Posted:
Okay lets look at this thing logically-- do we believe it and secondly-- WHAT THE HELL, right? Well, firstly, the news is from a cast member, who gives reasonably accurate spoilers because hes in the actual damn scenes! So I buy the idea of a 5 year leap if Khanna-ji has said it. He shouldn't have, its sensitive plot info (lol) but he did, and deleted it, so I buy it. Secondly, all shows who have crossed the 1.5 year mark struggle with a shot in the arm for TRP and that is usually done with weddings. We know how fantastically Gul has wasted #ShivikaDiShaadi because of her commitment to keeping a certain sinking ship afloat (devoting money, attention, manpower, writing to that vanity project instead of the rozi-roti kamana IB). She messed up. She knows it. She needs to try something else. IB has fallen off the top 20. Its all hands on deck for her, and Ishqbaaz.
So--Leap.
But whats the positives from the leap, you ask? Shivika falling apart, Obros separated, or broken up? Vanwas? Villains like Pinky or whoever the new guy is, winning? I say yes--to everything, but the first. I don't think Shivika separation is going to be on the cards--they are married, and in love. They will stay married, and in love, and work together, to end their family conflict that has led to the separation.
And here is why. Not emotional reasons, but solid, sensible ones.
So, if its a 5 year leap, I can guarantee ONE thing. Shivaay and Anika will be together. Nothing else might be the same. The brothers may be separated (the OBros moment being interrupted yesterday--something that has never happened before is a foreshadowing). The new entry may be good or bad--(though his acting is already bad). Shivaay may have a past he is hiding from Anika. The raaz may rear up over the next few weeks to kickstart Vanwas. This model girl may be somehow connected to it. But he wont romance her. And all of you who are saying this and getting stress ulcers should be ashamed of yourselves--Shivaay aisa nahi hai, I am quite upset with you for suspecting him, especially now. And I will sar phor myself if Anika suspects him. The man physically, emotionally and psychologically cannot imagine his heart beating--literally-- without her. And he will cheat/be blackmailed to cheat by a model? Please.
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Leap starts the Vanwas--hints from the raaz that Dadi is hiding, Pinky is involved in, Shakti and even Tej know about--that will be impossible for Shivaay to handle, that Dadi thinks might break him and Anika up. But she's wrong. Even the worst thing--Anika's parents being killed somehow by the Obeoris-- will not make Anika leave HIM--she has no memory of that family. She is not Bhavya, motivated by revenge and trauma. She is attached to Sahil, to Shivaay's pyaari family, and to HIM. She will forgive him anything-- especially if its not his doing. But he wont be able to take that, and he will leave OM with her, to honor HER. This, the worst thing I can think of might get him out of OM, but given where their relationship is--he will leave with her, come what may. And she wont let him go alone, either.
Rudra's thing with Bhavya felt pretty final, honestly. But do you realize 5 years later gets Rudra right to what Bhavya's age is, right now? She even said this, remember? You will not remain a child forever, then what will you do? And if his problem is ageism, and shallowness-- 5 years apart from his Shivaay Bhaiya/Bhabi, with Om almost useless because of what he's done to Gauri, will be enough to mature Rudra into what his original character graph was supposed to be-- a wall, like Shivaay, a businessman, an Oberoi--but the strongest, the best of them all. I see Bhavya's return then (ACP has grown on me, I hope she's endgame) focused on getting the old, happy wala Rudra back, and admire the grown up Rudra, as well.
But whats the positives from the leap, you ask? Shivika falling apart, Obros separated, or broken up? Vanwas? Villains like Pinky or whoever the new guy is, winning? I say yes--to everything, but the first. I don't think Shivika separation is going to be on the cards--they are married, and in love. They will stay married, and in love, and work together, to end their family conflict that has led to the separation.
And here is why. Not emotional reasons, but solid, sensible ones.
