as always AY!

Loved the episode! But yes like you said Suman's feelings (whatever they are) still remain unspoken. Why do I feel Suman's gonna harbour guilt that could lead to her having feelings for him (or at least realize if they were already present)

Originally posted by: AreYaar

Thanks :) You've posted a lovely review as well :)

Re: Sumo's emotional repression....yes, we did get a little insight into the lack of 'settling' that happens when you're in an Army kid....you're constantly moving from place to place, your set of friends changing every few years. That said, this trait should have been hinted at a little earlier in the story to sort of build up the character rather than only showing it now. I get that she shared this with Shravan since she now feels comfortable with him, trusts him.....but even then, we could have gotten this hint before through other convos of hers with Kancha....which we never did. So it did feel like she only pulled this out now because she wants the friendship on her terms.

Yeah that's true. I wish we had seen it come up before. But I feel like we really don't know that much about Suman's own authentic reactions. She usually tries to do what is right, as has been taught to her, but we haven't seen very much of her authentic self beyond "the rules". She may have pulled this out to avoid having to ponder her own emotions.

There is no problem in pointing out that two people should have clarity about each other's expectations in a relationship/friendship....but the WAY you put forward that idea matters. Rather than stating it as something SHE wants, Sumo could have said that as a general statement....ki ek friendship mein do logon ke same expectations hone chahiye....instead she only framed it as something she wants....'MAIN chahti hoon'....which I feel was slightly problematic. And frankly, I feel the whole thing could have been better handled if she atleast acknowledged what his feelings were....but she kept it so vague....heck, she could have spun up a generic story about what happens when different feelings enter a friendship....but she made the whole thing only about her own need for a BFF. That is what pinched me. She never even once directly asked him what he wants.....all she asked him if he wants to be her BFF. If she truly wants to be his BFF, why is there no interest in wanting to know what he feels and wants, why is it all about what he can give to her as a friend?

I definitely understand what you are saying and that thought did cross my mind as well when I first watched it. To be honest it was one of the issues I had with this PH's last show and how they wrote the female character there. But for some reason it didn't bother me as much here. I felt like it was a good thing for her to be so clear about what she is looking for. It may not be empathetic to Shravan's needs but in the long run its better for both if she is sure that this is a hard boundary. It was more just putting her cards on the table saying this is where I am and this is where I stand. I feel the imbalance came because Shravan didn't follow it up with a reciprocal this is what my truth is and this is what I am looking for in our friendship or what I am genuinely okay with (not just doing it "for you"). So I completely agree that there needs to be something that gets Shravan to assert himself. I think this is where relationships get very complicated because he isn't being completely selfless by staying. He wants this relationship too (or at least doesn't want to end it if he is not getting everything he wants). He is not entirely doing it for her happiness alone although he is framing it as such. So it leads to potential resentment in the long run. That's why its so important for people to be their authentic selves from the get go.

I don't want to get my hopes up....lol but this makes me wish the story actually lives up to the promise of exploring the depth in their relationship through the evolution of this friendship into a deeper love. The title of the show is all about how they are made for each other....but how do two people reach that stage? They aren't instant soulmates.....it would be interesting to see how they grow into that.

Yeah I am scared of getting my hopes up too. But they really have a lot of potential here. They are so adorable. ❤️

Originally posted by: AreYaar

Ah ok, I see what you're trying to say.....yes, the previous shows focused on unresolved feelings between the younger versions of the pairs. But I think SS in this case have been different from the get go.....their friendship too has been different even from that of the younger pairs in the previous shows. The dynamics are just different vis a vis the character sketches for these two this time....yes, there is more of an innocence in a sense but also a sense of gradual discovery about life and love between them.

I sometimes also wonder if it's because of the way Mohit and Kanikka play these characters that adds more of a maasomiyat to them than there was in the PH's previous shows. No matter what emotion is being depicted between Sumo-Shravan - whether it's the clashes, the masti, the misunderstandings, the care or the fights....there is a strong core of innocence running through it. Makes me wonder if it is intentional from the writing/directing perspective or the actors add to it as well.

Sumo may have friend-zoned Shravan but I don't think this will lead to the same kind of unresolved feelings as the previous stories. Their conflicts have a different basis this time.

@ G...I actually like that part of this show........

@ P...The whole paragraph of your is very nicely depicted observation...indeed...my understanding...writers/directors...has this in their mind & script and they also selected the actors who can reflect these appropriately...both ML and FL have those characteristics in their appearance and body language......they two blends so well with each other.......doing great job.....

@ B....if this happen as you described.....would be really nice......

