Posted:
Oh dear, it's another one of those days when an episode of KYPH leaves you with your heart aching, and the ache's big because it's for AK. After all the suspense and the thrill of this week's other episodes, this one was drenched in relentless heart-ache for our boy: First, his heart aches with uncertainty about his friend Mishty being evil; then there is Evil Prithvi and KS hitting his heart; next Evil Prithvi, Evil Karthik and inadvertantly Naina ("Mom") hit; and then there is news that his show is going to get attacked. Our boy is ready to give up living because "what is there to live for"? :-( Oh dear. Onto the show.
The first set begins with a lovely real-world shot: Pretty-in-blue-denim AK has stopped his car on one of Bombay's flyover and is trying to think the unthinkable about pal Mishti. It's really eating at him that she could be the one who engineered the KS kidnapping. He doesn't know who to talk to. His duty is to call the Boss-man friend-who-apprehends-thugs, but that will put Mishti in hot water and he doesn't want that. Then a brainwave: talk to KS and warn her about it, let her deal with the problem. So the SMS is sent: meet me, alone, 5pm, Royal Gardens.
Cut to: KS receives the SMS (the preview from the previous episode) and shows it to Beetle-Brow Prithvi. He reads it out and instantly breaks out into an allergic reaction: you are NOT going there alone. KS is placatory: of course, not. We will go together.
Cut to: AK waiting under a pagoda in "Royal Gardens". He's pacing, troubled. And pauses as he catches sight of KS coming around the corner and that must've been balm for the troubles of his soul, because his face becomes calm and breaks into a smile, gentle and small - AK saves his sweetest grins for Josh, but KS still gets the loving ones. But it is a very short glimpse we get of the smile, because close behind KS comes Prithvi (almost tripping over his feet in his haste to keep up with KS - an exaggeration, I know, permit me just the littlest sarcasm).
KS and AK look each other, eye to eye, with a strange kind of acceptance - this is not the hostile KS of yesterday. Prithvi probably feels left out because he instantly starts breathing fire at AK, trying to break in between. KS asks why AK's asked for her. Gnarly gets snarly: yeah! Tell us why you asked her here! AK is trying to remain calm: look, it's not easy coming clean with thi... Prithvi can't bear calm AK: he shouts, he accuses, he is full of I'm-in-your-face-what're-you-going-do-about-it. AK is breathing deeply, I will not break, I will not break, I will not break, until Prithvi throws out his accusation about Naina being behind it all! AK's face changes into complete incredulity -- Mom??! She's not behind this. (He is so absolutely sure, it's touching. After all that Naina has done, for AK, she's still Mom with some boundaries that will not be crossed.) Prithvi snarls again: then tell us what you know. AK's really struggling here against himself, against the knowledge of that awful letter but he looks at KS and says this is really difficult but I have evidence that Mishti's behind it.
At this, Prithvi explodes! He goes completely beserk, grabbing at AK, threatening to lose it all. But AK is completely sure of his evidence, and KS (who stands horrified at the suggestion) is struck by his calm. This is not the AK that she is used to. After a while, AK gets it - Prithvi's NOT going to listen, KS is most probably not either, and he pulls away from Prithvi's hot hands and leaves.
The second set starts at the Khanna(KS) house, where Prithvi really starts showing his dark side. :-( He accuses Naina being behind the kidnapping. Naina and Kunning Karthik stand incredulous at this suggestion. (I'm not sure whether they are incredulous that he thought they would do it, or that if they did it, they would not have acheived their end!) Naina first starts with You idiot, what the hell are you saying? But the hate comes through, because she continues with, but yes, I would've loved to have done it! She admits that she would love to bring harm to KS' career. She would do anything to bring her down. As this continues, Naina-Karthik don't notice but AK is entering his home.
Evil Prithvi does see AK come in, and gets a sly look of his own.
