An idiosyncratic analysis of 18/7

Hi all. Its a new day, a new world and i'm still doing the same old things. 😊 This got delayed since i was on the phone with a friend, and real life friends and their lives come before fictional characters! But a special apology to Teena because i know she has other work that she sets aside to read the analysis 😃

Well the serial started with the scene where Naina gives Abhimanyu a book on the art of war.... since this is close to my heart, can i please say that no good book ever has such a hideous cover?!.... the name is written in smaller font.... not even 19th-century leather bound books used this typeface.... as a Bibliophile, i am truly aghast 😛....

Well, with this scene my reactions are much the same as yesterday... Gaurav has become Abhimanyu (must be disorienting, though perhaps exciting as well, for the people who have to live with this) and so now every look, every smile just falls into place.... just as it did in this scene. All the layers were there: regret at Naveen's death, friendliness, but also a suspicion of friendliness, deeply touched by the gift, (not horrified by the cover at all!), the heart felt thank you, the protective attitude towards Naina, the promise to restore Naveen's honour, the break and the slightest of smiles before 'no second best for you'.... and all the other 100 and 1 things that make up the character of Abhimanyu. 😃

The next scene was of course the showdown with Capt. Rajveer... i must say the rule is pretty silly.... couldnt they have shown instead that Captain Rajveer, in search of the red box, disappeared from the academy for a day or two without any notification?.... since disappearing from duty without notification is liable to strict action in most disciplinary frameworks.... anyway, so Capt. Rajveer is having a meeting without permission and Abhimanyu catches him in the act and asks for an explanation.... and when he does not provide one, he reminds him that he will have to take action.... and then is cornered by Major Nair into punishing Capt. Rajveer more severely than he would otherwise have done.... as far as the character of Abhimanyu is concerned, this is less juvenile than yesterday (after all, following rules in an army set up is mandatory, irrespective of whether the rule is logical or not).... also, Gaurav acted exceptionally well in this scene and so the dilemma of Abhimanyu came through.... the hesitation, the desire to enfore authority, the unwillingness to force his friend, the dislike of Capt. Nair, the disagreement with Capt. Nair and the difference of opinion about the punishment.... all this was visible with very little dialogue.... but what i liked best about this scene was that Abhimanyu did not look at the cadets, who had gathered around, even once.... that i thought was well-done.... because to Abhimanyu, this is not about the cadets at all.... not about impressing them or about challenging Capt. Rajveer in front of them.... this is about him and his friend.... this is about enforcing rules, this is about proving to his friend that the structure comes before the two of them, this is about knowing that this friend will not follow the rules and respecting the friendship while still consciously and deliberately choosing the opposite point of view.... this was not about Abhimanyu's relationship with the academy or the cadets at all, this was between him and Capt Rajveer.... and so, not even once, during the scene did he look at the cadets at all.... and that made the scene interesting.... it gave Abhimanyu a stature beyond the role. Also, i thought Rajeev Khandelwal did the 'you've failed me my friend' bit well... looked suitably troubled. The banging his hand into the wall was good but he had done the scene better... the impact of the scene came from the facial expressions before it, not from this action.

The next scene was one shot of a troubled Abhimanyu staying awake at night... followed by the drill the next morning.... in this scene, i was very tempted to sing 'yeh zulfein... uff yu ma!' 😆 😆... kitni baar pony se niklenge ek jeevan mein... Lirh, tumhe bahut yaad kiya..... tum pahuch jao scissors lekar!

Seriously though, Abhimanyu goes on lecturing throughout the drill.... scriptwriters, teachers do tend to make the same point over and over again but that does not make for great television 😃.... He went on and on about chain of command and it was very dreary.... Gaurav modulates his voice effectively but thats about it.... no one could have made those lines sound interesting.... and then Ali falls and is sent off to the infirmary.... and then came the last scene, which redeemed the drill sequence.... when he says 'you've gotta be stronger'.... there was pain, there was sympathy but there was also the realisation that life is ruthless.... that one has to learn to survive, even if one has to kill one's soul to do it....it is a lesson that Abhimanyu has learnt well.... the expression here was again very good, among the best moments of Abhimanyu's presence in this show, i thought.... on a personal note, it reminded me that watching serials, enjoying oneself and writing tome like posts are all luxuries not available to everyone.

