Posted:
So I'm sure I missed some excellent discussions last night, and some ... well, miserable mayhem through the day - and this topic is almost too late to run into 'analyzing' Friday finale for this week - given the two articles I caught sight of the moment I got online minutes ago - but I haven't read the forum debates yet, so I'll ramble away with my share - because I need to get the bubbling material inside my head out, it's brewed for 24 longs hours now 😆 ... without trying to be influenced, the best I can. Wasn't an episode I'd want to give a pass, specially as we remain painfully misinformed about how many more there are to come 😒
As a heads up - I'm going to talk of yesterday, and next week too now - since we've been forced down with so much food for thought! On that note - Reemz, since you're a mod here,is there a way to make articles post threads read just 'New Article: Spoiler Alert' in the title instead of giving away the news? Maybe is it just me who likes to not know in advance... and kill the fun in speculating instead... I know articles are good publicity for the show, as are promos - but (just in my opinion, no offense anyone) I'd be so much happier with nothing disclosed before the moment it's aired! So if the article threads could read that - I (and any other odd person like me) could give reading that topic a pass? Although I wonder if there's a way to miss news with the 'activity rate' of this forum 😆 Okay, I'm just being a whine here - ignore...
And no, seriously, onto my post now.
Classic SRK, with a twist!
I said this on my first EDT post while watching the episode live - as did many others - the opening scene was classic SRK from DDLJ. And yet, there was a huge difference. Kesar was not confessing his love. He actually asked Gulaal to fall back in love with him. Interestingly, the cinematography of this scene was very well done. No offense to SRK fans, but Neil pulled off the subtleties 10X better. When he laughed off his statement - I swear I was cringing. There was no melodrama to it, not for a second, the laugh was just a rude taste in my mouth... this high moment of candor, and it's only anti climatic peaceful way out. There was such a pang of frustration evoked by his laugh in that moment - I don't remember such a reaction even to the evergreen DDLJ. I almost marched right into the screen and stood between them to tell Gulaal it was not a joke. He meant it. Just like that. But did I need to?
The truth was written all over Gulaal's face. The beauty of Mansi's expression (so well matched with Neil's) held such complexity of extreme emotions - a reflexive blend of incredulity, offence, and only post his laughter, rude awakening. Again, the CV's get an extra mark over DDLJ, by not letting Gulaal even lapse into watery smile over the not so funny joke. She remained boulder hit, and rock faced, and her only dilution was in turning her back to him. Excellent, excellent, excellent! Even in the face of such anti-climatic fall from the peak of confession, the tension was far from dissolved. When urged her, spoke her name once, twice, thrice - the little boy in him, the fearful little boy for whom the ultimate threat once upon a time was watching Gulaal walk away and leave his world - that little boy sneak peaked in his expression, in his gestures, and in his words - jab tu aise chup ho jaati hai to muje chinta hone lagti hai... We all agree that it's been a while since Kesar hit his rock bottom - when he offered to break the DV himself - and ever since, he's only had reason to rise, because the fear of loss no longer exists!
But yesterday - in that one moment, especially in that sentence, his vulnerability of loss was glaring. Breaking the DV was almost easy back at that point, it now seems, as opposed to watching her leave now. And even though Kesar has settled himself logically about the prospect, yesterday, in that scene I saw a glimpse of the CVs trying to show how logical decisions can be the hardest to follow through when the moment truly comes. The way he his remarks about just 2 more months come from him, the ease with which he includes the fact in his statements, almost makes you think he's very prepared - he's cleared his head, and his priority is only being for Gulaal. The other side of the picture he has successfully torn off... but knowing him, can that be true?! I for one had absolutely not seen the anti climatic moment coming. And in retrospect, I'm almost awed by the fact that Kesar's 'reform' had managed to be so convincing, that I was actually beginning to believe his vulnerability was now a variable - in intensity and tolerance. I had almost forgotten the Kesar who had locked himself inside his room and broken down like a lonely child in his first moment of isolation after the DV panchayat ordeal. His control, peace and extreme sanity had blurred and even overwritten to an extent, memory of that side of him. Yesterday broke that perfection - and I'm so glad it did. Kesar has reformed and matured. He has learned to become a giver. But he is still human. And in that status, no amount of maturity can heal a wound before its time. No amount of maturity can keep him from secretly dreaming - so secretly, that for the most part, he manages to remain well oblivious of his minds secret ploys. So when Gulaal in her moment of weakness babbled about her secret dream - it shocked him to find a concurrence. For a moment, he forgot that logic had long rendered this over lap impossible. He forgot his own bidding to self to not dream this dream for her sake. Because here she was, telling him herself - that she wished the very same! Contrary to what I had thought after the Thursday episode and half of the scene, after Friday - I change my take on Kesar hence. He wasn't giving Gulaal the logical answer he knew. He was giving her the answer of his heart. He wasn't so resigned, as he was bemused by what his round of interrogation had revealed. In his incredulity at her confession - at what it implied even if she could not see as much - vanished the resolve of forbidden love, and out came the wish he had thought he could bury out of his own reach! Of course, Gulaal's counter expression in return (the dramatic turn around and her eyes - oh heaven, those eyes were intimidating! and the irony of intimidated eyes being intimidating, aah! - but of course, it snapped him out of his 'thoughtless candor' and craftily (or not so much, lol) he transformed it to a joke. One that without saying so, was not taken in the lighter vein by either in that room.