He goads Naina into spewing more venom about how she would love to bring KS down, how she will do anything it take to spoil KS' life. AK is listening to all this with increasing horror, until he can't bear it any longer: Mom! Naina is startled -- she didn't know her son was listening. Sly Evil Prithvi turns to him: see! I told you it was her behind the kidnapping, and slinks off. In the Khanna Klan, no one notices the snake go. AK is hurt and it shows: Mom, how could you say that? How can you _dare_ say that about KS? Naina tries to backtrack, tries to undo some of it, but AK's nerve has been touched. He had stood up to Prithvi for her, but now, here she's admitting it herself! How could she have been involved in the kidnapping? Karing Karthik can't bear seeing his mom Krying: AK, stop it, don't say that to my (?!) mom! AK is still livid: Well, if the shoe fits, why shouldn't I? Karthik sticks his fist under AK's nose: I'm warning you. Naina explodes: stop it, both of you, and she turns and leaves.
(The scene was loud, noisy and quite effective...)
And then Karthik delivers a knife blow to AK's heart. He snarls (yes, today was snarl-day on KYPH just like yesterday was Lower-the-Brow day) at AK: how could you make my mom cry? AK looks at him: what? Were you not there when she admitted to wanting to harm KS? And then Karthik lets him have it: Who cares about KS, other than you? You have controlled the workings of this house, your preferences and wants have told us how to live and what to do. Well, no longer! Today, you are nothing. You are below all of us. We no longer have any use for you, so get out. Something in these lines must have gotten through to AK -- especially the one about his not being of any use to them any longer -- because he looks rather shattered. He can't believe his big brother is actually kicking him out of his home. Karthik follows actions to words: he starts shoving at him, at first tentatively, as if unable to believe that AK is no longer AK the great, but just a young boy who can be hurt like anyone else. Then he starts seriously shoving, pushing, tugging, pulling, until AK is out of the door, shouting "Get out! Get out! Get out!" all the while. The Khanna(KS) door slams on AK.
(In a scene which should have seriously done damage to our hearts and minds, the actor playing Karthik pulls off some EXTREMELY BAD SOAP-STYLE ACTING! Everything that all the other soaps deliver to us, tainted the usual no-nonsense-style of KYPH. MIKhan tried, but he was fighting with the glycerine in his eyes and oh, it was a bit of a mess! This bit which could've delivered such impact left me feeling like I was watching a soap. I know I am, but until just then, I had not such a feeling. :-( :-( :-( )
It's raining as AK leaves his home. He looks bereft. As he stumbles down the garden, standing in his path like some manic avenging demon is Evil Prithvi. And he is smiling through the rain at AK's incomprehension and misery. So now you feel what KS felt, when you threw her out, when you disowned the child she was carrying, now you know what it feels like. Prithvi just doesn't get AK because on AK's face, you can read the echo of sorrow of having his brother has kicked him out - he who had always worked to be a success so that his family could reach where they were. There is a distant, resigned acceptance that the Moron Prithvi is ranting and raving about having got KS' revenge for her. AK's face here is wonderful - he already knows what KS had felt then, that's why he was trying to make up for it. He didn't need Prithvi to tell him that what he did was bad. AK doesn't say a word and stumbles past Prithvi who has a stupid, evil smile of satisfaction on his face.
(MIKhan rocked in this little scene very very very nicely.)
Back at the house: Karthik has turned Karing again. He goes to see Naina who is weeping. As soon as she sees him, she asks for AK! Get AK back! Karthik switches to Kunning. But Mom, he has left the house forever, swearing that he will never come back! (Oh, Evil, Evil, Karthik! Why have all the evil forces decided to descend on poor AK's head all at once??) Naina dissolves into tears! (Wow, she _can_ cry!)
Cut to the third set, where KS is looking very worried. There's a press conference to be held, Josh is required, but is missing. He was off to London, but he hasn't called her from London, neither is he reachable right now. He was to give dates for KS' show, but he hasn't yet! What is she to tell the press? Prithvi, who has come in, turns the situation to push his evil hypothesis about Josh&AK forever! Evil Prithvi is beginning to convince KS that this was all a plot by AK to raise her career up, and then smash it down in glorious fashion on KS' head. KS' head is spinning (as it should! What a yarn!): shecan't believe that AK would go to such lengths to destroy her. Prithvi urges her to do the conference anyway, and announce days, deal with Josh later.
Cut to: AK at a coffee shop (What??! There were no bars open??!) where a fan saunters up - it's a guy, BTW, and so AK signs on a piece of paper. :-) The chap is raving about how he missed AK at some Chandigarh show by MTV. And AK (poor fellow looked a tad uncomfortable advertising his own appearance on a Monday MTV show!) announces some time that he can catch him on MTV. (Bleagh!!!)