Originally posted by: malikakas

I definitely understand what you are saying and that thought did cross my mind as well when I first watched it. To be honest it was one of the issues I had with this PH's last show and how they wrote the female character there. But for some reason it didn't bother me as much here. I felt like it was a good thing for her to be so clear about what she is looking for. It may not be empathetic to Shravan's needs but in the long run its better for both if she is sure that this is a hard boundary. It was more just putting her cards on the table saying this is where I am and this is where I stand. I feel the imbalance came because Shravan didn't follow it up with a reciprocal this is what my truth is and this is what I am looking for in our friendship or what I am genuinely okay with (not just doing it "for you"). So I completely agree that there needs to be something that gets Shravan to assert himself. I think this is where relationships get very complicated because he isn't being completely selfless by staying. He wants this relationship too (or at least doesn't want to end it if he is not getting everything he wants). He is not entirely doing it for her happiness alone although he is framing it as such. So it leads to potential resentment in the long run. That's why its so important for people to be their authentic selves from the get go.

@bold: Really? I actually don't recall much about the FLs from the previous two shows of this PH😆....maybe that's how forgettable they were *shrugs* lol

I think we can both agree that imbalance in a relationship is not healthy.....where I think we slightly differ is with regards to who is feeding that imbalance more right now. You feel that the onus lies on Shravan to present his truth to Sumo....while I feel that Sumo having found out the truth of his feelings, and still choosing to not acknowledge it, even though she can see the lengths to which Shravan is going for her is what is leading to this imbalance. The problem isn't that she drew a boundary.....the problem is with the choice of words used.

I'm not sure we can call it "selfish" exactly that Shravan is willing to have whatever relationship he can with her on her terms.....he isn't calling himself selfless either....he's saying that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make her smile....which is quite true. Yes, he does want to be with her at any cost, but being willing to do it at the cost of his own happiness is a kind of selflessness by basic definition.

The sticking point is that Sumo can now clearly see in front of her why he's doing what he's doing and she is deliberately being obtuse and choosing to believe that he's doing it out of his own happiness and that he wants the same things she does.....he never said that directly.

These two aren't the type of pair to have that kind of resentment build yet.....their interactions are too innocent for that right now....they haven't yet managed to reach that kind of understanding and level of expectation from each other.

We really need a new promo. Shravan is going to confess.

Suman learnt about Shravan's feelings, no promo.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

EDKV2 has a habit of taking a long time to build up to a high point but they somehow always manage to nail it when they get to the actual high point😆. I previously felt this with the way they built up to the party episode and then showed the actual dramatic fallout....very well done.

I like the fact that they take long time to build up and not mess it up when it matters👍🏼 There is a dream like quality to their episodes, I dont know if its the lighting, the fact that its shot in Bhopal or something else, but it really elevates the scenes:)

Today, the build up was for the inevitable heartbreak for Shravan as he got BFF-zoned by Sumo😆. We all saw this coming since many days, and the team lived up to the execution once again. Most of the epi was built around Shravan-Sumo scenes and that was another reason why it felt very focused.

It was so heart breaking to watch Shravan today💔😒

The beginning with the "Nazar na lag jaaye" song sequence brought back so many memories of the Night Out epi😆.....that's been one of my fav. epis in their story so I smiled when I heard the song again and then all of Shravan's imaginary romance with Sumo😆......I just knew it would end with Bunty in his arms and lo and behold🤣.....as always, Bunty ki izzat khatre mein😆

The dream sequence was nicely shot and their song selection has been awesome. 😳 Poor Bunty though😆 Humaye Bunty Miya yeh dejove nahi karte🤣

Shravan was filled with so much hope and optimism in the morning that one just couldn't help but feel sorry for him that his hopes were going to crash soon. But these scenes were all sweet for the simple interactions.....the little challenge of the race....then the panja scene....for once, Shravan won something in a challenge with Sumo😆.....but aww at his eagerness to hear what she had to say. Bechara was a little too much in his lala zone😆.

It was really nice to see Shravan winning something , chahe woh panja hi sahi😆 And the only time Sumo considered his feeling was ordering filter coffee and not Sumo special chai. I did not even know he prefers coffee over tea😆

I had expected that Sumo will directly address the fact that she knows what he feels but she isn't in that space right now, so she just wants to be friends....but Sumo toh coward nikli😆......she made the whole thing more about just generally wanting him to be her BFF forever and not wanting anything to change between them😆. But Shravan understood even without her saying that she knows about his feelings for her....he could see what she was trying to do and as he always does, he gave in simply because he didn't want to see her upset. There was heartbreak on his face but he still put on a smile and shook hands simply for Sumo's sake.