IB barely survived the separation of Shivika once already. A track that Harneet and Gul were really excited about was tai tai phissed as soon as it happened. If you think it over, it was almost inevitable that Shivika was going to separate. Shivaay did NOT value Anika over NKK -- certainly not over his family. She felt she had literally no haq over him--she said so, demonstrated it, and it turned out to be true. They had no real marriage, no confidence, as they do now. Their body language, their openness, their devotion. Their commitment now and their love now is fathoms deeper than it was, before separation. Shivaay knew nothing about his own weakness for Anika. From the moment he realized he wanted her, she was there. He never had to miss her, so he never had any idea exactly how much she had become his reason for existence. Now? 😆
We were expecting the leap. You and I. But when it came-- we fans learnt, and more importantly, the channel learnt that IB is Shivika, and vice versa. We fans don't count anyway, the TRP audience do--and that TRP audience left because unlike Ekta shows, they couldnt bear to see Anika with Samar and Shivaay with Ragini. Not even to see them suffer, though angst is usually a TRP Aunty's favorite jam after strawberry. Important distinction-- They rejected that new couple pairing--we didn't, because we hated it, but we all still watched. We are online noise as Gul says again and again (read her interview in Ms Malini over SS show ending --she angrily dismisses the fan reactions which even trade journals are blaming for the show's tanking).
We were expecting the leap. You and I. But when it came-- we fans learnt, and more importantly, the channel learnt that IB is Shivika, and vice versa. We fans don't count anyway, the TRP audience do--and that TRP audience left because unlike Ekta shows, they couldnt bear to see Anika with Samar and Shivaay with Ragini. Not even to see them suffer, though angst is usually a TRP Aunty's favorite jam after strawberry. Important distinction-- They rejected that new couple pairing--we didn't, because we hated it, but we all still watched. We are online noise as Gul says again and again (read her interview in Ms Malini over SS show ending --she angrily dismisses the fan reactions which even trade journals are blaming for the show's tanking).
But the TRP audience who she cares about left the show in droves--and many didn't come back. Star Plus rushed them into reuniting Shivika 3 weeks after the separation. It was just 3 weeks you know, though it felt like a year. The reuniting took another 5 weeks-- and there went their plan for the chawl sale, for Samar and his past, for Ragini's insanity and Shivaay's cruelty to Anika, for Anika's job track with Samar, the nice mother of the new parallel leads, Anika getting married to her boss, Shivaay revengefully getting together with Ragini, Samar / Shivaay confrontation, Shivika reunion and Samar's story, etc. LOOK at the number of tracks they abandoned--because of TRP, and Star Plus saying--get them back into the same room, NOW...
So, if its a 5 year leap, I can guarantee ONE thing. Shivaay and Anika will be together. Nothing else might be the same. The brothers may be separated (the OBros moment being interrupted yesterday--something that has never happened before is a foreshadowing). The new entry may be good or bad--(though his acting is already bad). Shivaay may have a past he is hiding from Anika. The raaz may rear up over the next few weeks to kickstart Vanwas. This model girl may be somehow connected to it. But he wont romance her. And all of you who are saying this and getting stress ulcers should be ashamed of yourselves--Shivaay aisa nahi hai, I am quite upset with you for suspecting him, especially now. And I will sar phor myself if Anika suspects him. The man physically, emotionally and psychologically cannot imagine his heart beating--literally-- without her. And he will cheat/be blackmailed to cheat by a model? Please.
So. During Leap, they will be together, and will face whatever they have had to face for 5 years, together. No storyline Harneet and Gul propose to, and get approval from, Star Plus will change that. Not after last time.