Cut to: KS has apparently just finished the press conference and she is relieved that Mishti came in to rescue her on the matter of conference dates. Stupid Prithvi is still pushing his Stupid Conspiracy theory about Josh-AK trying to wreck her show. A Random Chap hears it and crushes his coke can in fury. Soon, Random Chap is seen outside talking to other Random KS Fans about how Josh and AK are trying to wreck KS' show, and they all gang up together to become Random Mob. Random Mob then vow to wreck AK's show. Mishti, who is on the way to her car, overhears the whole thing and gets Most Worried!
Cut to: AK sitting nursing his coffee at the same shop when a call comes through. He sees it's Mishti and gets instantly uncomfortable. (Nice touch, MIKhan!) However, he squares his manly shoulders and takes the call. Mishti warns him of what she has heard. AK is a little confused, but tells her he'll do the show. Mishti is now agitated: she is very convinced of the Random Mob's Anger and pleads with him not to do it. He thinks for a moment, and then his jaw sets.
He is polite on the phone and tells her he won't do it. After he puts the phone down, his face turns sad. He will do it, after all what has he to lose? His life? And what is that worth? The life of a man who only lives for KS to win, the life of a man who is useless to his family? It is worth nothing. He will do his performance, Random Mob Violence or no.
(I love it when they have MIKhan's face do a lot of the talking. Yeah, yeah, there's the voice-over in the background, but what an impact that expressive face can make!)
End of show.
Preview: Josh, in a blazing red shirt, in a blazing temper, is getting into KS' face. What _does_ she know about AK? What? What does she know of the things he has done for her? What? How DARE she sit in judgement of such a person??!
(Today had a lot of emotional action, all about AK battering, and he's come down to the suicide point in life. Thinking about it, it looks like KYPH writers made a checklist of things that first KS would have to suffer. Then, line for line, word for word, letter for letter, they are making AK go through the same sequence. Remember that KS came to her point of suicide the day of AK's marriage after which she went out, got hit by the mob and lost her child.
Well, now AK's reached his point of suicide in this checklist, and what should now follow is that he goes out and some action of his should end in someone dear to him losing their life. :-( :-( :-( Oh dear, I'm sad, and it's the weekend, and we have to wait till Monday to get some resolution. OH DEAR! Have I mentioned how I do wish that Josh, the sunshine, will not die?? Can we trade AK getting very badly hurt, instead?)
The first set begins with a lovely real-world shot: Pretty-in-blue-denim AK has stopped his car on one of Bombay's flyover and is trying to think the unthinkable about pal Mishti. It's really eating at him that she could be the one who engineered the KS kidnapping. He doesn't know who to talk to. His duty is to call the Boss-man friend-who-apprehends-thugs, but that will put Mishti in hot water and he doesn't want that. Then a brainwave: talk to KS and warn her about it, let her deal with the problem. So the SMS is sent: meet me, alone, 5pm, Royal Gardens.
Cut to: KS receives the SMS (the preview from the previous episode) and shows it to Beetle-Brow Prithvi. He reads it out and instantly breaks out into an allergic reaction: you are NOT going there alone. KS is placatory: of course, not. We will go together.
Cut to: AK waiting under a pagoda in "Royal Gardens". He's pacing, troubled. And pauses as he catches sight of KS coming around the corner and that must've been balm for the troubles of his soul, because his face becomes calm and breaks into a smile, gentle and small - AK saves his sweetest grins for Josh, but KS still gets the loving ones. But it is a very short glimpse we get of the smile, because close behind KS comes Prithvi (almost tripping over his feet in his haste to keep up with KS - an exaggeration, I know, permit me just the littlest sarcasm).
KS and AK look each other, eye to eye, with a strange kind of acceptance - this is not the hostile KS of yesterday. Prithvi probably feels left out because he instantly starts breathing fire at AK, trying to break in between. KS asks why AK's asked for her. Gnarly gets snarly: yeah! Tell us why you asked her here! AK is trying to remain calm: look, it's not easy coming clean with thi... Prithvi can't bear calm AK: he shouts, he accuses, he is full of I'm-in-your-face-what're-you-going-do-about-it. AK is breathing deeply, I will not break, I will not break, I will not break, until Prithvi throws out his accusation about Naina being behind it all! AK's face changes into complete incredulity -- Mom??! She's not behind this. (He is so absolutely sure, it's touching. After all that Naina has done, for AK, she's still Mom with some boundaries that will not be crossed.) Prithvi snarls again: then tell us what you know. AK's really struggling here against himself, against the knowledge of that awful letter but he looks at KS and says this is really difficult but I have evidence that Mishti's behind it.
