Posted:
Warning: Maybe not for Naina Oberoi-fans.
I promised, I swore, and I took an oath that I would not watch episode 88 in order to maintain my personal KDMH-strike. However, the much talk about the Rahul-Kakun chemistry awoke my curiosity, which had me clicking on the forbidden link. Yes, I know. Bad, horrible Elysia. And did I regret that I plucked an apple from the forbidden tree? Yes and no. In my review, I have put Aman and Kakun's relationship as the main focus of yesterday's episode - though, there were some Rahul and Kakun scenes - I still found the Aman-Kakun scenes the most essential and thought-provoking.
Aman is an important character as he used to be Kakun's rock, and now he's her enemy. The change from good to bad happened rapidly, as we all remember. But after watching episode 88, I feel that the writers or Ekta - whoever stands for characterization - are just as confused about Aman as we are. Let me explain:
In this episode, we were informed that Aman has had problems with alcohol to the point where the doctors diagnosed that more alcohol would kill him (in Aman we have our very own Devdas, obsessed with Kakun, alcoholic and apparently also suicidal). I like that the writers are finally digging into Aman's character, and removing some layers in order to explain why, perhaps, he did what he did. I think that we're supposed to begin to understand his mind - however, it leaves me a little clueless. Aman behaved aggressively with his lovely wife Kakun following the night he told her the truth. He grabbed her 99 percent of the time, pressured her sexually, threatened and blackmailed her. Then he changed again, becoming desperate for Kakun's love and confused about the continuing loneliness he felt. This should have made him more aggressive, which it sorta did. He started drinking again and had a car-accident. All this was fine, until he showed the sudden concern for Kakun's well-being. I understand it if he's playing mind games with her, if he's trying to manipulate her into believing that he "just" has some mental problems, the reason for doing what he did. But if the writers are turning him into a victim, poor alcoholic man, who just needs a little love and care to redeem his earlier deeds, then I am not buying it.
Let's not forget that he has coldly murdered two women, both who cared for him. Let's not forget that ever since Kakun found out about him, he has made it harder for her to love him by physically hurting her and verbally abusing her. This cannot be excused just by turning him into a love-seeking alcoholic, who needs Kakun to feel better about himself. The writers need to continue his non-concern for Kakun, and his ego-centered actions in order to keep his development within human sense. It's not logic that a man, who has changed this radically from good to bad, suddenly turns back into a caring, concerned husband. No, he must have some selfish thought behind every single thing he does, because that's what the writers chose to make of him in the first place. Now they must stick to it.
I find the last scene between Aman and Kakun very annoying. The reason is simple; Kakun's treatment of him. She is treating him like a human, even though she calls him an animal. If my sister had been killed, and I was married to the beast, then I would furious to the point, which I could not bring him breakfast, to the point, which I could not think of anything else but punishing him for what he had done. If I was married to murderer of my sister, I would not bring him breakfast, I would not advise him not to drink, I would not tell him to be careful, I would not tell him that I felt bad about what had happened to him. No way. For my part, the man could drink his brains out, drive a thousand miles an hour, or hang himself from the ceiling.
The fact that Kakun's even trying to be wife to him is insulting to Devi and Naina, and it's making me sick. What sacrifice is she yapping about? What kind of sacrificial lamb are the writers making her? She's not making any right sacrifice. There are two kinds of sacrifices in the world; the right one and the wrong one. Kakun's making the wrong sacrifice as she's letting Naina's killer walk free, as she's putting other people's lives in danger using the lame excuse that she wants to protect Rahul and his family. If she's supposed to make the right sacrifice, then she would do everything in her power to put Aman behind hard iron-bars. That would be sacrifice. Because she would be giving up being the daughter-in-law of the Punj House, she would choking the life out of her own marriage in order to bring justice to someone else.
Regardless. Now to Rahul and Kakun. I actually find his coolness toward her just fine. The colder he is with her, the more it's going to kill him when he finds out that she's married to her sister's murderer. The more force there's going to be in the final blow. And I'm really, I repeat, really anticipating that whenever he finds out about Aman - he's going to be burning with fury. He's going to become an arsonist. That's what I'm expecting of his reaction - that it's going to be powerful and awe-inspiring.
I liked the look he gave Kakun in the last scene, because for a split-second the old chemistry was back - and then it vanished again. However, that moment was enough for me to hold on. The rest of their scenes gave me nothing but annoyance and killed my already zero-leveled hope. I'm still missing how every time he was in the same room as her, he used to be so aware of her. Always watching her, always wanting her - that's missing. And it was really important.
Naina Oberoi had little screen-space in this episode, which was fine with me. It kept me from skipping, and it fit her character well, in my opinion. I didn't miss her or anything. If there had been a moment between Rahul and Naina, then it would have overshadowed the little chemistry between Rahul and Kakun. I had hoped that there would be a deeper revealing expression on Rahul's face, when Kakun hugged him, because I couldn't read his face. Was it hard for him to have her this close? Was he annoyed with her? Was he in pain? What was he feeling? Aamir needs to make it clearer in such scenes, because since their chemistry is missing - it's hard to figure out what the character feels for Kakun in situations like this.
I hope that things will move a little faster now, because the episode, overall, was slowpaced. The story-line going with Sid and Preeti is interesting, though, and also Gayo being suspicious about Rahul and Kakun is sensible, in my opinion. It's time that she started noticing that they love each other, considering that she is Rahul's mother and knows his heart. I'm still waiting for more people to find out about Aman, because if the episodes drag like this - well, I don't think there'll be any point in watching them, then. (For me, that is.)
Addition: I'm beginning to get quite sick and tired of repeating to the writers that they should give Devi more screen-space, especially scenes between her and Kakun. It's time that she's brought back full force, and that she realizes something's wrong with Kakun. Devi is and always has been an important character and she should be given justice to. She's not only a great character, but also an incredible actress. So, bring her back and give her importance justice - and for God's sake, she's Kakun's mother, so make her realize that her daughter's not living happily ever after in La La Land. Sheesh.
Book Talk
Anupamaa