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Leap starts the Vanwas--hints from the raaz that Dadi is hiding, Pinky is involved in, Shakti and even Tej know about--that will be impossible for Shivaay to handle, that Dadi thinks might break him and Anika up. But she's wrong. Even the worst thing--Anika's parents being killed somehow by the Obeoris-- will not make Anika leave HIM--she has no memory of that family. She is not Bhavya, motivated by revenge and trauma. She is attached to Sahil, to Shivaay's pyaari family, and to HIM. She will forgive him anything-- especially if its not his doing. But he wont be able to take that, and he will leave OM with her, to honor HER. This, the worst thing I can think of might get him out of OM, but given where their relationship is--he will leave with her, come what may. And she wont let him go alone, either.
Aside from Shivika, the other OBro stories are at a natural tipping point, actually, for their own separations. I don't know why people act like leaps are somehow inherently evil. We are getting the same characters, in slightly different stages of their lives. As long as no one is dead and no one is 20 years older, I am fine with a leap. Fresh starts are needed, its a daily soap.
For example--
A leap gives Gauri a chance to change quite dramatically, because we all know what Om is about to do will be the final straw for her. He HAS been Tej, when it comes to Gauri. He has never understood her, stood up for her, supported her. He is a terrible husband--he cannot even say the word "husband" to this girl. He is sulky, non communicative, passive aggressive. He suspects her motives constantly. He blows hot and cold. He makes demands, while giving her no rights. How much longer will she stay in that cage? And now he will accuse her--badly. His roiling emotions with Tej and Janvi being back together, and his confusion and hatred and shame and feelings about marriage will turn him into a worse version of Tej. Volcanokara, indeed. And for weeks now, Gauri has signaled-- she has had enough.
Gauri should--and she will-- divorce him, or leave him. This time she will mean it. She is strong-- I would say stronger than Anika, even--and she will change, adapt and survive. Hopefully, stay in touch with her Bade Bhaiya and Baujai--and hopefully they wont blame her for leaving. Om will be left behind, and he will have to come to terms with his own past--his unresolved thing with Tej, his fear of turning into Janvi, his distrust of marriage, of women, of cheating spouses-- and he will have to fix all that, without Gauri's help--because that is HIS Vanwas, not hers. And Gauri must grow and change and no longer be quite so naive--that is her journey. If she is still in touch with Shivika during all this--post the leap we will see a strong, revamped GKS-- and that will give Om a second chance, at his first love. This time, actually earning her, not just getting her as Shiv-ji ka prasad.
Gauri should--and she will-- divorce him, or leave him. This time she will mean it. She is strong-- I would say stronger than Anika, even--and she will change, adapt and survive. Hopefully, stay in touch with her Bade Bhaiya and Baujai--and hopefully they wont blame her for leaving. Om will be left behind, and he will have to come to terms with his own past--his unresolved thing with Tej, his fear of turning into Janvi, his distrust of marriage, of women, of cheating spouses-- and he will have to fix all that, without Gauri's help--because that is HIS Vanwas, not hers. And Gauri must grow and change and no longer be quite so naive--that is her journey. If she is still in touch with Shivika during all this--post the leap we will see a strong, revamped GKS-- and that will give Om a second chance, at his first love. This time, actually earning her, not just getting her as Shiv-ji ka prasad.
Rudra's thing with Bhavya felt pretty final, honestly. But do you realize 5 years later gets Rudra right to what Bhavya's age is, right now? She even said this, remember? You will not remain a child forever, then what will you do? And if his problem is ageism, and shallowness-- 5 years apart from his Shivaay Bhaiya/Bhabi, with Om almost useless because of what he's done to Gauri, will be enough to mature Rudra into what his original character graph was supposed to be-- a wall, like Shivaay, a businessman, an Oberoi--but the strongest, the best of them all. I see Bhavya's return then (ACP has grown on me, I hope she's endgame) focused on getting the old, happy wala Rudra back, and admire the grown up Rudra, as well.
So...thoughts? And, most importantly--what are the chances of Gul getting any of this right? Are you for the leap? Against it? Will you quit watching? Why? And do you feel the leap will work to save IB's ratings, anyway? The TRPs...
Ganesh Kartikeya