At this, Prithvi explodes! He goes completely beserk, grabbing at AK, threatening to lose it all. But AK is completely sure of his evidence, and KS (who stands horrified at the suggestion) is struck by his calm. This is not the AK that she is used to. After a while, AK gets it - Prithvi's NOT going to listen, KS is most probably not either, and he pulls away from Prithvi's hot hands and leaves.
The second set starts at the Khanna(KS) house, where Prithvi really starts showing his dark side. :-( He accuses Naina being behind the kidnapping. Naina and Kunning Karthik stand incredulous at this suggestion. (I'm not sure whether they are incredulous that he thought they would do it, or that if they did it, they would not have acheived their end!) Naina first starts with You idiot, what the hell are you saying? But the hate comes through, because she continues with, but yes, I would've loved to have done it! She admits that she would love to bring harm to KS' career. She would do anything to bring her down. As this continues, Naina-Karthik don't notice but AK is entering his home.
Evil Prithvi does see AK come in, and gets a sly look of his own.
He goads Naina into spewing more venom about how she would love to bring KS down, how she will do anything it take to spoil KS' life. AK is listening to all this with increasing horror, until he can't bear it any longer: Mom! Naina is startled -- she didn't know her son was listening. Sly Evil Prithvi turns to him: see! I told you it was her behind the kidnapping, and slinks off. In the Khanna Klan, no one notices the snake go. AK is hurt and it shows: Mom, how could you say that? How can you _dare_ say that about KS? Naina tries to backtrack, tries to undo some of it, but AK's nerve has been touched. He had stood up to Prithvi for her, but now, here she's admitting it herself! How could she have been involved in the kidnapping? Karing Karthik can't bear seeing his mom Krying: AK, stop it, don't say that to my (?!) mom! AK is still livid: Well, if the shoe fits, why shouldn't I? Karthik sticks his fist under AK's nose: I'm warning you. Naina explodes: stop it, both of you, and she turns and leaves.
(The scene was loud, noisy and quite effective...)
And then Karthik delivers a knife blow to AK's heart. He snarls (yes, today was snarl-day on KYPH just like yesterday was Lower-the-Brow day) at AK: how could you make my mom cry? AK looks at him: what? Were you not there when she admitted to wanting to harm KS? And then Karthik lets him have it: Who cares about KS, other than you? You have controlled the workings of this house, your preferences and wants have told us how to live and what to do. Well, no longer! Today, you are nothing. You are below all of us. We no longer have any use for you, so get out. Something in these lines must have gotten through to AK -- especially the one about his not being of any use to them any longer -- because he looks rather shattered. He can't believe his big brother is actually kicking him out of his home. Karthik follows actions to words: he starts shoving at him, at first tentatively, as if unable to believe that AK is no longer AK the great, but just a young boy who can be hurt like anyone else. Then he starts seriously shoving, pushing, tugging, pulling, until AK is out of the door, shouting "Get out! Get out! Get out!" all the while. The Khanna(KS) door slams on AK.
(In a scene which should have seriously done damage to our hearts and minds, the actor playing Karthik pulls off some EXTREMELY BAD SOAP-STYLE ACTING! Everything that all the other soaps deliver to us, tainted the usual no-nonsense-style of KYPH. MIKhan tried, but he was fighting with the glycerine in his eyes and oh, it was a bit of a mess! This bit which could've delivered such impact left me feeling like I was watching a soap. I know I am, but until just then, I had not such a feeling. :-( :-( :-( )
It's raining as AK leaves his home. He looks bereft. As he stumbles down the garden, standing in his path like some manic avenging demon is Evil Prithvi. And he is smiling through the rain at AK's incomprehension and misery. So now you feel what KS felt, when you threw her out, when you disowned the child she was carrying, now you know what it feels like. Prithvi just doesn't get AK because on AK's face, you can read the echo of sorrow of having his brother has kicked him out - he who had always worked to be a success so that his family could reach where they were. There is a distant, resigned acceptance that the Moron Prithvi is ranting and raving about having got KS' revenge for her. AK's face here is wonderful - he already knows what KS had felt then, that's why he was trying to make up for it. He didn't need Prithvi to tell him that what he did was bad. AK doesn't say a word and stumbles past Prithvi who has a stupid, evil smile of satisfaction on his face.