Now comes my disappointment, I really thought Sumo would tell Shravan she knows his feelings towards her, but she only views him as a friend, something on that line. But she really took an easy way out here, I felt so bad for Shravan today. The guy was literally flying with happiness, but landed with a crush. The fact that she knows his feelings and yet goes ahead and tells him hum dono yehi chahte hain na? And makes him agree to everything , so cruel💔 That aside, I do understand Sumo doesn’t want to complicate her new found friendship. Shravan will go along because he doesn’t want to loose his love and friendship both at the same time.

The bit after that as they are walking back and then Shravan suddenly decides to jump into the water puddle....again such a sweetly executed bit. The juxtaposition of a Shravan who is otherwise heartbroken but still trying to keep up a smile and play the BFF with her....touchingly done. There was a dialogue somewhere in between where Shravan thinks to himself ki Sumo just wants friendship in this relationship and as for him, he will find a way to manaao himself again....aww bechara....I felt really bad for him there. And amazed that once again at his resilience to want to keep going with a smile even after heartbreak.

This was my favorite scene from the episode😳 Shravan knows that Sumo is aware of his feelings?? 😲 Love how Shravan transformed from being heart broken to smiling and enjoying for Sumo in a split second. He just wants to bring Sumo’s smile back :)

Sumo's POV actually needs some more clarity, which I hope the writers would provide in the coming days. She found out Shravan likes her and she instantly friend-zoned him....the writers didn't feel the need to address the intermediate step of what her own feelings are? 😆....atleast a token statement saying ki she doesn't feel that way about him or something to that effect would have helped things. Here they've jumped directly to showing Sumo vehemently saying she only wants friends or special friends in her life.....and that's fine....but it would be nice if they explained the WHY of it....she hasn't been shown to have any vehement opposition to dating. So did she friend-zone Shravan cuz she doesn't like him in that way or cuz she doesn't want to date at all?

Agree completely to this part. I guess they will now show Sumo’s POV too. I sensed guilt in her today, when she friend zoned Shravan using her dosti card. I guess now she can’t stay unaware, as she actually know his feelings for her.

Loved the Bunty- Shravan scene, dost ho to Bunty jaisa⭐️ Lol at Sumo- Kancha convo, Sumo saying humne sab settle kar diya. Isme HUM to kahi tha hi nahi🤔

Just as I thought ki now Shravan will resign himself to this friend-zone, BAM comes the precap😆.....so next week Shravan will actually work up the guts to still directly tell her that he's in love with her? I hope it's not a dream sequence....that would be a cop out😆.

Hope Shravan takes Sumos advice, agar sahi ho to kabhi sorry mat kaho, agar sahi ho to kabhi mat jhuko. 😆 Waise I feel its going to be a dream only.

Even if they want to continue the one-sided love angle for now, it would really help to put things out in the open....acknowledge the fact that he's in love with her and then I'd like to hear her thoughts on that too - she doesn't need to feel the same way but whatever she feels should be explained a bit better.

THIS! So agree with this!

I've liked the gradual approach so far.....SS have reached a turning point again, and I hope the writers don't brush this situation under the carpet again - momentum needs to be built from this point vis a vis Sumo's feelings ka evolution.

Yes to the gradual approach:) Now its time to show some growth in Sumo’s character.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

Made a batch of gifs on Shravan ka active imagination sequence......😆

Even in his dreams, she makes him chase her so much😆....toh real life mein toh bahut aur papad beloge tum, Shravan beta😆

Lovely GIFs!! There is so much softness in the way he looks at her and also the way he holds her. These two are really refreshing to watch:))

Originally posted by: AreYaar

And one batch on the puddle splashing

I was struck by something as I was making these gifs....not sure if it was intentional from the writers but I remembered that Sumo hates messy things and always wants order in her life, yet somehow Shravan finds a way to draw her into a 'mess' despite all her resistance and aversions....lol.

This puddle splashing seemed to be along the same lines.....she was initially hesitant to enter the puddle cuz the water was muddy but he managed to draw her in to join him. Somehow it feels symbolic of how their relationship is progressing.....she is wary of dealing with a mess....while Shravan is invariably teaching her how to find joy in the mess.