The play of the mirror in the remainder of the scene was an ace. After a head on collision between the 'real people' the 'reflections' put themselves to the task of making light of the moment, and becoming 'easy peasie' friends again! Another brilliant irony at that. For the number of times we have seen fiction depict a 'reflection' as the eye opener, as the inner atma which challenges a person's facade; here comes this show to reverse the use of that trick! So while the real people have had their showdown moment of reality, the reflections are playing the trick of avoidance and ducking and retaining the precious 'act of convenience'. The two real people stand there, watching their reflections sort out the gore and regain the amicability. Gulaal's expression at Kesar proposing to quote a proverb is stiff wondering what version of googly (as Nur calls it) he will bowl out next - and Kesar 'seeking' her permission is that little fearful boy of a decade ago peaking again, terrified that the damage he's caused in his reckless mood of the moment may have gone beyond repair, and utterly painfully cautious to not further it even by an iota of measure, in his dicey means to undo it. When Gulaal turns around and gives those twisted expressions in the garb of amusement - it is relief washing over at not getting another hard hitting reality check; and the simultaneous awareness that the first one lingers and looms largely between them, over her - but she plays along, because like him, she knows, its the best way to let the moment pass. Or at least pretend so. So when Kesar walks out (wow at his presence of mind to find his way to 'vrat ka khaana' because yes, he's fasting (sigh another flawed call on my part) Gulaal's expression of brief relief dissolves, and the gravity comes right back on. Kesar is no different. Always the one to retrace steps that lead him away from her, he stops in his track to check on her. He knows what he's spoken is the absolute truth - logic or not, straight from the heart. And when he looks at her, its almost as if he's wondering, if that moment back there, her moment of confession - could actually ever grow... could he actually dare to dream the forbidden dream? He doesn't look hopeful to me, but his peace of many days also looks lost. Somewhere, his demon of dilemma has been poked from its forced slumber! [Nur - He's certainly looking like a bulb brighter than we thought, no?! 😆]
Summing up the scene - excellent stuff. Between the two of them, they both know Kesar could never make a joke like this. In a way, it reminded me of their first encounter after he returns. Of the coin toss, and his laughing off on the statement of aadhi imaandaari aadha paap. Whatever anyone else in the room know or not - those two, after not having exchanged one word in writing or person in ten long years know exactly how not a joke that statement on Kesar's part was, even then! This scene, in a similar fashion brings out the truth between them, to their faces! For Kesar, a realization, however dim, that reality may not be so up and armed against his dreams after all. For Gulaal, however much she may chose to distort her comprehension - that the dream within her dream, is a replica of his own! Most interesting was the fact - that Galool did not peak through Gulaal to counter Kesar's little boy surfacing. Thank God! Even her shock and incredulity and tinge of offensive had no walls. When he insists her silence is worrying him, she compels herself to talk back, whatever that ordeal feels like just then. She doesn't push him away, she even plays along with his pretense of moment lightened and past - because. When I was just done watching the scene, I was in two minds about it - the anti climax of Kesar laughing it off was debatable, transiently. But the more I think about it (which I have for a whole day, lol) the better suited it seems. This encounter with reality has served a premonition for both of them - forcing them to genuinely cast away their comfortable live in the moment shield and look at the separation scenario - for real, even if only for a bit! And given news of the showdown we're to witness next week - I suppose, this alarm has been raised, just in time! 👏
Oh and, thumbs up to the BG score for this btw.
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Because this single scene analysis got sooo long, I'm going to post the next bit below. (: Oh so much to write when it piles up for a day - don't hate me yet! 🤓
Shiv Shakti
Anupamaa
Hindi TV Shows
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Udne Ki Aasha