(MIKhan rocked in this little scene very very very nicely.)
Back at the house: Karthik has turned Karing again. He goes to see Naina who is weeping. As soon as she sees him, she asks for AK! Get AK back! Karthik switches to Kunning. But Mom, he has left the house forever, swearing that he will never come back! (Oh, Evil, Evil, Karthik! Why have all the evil forces decided to descend on poor AK's head all at once??) Naina dissolves into tears! (Wow, she _can_ cry!)
Cut to the third set, where KS is looking very worried. There's a press conference to be held, Josh is required, but is missing. He was off to London, but he hasn't called her from London, neither is he reachable right now. He was to give dates for KS' show, but he hasn't yet! What is she to tell the press? Prithvi, who has come in, turns the situation to push his evil hypothesis about Josh&AK forever! Evil Prithvi is beginning to convince KS that this was all a plot by AK to raise her career up, and then smash it down in glorious fashion on KS' head. KS' head is spinning (as it should! What a yarn!): shecan't believe that AK would go to such lengths to destroy her. Prithvi urges her to do the conference anyway, and announce days, deal with Josh later.
Cut to: AK at a coffee shop (What??! There were no bars open??!) where a fan saunters up - it's a guy, BTW, and so AK signs on a piece of paper. :-) The chap is raving about how he missed AK at some Chandigarh show by MTV. And AK (poor fellow looked a tad uncomfortable advertising his own appearance on a Monday MTV show!) announces some time that he can catch him on MTV. (Bleagh!!!)
Cut to: KS has apparently just finished the press conference and she is relieved that Mishti came in to rescue her on the matter of conference dates. Stupid Prithvi is still pushing his Stupid Conspiracy theory about Josh-AK trying to wreck her show. A Random Chap hears it and crushes his coke can in fury. Soon, Random Chap is seen outside talking to other Random KS Fans about how Josh and AK are trying to wreck KS' show, and they all gang up together to become Random Mob. Random Mob then vow to wreck AK's show. Mishti, who is on the way to her car, overhears the whole thing and gets Most Worried!
Cut to: AK sitting nursing his coffee at the same shop when a call comes through. He sees it's Mishti and gets instantly uncomfortable. (Nice touch, MIKhan!) However, he squares his manly shoulders and takes the call. Mishti warns him of what she has heard. AK is a little confused, but tells her he'll do the show. Mishti is now agitated: she is very convinced of the Random Mob's Anger and pleads with him not to do it. He thinks for a moment, and then his jaw sets.
He is polite on the phone and tells her he won't do it. After he puts the phone down, his face turns sad. He will do it, after all what has he to lose? His life? And what is that worth? The life of a man who only lives for KS to win, the life of a man who is useless to his family? It is worth nothing. He will do his performance, Random Mob Violence or no.
(I love it when they have MIKhan's face do a lot of the talking. Yeah, yeah, there's the voice-over in the background, but what an impact that expressive face can make!)
End of show.
Preview: Josh, in a blazing red shirt, in a blazing temper, is getting into KS' face. What _does_ she know about AK? What? What does she know of the things he has done for her? What? How DARE she sit in judgement of such a person??!
(Today had a lot of emotional action, all about AK battering, and he's come down to the suicide point in life. Thinking about it, it looks like KYPH writers made a checklist of things that first KS would have to suffer. Then, line for line, word for word, letter for letter, they are making AK go through the same sequence. Remember that KS came to her point of suicide the day of AK's marriage after which she went out, got hit by the mob and lost her child.
Well, now AK's reached his point of suicide in this checklist, and what should now follow is that he goes out and some action of his should end in someone dear to him losing their life. :-( :-( :-( Oh dear, I'm sad, and it's the weekend, and we have to wait till Monday to get some resolution. OH DEAR! Have I mentioned how I do wish that Josh, the sunshine, will not die?? Can we trade AK getting very badly hurt, instead?)
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Veer Hanuman
