Thank you for the update Hammie :)
1) Kala: Are we finally seeing cracks in the otherwise super smooth snake that is Kala? ever since she returned to the house, all of her moves-whether they have gone her way or not, have been calculated with precision. And honestly she has been very cool about them. Whether it resulted in one of her victories or in partial failure, well that was until now. NOW, all of a sudden we see another side to her, she smashes the vase. Now maybe I am reading too much into it, but I found it quite telling that now, of all moments when it looks as though she has had the last laugh-so as to speak, when things are all being tied up into a neat bow and she is coming across as the champion, that suddenly now she has lost all patience. She is making terrible mistakes-which someday will cost her. Her first mistake is putting her trust in Suds, or rather over estimating the guy. In fact I think everyone over estimates him. He really is nothing but a mouse that squeaks, although Kala has very much by taking him as an ally aided her own motives. NOnetheless he isn't as important as he likes to believe he is. Pride before fall Suds, Pride before fall. Back to Kala, to me it looks like she is losing her charm-can I call it that? her evil streak perhaps? her calculative moves are not-well calculative anymore, if anything she reminds me of a school bully who attempts at making snide remarks or passes in hopes of destroying someone when in reality although at the time the bully feels victorious, in the grand scheme of things those 'small victories' that she is now so radiant about are in fact nothing.
could it be, that Kala is sensing her own defeat? Or is it that she is far too wound up in her own pride and arrogance that she hasn't realised yet that she is playing a game that has already been won. (By whom, I shall leave you to ponder that) either way I felt her loss of temper here as she smashed the vase, along with her very very telling 'Slap me if I'm wrong' quote screams impatience, and points quite clearly to someone who is on the verge of losing a game they themselves set up.
2) Tasha: Perhaps, Kala's preemptive celebrations or perhaps it is the indication that Dutta is melting, but as Kala in my eyes decreases in keeping her cool, Naku on the other hand is increasing. She is either learning the ropes or rather the rules of the game or either now that she knows who her enemy is she seems more focused. Albeit I still cannot understand why she feels the need to fight Kala secretly, I mean why? Just Why? you really are asking for trouble, but I am liking this-to quote Baji here 'Lioness' that we are getting to witness every so often
As to Dutta...I'll leave it to that, his real test has arrived, how he handles this Suresh situation will ultimately reinstate what kind of person Dutta is. Tread wisely my friend, tread wisely, you of all people should know what betrayal is, so smell it out. Not everything is as it appears.
3) Suresh-gate: I've decided to call it that.
I was planning on making a separate thread about my take on this particular storyline and how it draws parallels to something close to my heart (fiction wise) but in the end decided to just put it here.
Ok as you may (or may not) recall I started a thread here about falling for this show, as I felt it was miles apart from the usual nonsense on screen. At the time, I don't think I had quite realised why I had liked this show so much, nor even after getting into it and watching it regularly. But a couple of weeks ago, it suddenly hit me. Why did I like LTL so much. The reason being because it reminded me heck of a lot of another story. Or rather play, which till today is still hand's down my favourite penned by the original English Bard: Shakespeare.
I am talking about Othello.
Huh? Yes I know what you're all thinking, gimme a second, hear me out. I have my reasons.
Ok so firstly Othello. I don't know how many of you are familiar with it. Has anyone seen Omkara? it was the bollywood adaptation-I have not seen that-yet. But I'll have you know Othello in my eyes was probably Shakespeare's finest work. You can keep your Romeo and Juliette (which in my eyes was far too hyped-yes I didn't see the hooha behind it) and even Macbeth which I adore, (who cannot secretly love Lady Macbeth-possibly one of the best villainesses ever penned) but Othello hands down takes the cake.
Quick synopsis:
-Set against the backdrop of the Cypriot/Turk war, it follows the story of commander in chief: Othello. Ie the moor (he is black) who falls in love with the rich and fair Desedemona: Ie in street language she is out of his league.
- They plan to elope.
Awww cute hana? Nope. But wait, where is the shining star of this story? Alas I shall tell you, he is Othello's man and goes by the name of Iago.
Side point: Bear in mind how much of an impact Iago has. In all hoensty he is the key player. Everything and anything that befalls any of the other characters in the play; especially the namesake Othello is his doing. Yet the play is named Othello and not Iago. Perhaps another sneaky connotation which reinforces one of the key themes of the play "Not everything is at it seems"
back to the story;
- O loves D, D loves O they plan to elope. Except Iago goes ahead and informs O's in charge who happens to be D's father.
- point? Iago wants to destroy Othello, he cannot understand how a black man (note that racism was rife then) has been awarded a higher rank.
- But Baazi ulti ho jaati hain, instead O wins over his future father in law. They marry. Everything seems fabulous. Except Iago is only getting started.
- The play moves on, and (because I don't want to delve too much into the detail) it follows as such: Othello promoted Cassio as his second in command, which naturally burns Iago, who then formulates his calculated plan: how to bring down Othello? well he attacks his major weakness, which happens to be his colour and teams that up with his major strength which happens to be his wife. DO you see where I am going with this.
- By this point a few more characters join the plot. There is Bianca who Cassio is in love with, and Amelia who is Iago's wife and Desdemona's maid and finally Rodrigo who turns out to be a pawn in Iago's hands that ultimately results in Othello's downfall.
-Having realised R is in love with Desdemona, and that Cassio who he believes is his juniour so shouldnt have outranked him. Iago get's them both drunk and stages a fight, during which he kills Rodrigo but makes it look as though C did the act. The result being, C is stripped of his rank.