My favorite scene. @ Bold!! You have worded this so beautifully! Wow!! Love how you interpret these things:)

Originally posted by: AreYaar

@bold: Really? I actually don't recall much about the FLs from the previous two shows of this PH😆....maybe that's how forgettable they were *shrugs* lol

Yeah I feel this PH tends to explore the male leads more than the female ones. Although I thought the first iteration Sumo was pretty interesting. The girl who lost her family and then overcompensates by trying to be popular which came at the expense of her relationship. In YPNTKH, I felt the girl had no real story beyond the "love story". But there were a few things that a bothered me along the lines of what we are talking about. One was her making him feel like his ambition was "wrong". She grew up wealthy and even later there was a comment after he left his job that she would always have her family job/money. Basically they faced different consequences so there should have been more empathy, imo. For example he was really happy about a job opportunity in Russia whereas she was really upset about the potential loss of their relationship potential and made him feel guilty for leaving his mom. So actually kind of the opposite of what Shravan did in this scene where the other person's happiness was of primary importance.

I think we can both agree that imbalance in a relationship is not healthy.....where I think we slightly differ is with regards to who is feeding that imbalance more right now. You feel that the onus lies on Shravan to present his truth to Sumo....while I feel that Sumo having found out the truth of his feelings, and still choosing to not acknowledge it, even though she can see the lengths to which Shravan is going for her is what is leading to this imbalance. The problem isn't that she drew a boundary.....the problem is with the choice of words used.

Yes we definitely agree on the balance issue. They are probably both feeding it to some degree but I think Suman's actions right before at least reassured me that she knows it can't be a one-sided relationship. With Shravan, I think, its the stuff that occurred prior that drives my opinion. He willingly accepted the best friends relationship earlier despite knowing he felt something more and then used it in order to further his "agenda". I mean it was still really sweet and adorable but I don't think its truly fair for the other person who accepts all of that thinking it was just friendship and then has the onus to deal with all the problems it created. I also cut Suman some slack here because given his prior actions she can't really be sure of what actions stem from genuine friendship vs his desire for a romantic relationship. It's really hard to tease out love from friendship. Shravan was always a very nice friend in general. Should she assume everything he did was love? Definitely I think it would have been easier if she just told him she knows about his feelings and maybe she was a bit cowardly to avoid it. But it's also a really really really difficult conversation to have with someone. Plus prior to this Shravan hasn't been someone who has not been able to ask for what he wants directly. Like he insisted on their night out. So I can understand the desire to do it in a roundabout way and the assumption that he would be vocal if he wasn't okay with it. Actually the more I am typing this the more I really want the precap to be real lol.

I'm not sure we can call it "selfish" exactly that Shravan is willing to have whatever relationship he can with her on her terms.....he isn't calling himself selfless either....he's saying that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make her smile....which is quite true. Yes, he does want to be with her at any cost, but being willing to do it at the cost of his own happiness is a kind of selflessness by basic definition.

I didn't mean to imply it as 'selfish'. But I am countering whether this is a purely selfless thing. I guess there is an assumption here that him being her bff wouldn't give him any happiness at all. In which case would it really be a good bff relationship for Suman? If he is not getting any happiness at all then the relationship will eventually implode hurting both in the process. Again for me this comes down to the problems that stem from being inauthentic in a relationship. Don't get me wrong. I still thought it was a beautiful gesture. But I think we need to see more to understand what it actually means.

Originally posted by: spidie

I like the fact that they take long time to build up and not mess it up when it matters There is a dream like quality to their episodes, I dont know if its the lighting, the fact that its shot in Bhopal or something else, but it really elevates the scenes:)

The lighting and cinematography is definitely lovely and adds a softness to their scenes.....the lack of a typical set also helps....this Bhopal location that they have where they shoot gives it a nice touch. That said, I wish they were able to shoot somewhere beyond the two houses and the road in front of the houses😆....but I guess they are restrained by the pandemic so sab jugaad wahin karna padta hai.

Now comes my disappointment, I really thought Sumo would tell Shravan she knows his feelings towards her, but she only views him as a friend, something on that line. But she really took an easy way out here, I felt so bad for Shravan today. The guy was literally flying with happiness, but landed with a crush. The fact that she knows his feelings and yet goes ahead and tells him hum dono yehi chahte hain na? And makes him agree to everything , so cruel That aside, I do understand Sumo doesn’t want to complicate her new found friendship. Shravan will go along because he doesn’t want to loose his love and friendship both at the same time.

Arey yaar spidie, kal kahaan thi tum?😆.....You are literally the only person other than me who felt this pinch....lol everyone else felt that Sumo handled it perfectly😆....main toh kal se hi yehi rant kar rahi hoon to myself it seems....lol

I do understand Sumo's hesitations but I still felt the acknowledgement was needed for a sense of balance....the sudden jump to Sumo setting the terms yet again didn't sit right there.