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Disclaimer: The Topic Maker for this post suffers from a severe case of Extrapolitis (and no, there's no cure, she doesn't want a cure. She has too much fun having this disease š¤£ Okay I should stop talking in third person now. It's creepy as hell. Phew.)
This is going to be short. Mostly because I wasn't as into Thursday's episode as I was into the last few, but that's more because this is a transition phase into the main storyline, and it needed to be paced that way. I mean, the characters are established, the main conflicts are hinted at, now let's get down to the meat of the story! š
So I liked it for what it was. A transition.
That said, it did have some interesting bits that I feel might end up being used as motifs for future episodes though.
No Looking Back
Sahir crushes a glass/crystal gift beneath his foot, and Aarzoo angrily wonders why he didn't even turn back, much less say sorry. Very possibly that's the way he leads his life: in a rush, with little time to speak, or look back, or even think? In a bubble that involves only him, where even the sound of glass breaking can't make him stop. I've noticed that Sahir is constantly on the move, ready to take on the next challenge, the next task, cross the next hurdle ("today's work should be completed today"). There are only a few moments when he pauses to think about the past (such as when Aarzoo's Dadi speaks about the destruction of the factory) but even then, it's only for a few seconds.
Could this indicate the fast pace Aarzoo is sure to encounter in Mumbai - the city that saw destruction, dusted the dust off herself, and moved forward. A city so different from her home Lucknow, where everything seems to move in a smooth, leisurely pace.
Moon (A Continuation)
In previous episodes, the moon served as a way to establish the contrast in Sahir/Aarzoo's perspectives: showing us that even though they think differently on the same thing, they have an uncanny ability to pick up the threads of each others' thoughts. Here, I see the moon as a single constant in the lives of the sisters. It mustn't have been easy, living with the kind of rejection Sarfaraz dumped on them when he left. It mustn't have been easy for any of the sisters to believe in relationships, family, love (yes, they still struggle at least with two of these). But they still do believe in goodness and faith and nature. They have learned to live fully and make the most of what they have. For them, life is too short for hate or resentment (notice how even Zaara forgets her sorrows of not winning in her joy for her sister).
That doesn't come easy -- it comes with various ways to cope. Aarzoo copes by holding on to the things that will take her back to happier days. Simpler days. Maybe even back to her childhood.
Deep inside, Aarzoo is conflicted. Between her desire to make it big, and her loss of home. Between the excitement of going somewhere new, and her fear of the unknown. Her sisters face the same conflict. They're happy for their Aapi, but they know they will miss her terribly too. So what do they do? They gaze at the moon and start a guessing game.
This is less about whether she will go to Mumbai, and more about the sisters grabbing their last moment together and converting it into a beautiful memory.
Will Aarzoo find herself in Mumbai, uncovering the dark clouds of someone's past, discovering the moonlight underneath? Allah knows! š
Team Huddle
As a woman I find it deeply empowering to see a whole group of women do a team huddle in front of the airport. It was amazing to see these women, from three different generations, view themselves as a cricket team - and remember, in a team, everyone knows each others strengths and makes up for each others' weaknesses. In the moments when Aarzoo will feel depressingly lonely and sad, in a alien, unknown city, it would be good to have her remember that she has a support system cheering her on, miles away.
Sahir, who watches this from afar, has a tough time relating to this sense of togetherness, as can be clearly seen from the way he looks at this spectacle. He is clearly the outsider here, and I think he likes being on the outside. Loneliness is Sahir's middle name. Loneliness is his companion, and his shield.
A Drop In The Ocean.
Dadi's parting words to Aarzoo are: "Mumbai is a big city. It's an ocean where a drop of water gets lost". She prays that in that vast ocean of people, she will never lose her identity. This is Aarzoo's first experience outside her beloved Lucknow, with its tehzeeb, with its love for poetry, with its breeziness. Where they can go ganjing without worries, without thinking about crowds or time. Where there is a certain sense of timelessness.
I love the way this shot was done. It's not a conventional shot where she looks towards the city she is saying goodbye to. This shot shows not what she is looking towards, but what she is leaving behind. The road behind her is almost empty but for a few cars. The streetlights lend to her face a golden glow. She can't predict what will come next. What she is moving towards. All she has are her memories, and the promise of a future.
Moving on.
As a Mumbaikar (3 years running now!š) I can agree with Dadi's interpretation of the city as a huge ocean. In Mumbai you're constantly on the move. Constantly addicted to doing. To action. To the next challenge. Like Sahir, who rarely looks back. For some of us it becomes a way of life. For some of us it becomes a defence against things we'd rather not think about. For some of us it's still a mystery. Sometimes you're nothing but a drop in the ocean, something no one will really notice.
But there is something about that 'drop' metaphor that also spells hope. Because to make an ocean you need drops. To make a tree you need that tiny seed. Drops has the power in them to make a difference. To become both one with the ocean, and still retain their identity. Even in the small insignificant things, one can make a difference. Aarzoo can, and when the time comes for him to realize that he doesn't always need to build a fortress around himself, so can Sahir. And that's what both Dadi, and I as a viewer, believe Aarzoo will do.