- Iago then set's about planting the seed of suspicion in Othello's mind as regards to Desdemona's faithfulness.
how? well long story short: Desdemona was gifted a handkerchief from Othello as his first gift to her (Yeah how cheap, Dump him desdemona, lol I'm just kidding) which Iago gets his wife to steal, he plants that handkerchief on Cassio, who in turn goes and gives it to his ladylove Bianca (yeah C is a cheapskate too, moral of the story buy your ladyloves decent presents...nah I'm just kidding)
- Ok so summary: the handkerchief is now in Bianca's possession which Iago makes sure Othello is now aware of. SO through Othello's eyes it looks as though Cassio and Desdemona have a thing going.
AND PAUSE
Let's get back to LTL now.
Here's my take:
Othello undoubtedly here is Dutta. Albeit, there has been an inversion of the colour stereotype between Dutta/Othello and Desdemona/Naku to begin with when Naku was Dusky. But the point we are in now in this show is that, like Othello, we have commander in chief, or rather a Don/Gangster who married a fair maiden; Naku.
Enter Cassio, Aka Baji, the young second in command that Dutta/Othello trusts, clearly on this show this relationship is much more developed and altered somewhat (minus the affair suspicions etc)
Iago is Kala without a doubt. The snake within the home, who carefully articulates everyone's move but more than that plants the seed of doubt. Interestingly even in the play Othello is brainwashed repeatedly by Iago, as quite clearly Dutta is here by his darling sister.
NOw there are obvious changes in this story, here the suspicion is in regard of someone who is an outsider ie Suresh, and although Baji too is stripped of his rank, with Suds getting promoted, all in all there are clear parallels.
Kala, has used a story and Naku's majboori, as a seed here while Iago uses the handkerchief. Nonetheless both have the same effect. Dutta/Othello is left wondering what is true and what is not.
Now according to our updates; Dutta is stuck there. SO I'm not going to comment more on that, but the rest of Othello plays out like this:
- O overhears C talking about Bianca, except he misses the name and assumes the talk is about D, this fuels his suspicions,
- armed with sweet words by Iago, he makes a decision; he decides to humiliate D, just as she humilated him by cheating on him.
[here again note the parallel; isn't Dutta humiliating Naku?]
how? well in the play, Othello strikes his wife in the front of the whole court, and treats her with little respect-which quite clearly raises a few eyebrows considering how in love they are supposed to be
Well remind me again but didn't Dutta do the same? Post discovering Naku's truth, we have seen him ignore her, sometimes even insult her, but as a direct comparison we saw him strike her in a room full of his men and guests.
- yet humiliation is just the start, while D unable to understand why O has had a change of heart continues to please her Lord husband
[again such a Nakusha trait]
- Othello decides to kill her. And he does. He suffocates her with a pillow, (But not before, in typical Shakespearian style he gives a long monologue.)
- However, just as his wife takes (or rather struggles to take) her last breath the truth is revealled. Amelia who is Desdemona's maid comes in to see her Mistress being suffocated. Naturally she creams for help, O tries to justify it by telling A that D cheated.
- Except A who had stolen the handkerchief puts two and two together and realises what happened and thus exposes her husband (You go girl)
- Iago kills Amelia (bechari) O manages to stab I, but not fatally he wants to know why I did this, except I doesn't say why. He never does. That is one of the beauties of this play, although throughout we get to hear his inner most thoughts we are never told what was the actual reason for his hatred. It cannot just be that he wasnted O's job. There is more to it but it isn't ever told.
- I is caught and charged with murder while O kills himself.
THE END
Ok, so that's how the tragedy befell Othello and Desdemona, but what of our beloved Nakusha and Dutta.
Here, a strange man who seems to know a lot about Nakusha's past is insisting that Nakusha was with him first, that she betrayed him first, that she will betray Dutta too. And more than that he has proof, a photograph.
[OK side point; who else laughed at seeing that photoshopped image? OH dearie me]
anyway Dutta, who is already struggling with whether he believes Nakusha is faced with another conundrum. Such to the point that even when Baji jumps to do what Dutta would probably do himself and that is hit this strange guy claiming to be Naku's lover, when Baji steps up to do that, he is stopped.
I find is interesting that Dutta seems to take his time and listen to his enemies or those acting against him. As though he is giving them a chance. Remeber Anna? he actually spoke to him several times and then even during their confrontation he didn't jump the gun and decide to kill him with a single shot but heard him. HE does the same with Chaskar when he in introduced, and no doubt-he'll do the same with Kala. As though he is giving them all one last opportunity.
yet when it comes to his best friend and wife, they are not even granted so much as a glance let alone time to speak their part. Again I know why, he loved them the most and hence feels most betrayed by them, but evenso it is quite intriguing that he does that. Does it point to his double standardness? or the mere fact that when it boils down to it, he is just another person who craves love, and having been (using Hammies phrase here) Molly coddled his whole life, he doesn't quite appreciate or understand that love and trust are a two way street that, just like you are a human who struggles who makes mistakes (case in point strikes nakusha then regrets it, even if drunk) that the person you love (Naku and Baji) too are humans who will make mistakes. SO why is that your anger can be justified yet their insolence- if I may use that word- cannot?
Either way, I cannot wait to see what path Dutta chooses, will he let himself he consumed by pseudo- jealousy which is created by the hands of Kala like Othello did, or will he actually use that thing between his ears called a brain?
Time will tell.
Kaafi lamba hogaya?
I shall leave it there. Aaah but do let me know whether you can see the Othello parallels too, or am I barking up the wrong tree. :)
(of course I do have more to say on the Othello matter, but time is of the essence so I shall leave it there)
Thank you :)
[I have so many errors I know when I type and I always forget to say this, but please do forgive the numerous typos that I know I notoriously make]
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