Cities are not always just scenic locations, providing a context to the character. Sometimes they can be characters themselves. Or metaphors that are connected to the character's situation. Who knows!
Till the next episode!
This is going to be short. Mostly because I wasn't as into Thursday's episode as I was into the last few, but that's more because this is a transition phase into the main storyline, and it needed to be paced that way. I mean, the characters are established, the main conflicts are hinted at, now let's get down to the meat of the story! š
So I liked it for what it was. A transition.
That said, it did have some interesting bits that I feel might end up being used as motifs for future episodes though.
No Looking Back
Sahir crushes a glass/crystal gift beneath his foot, and Aarzoo angrily wonders why he didn't even turn back, much less say sorry. Very possibly that's the way he leads his life: in a rush, with little time to speak, or look back, or even think? In a bubble that involves only him, where even the sound of glass breaking can't make him stop. I've noticed that Sahir is constantly on the move, ready to take on the next challenge, the next task, cross the next hurdle ("today's work should be completed today"). There are only a few moments when he pauses to think about the past (such as when Aarzoo's Dadi speaks about the destruction of the factory) but even then, it's only for a few seconds.
Could this indicate the fast pace Aarzoo is sure to encounter in Mumbai - the city that saw destruction, dusted the dust off herself, and moved forward. A city so different from her home Lucknow, where everything seems to move in a smooth, leisurely pace.
Moon (A Continuation)
In previous episodes, the moon served as a way to establish the contrast in Sahir/Aarzoo's perspectives: showing us that even though they think differently on the same thing, they have an uncanny ability to pick up the threads of each others' thoughts. Here, I see the moon as a single constant in the lives of the sisters. It mustn't have been easy, living with the kind of rejection Sarfaraz dumped on them when he left. It mustn't have been easy for any of the sisters to believe in relationships, family, love (yes, they still struggle at least with two of these). But they still do believe in goodness and faith and nature. They have learned to live fully and make the most of what they have. For them, life is too short for hate or resentment (notice how even Zaara forgets her sorrows of not winning in her joy for her sister).
That doesn't come easy -- it comes with various ways to cope. Aarzoo copes by holding on to the things that will take her back to happier days. Simpler days. Maybe even back to her childhood.
Deep inside, Aarzoo is conflicted. Between her desire to make it big, and her loss of home. Between the excitement of going somewhere new, and her fear of the unknown. Her sisters face the same conflict. They're happy for their Aapi, but they know they will miss her terribly too. So what do they do? They gaze at the moon and start a guessing game.
This is less about whether she will go to Mumbai, and more about the sisters grabbing their last moment together and converting it into a beautiful memory.
Will Aarzoo find herself in Mumbai, uncovering the dark clouds of someone's past, discovering the moonlight underneath? Allah knows! š
Team Huddle
As a woman I find it deeply empowering to see a whole group of women do a team huddle in front of the airport. It was amazing to see these women, from three different generations, view themselves as a cricket team - and remember, in a team, everyone knows each others strengths and makes up for each others' weaknesses. In the moments when Aarzoo will feel depressingly lonely and sad, in a alien, unknown city, it would be good to have her remember that she has a support system cheering her on, miles away.
Sahir, who watches this from afar, has a tough time relating to this sense of togetherness, as can be clearly seen from the way he looks at this spectacle. He is clearly the outsider here, and I think he likes being on the outside. Loneliness is Sahir's middle name. Loneliness is his companion, and his shield.
A Drop In The Ocean.
Dadi's parting words to Aarzoo are: "Mumbai is a big city. It's an ocean where a drop of water gets lost". She prays that in that vast ocean of people, she will never lose her identity. This is Aarzoo's first experience outside her beloved Lucknow, with its tehzeeb, with its love for poetry, with its breeziness. Where they can go ganjing without worries, without thinking about crowds or time. Where there is a certain sense of timelessness.
I love the way this shot was done. It's not a conventional shot where she looks towards the city she is saying goodbye to. This shot shows not what she is looking towards, but what she is leaving behind. The road behind her is almost empty but for a few cars. The streetlights lend to her face a golden glow. She can't predict what will come next. What she is moving towards. All she has are her memories, and the promise of a future.
Moving on.
As a Mumbaikar (3 years running now!š) I can agree with Dadi's interpretation of the city as a huge ocean. In Mumbai you're constantly on the move. Constantly addicted to doing. To action. To the next challenge. Like Sahir, who rarely looks back. For some of us it becomes a way of life. For some of us it becomes a defence against things we'd rather not think about. For some of us it's still a mystery. Sometimes you're nothing but a drop in the ocean, something no one will really notice.
But there is something about that 'drop' metaphor that also spells hope. Because to make an ocean you need drops. To make a tree you need that tiny seed. Drops has the power in them to make a difference. To become both one with the ocean, and still retain their identity. Even in the small insignificant things, one can make a difference. Aarzoo can, and when the time comes for him to realize that he doesn't always need to build a fortress around himself, so can Sahir. And that's what both Dadi, and I as a viewer, believe Aarzoo will do.
Cities are not always just scenic locations, providing a context to the character. Sometimes they can be characters themselves. Or metaphors that are connected to the character's situation. Who knows!
Till the next episode!
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