On that perhaps rather sombre note, I conclude my analysis today. See ya all tomo. 😊

Originally posted by: whynot

But a special apology to Teena because i know she has other work that she sets aside to read the analysis 😃

stop it...😆😆

well i am hoping for some interesting epis ahead. the relnship of raj and abhi is entirely their own and the cadets do not understand it all. they r siding wid their favourite captain and going to trouble abhi who is totally helpless. that scene was enacted very well betn raj and abhi. the stares they both gave each other was enough. alright u r not going to support me says raj
and abhi says thru his eyes - look what u have done - was it necessary - all u needed was a bloody permission. the sheer frustration of being under obligation as vp and his inability to help raj was clear on his face.
but then abhi is abhi. unlike raj who is easygoing on the cadets and who let off the cadets easily he has a totally different way of dealing wid the cadets. he is going to teach them the lesson of their lives. and it is high time the spoilt brats learnt to mend their way. the way he handled the drill was perfect. the cadets do need a strict teacher now.
we have an interesting week ahead where we will see abhi dealing with the cadets in his own style. after all woh cadets ka band bajaane aaya hai.
and i hope the cadets stop behaving like school kids for raj. all that raj taught them is going down the drain. it is high time that the cadets learnt it the hard way and the only person who can do it is abhi.

and the abhi - naina scene - abhi is such a softie at heart. he looked so overwhelmed - gift aur woh bhi naina se. totally unexpected. kya looks the and kya words of encouragement. he is good at handling girls - hmmm- style bhai!

aur class lete waqt - kitna dashing lag raha tha hai na whynotty. uske baal pata nahin kaunsa shampoo lagata hai!

waise i liked the way he took the drill - just like they do it in the army. but r u sure the lines were repetitive - it was more of a kind of explaining things in different ways. there r some topics in books in which the explaining is done in such a way that u feel that u have read the same thing again and again. i think abhi was making the cadets understand the importance of coc.

hope to see more drills of abhi - ab dekhna yeh hai ke will he manage to bring the cadets down to earth or not?
it is going to be abhi all the way. step aside raj. i will miss raj in the serial but i think i will continue watching lrl for abhi.

Originally posted by: whynot

Hi all. Its a new day, a new world and i'm still doing the same old things. 😊

Hi Shevs...thanks for your analysis😛

Well the serial started with the scene where Naina gives Abhimanyu a book on the art of war.... since this is close to my heart, can i please say that no good book ever has such a hideous cover?!.... the name is written in smaller font.... not even 19th-century leather bound books used this typeface.... as a Bibliophile, i am truly aghast 😛....

Seeing the book cover, exactly the same thought crossed my mind and I had a great laugh.😆 😆Me too aghast!!

Well, with this scene my reactions are much the same as yesterday... Gaurav has become Abhimanyu (must be disorienting, though perhaps exciting as well, for the people who have to live with this) and so now every look, every smile just falls into place.... just as it did in this scene. All the layers were there: regret at Naveen's death, friendliness, but also a suspicion of friendliness, deeply touched by the gift, (not horrified by the cover at all!), the heart felt thank you, the protective attitude towards Naina, the promise to restore Naveen's honour, the break and the slightest of smiles before 'no second best for you'.... and all the other 100 and 1 things that make up the character of Abhimanyu. 😃

I agree and will add..............Abhi is pleasantly surprised and touched by the gift. He feels as though not even Naveen cared or regarded him as much as Naina is. In that concern he tells her no 2^nd best for you…..I found it pensive and poignant. This was as if like he wanted to live his dream of being the best thru Naina just like a parent desiring to......

The next scene was of course the showdown with Capt. Rajveer... i must say the rule is pretty silly.... couldnt they have shown instead that Captain Rajveer, in search of the red box, disappeared from the academy for a day or two without any notification?.... since disappearing from duty without notification is liable to strict action in most disciplinary frameworks.... anyway, so Capt. Rajveer is having a meeting without permission and Abhimanyu catches him in the act and asks for an explanation.... and when he does not provide one, he reminds him that he will have to take action.... and then is cornered by Major Nair into punishing Capt. Rajveer more severely than he would otherwise have done.... as far as the character of Abhimanyu is concerned, this is less juvenile than yesterday (after all, following rules in an army set up is mandatory, irrespective of whether the rule is logical or not).... also, Gaurav acted exceptionally well in this scene and so the dilemma of Abhimanyu came through.... the hesitation, the desire to enfore authority, the unwillingness to force his friend, the dislike of Capt. Nair, the disagreement with Capt. Nair and the difference of opinion about the punishment.... all this was visible with very little dialogue.... but what i liked best about this scene was that Abhimanyu did not look at the cadets, who had gathered around, even once.... that i thought was well-done.... because to Abhimanyu, this is not about the cadets at all.... not about impressing them or about challenging Capt. Rajveer in front of them.... this is about him and his friend.... this is about enforcing rules, this is about proving to his friend that the structure comes before the two of them, this is about knowing that this friend will not follow the rules and respecting the friendship while still consciously and deliberately choosing the opposite point of view.... this was not about Abhimanyu's relationship with the academy or the cadets at all, this was between him and Capt Rajveer.... and so, not even once, during the scene did he look at the cadets at all.... and that made the scene interesting.... it gave Abhimanyu a stature beyond the role. Also, i thought Rajeev Khandelwal did the 'you've failed me my friend' bit well... looked suitably troubled. The banging his hand into the wall was good but he had done the scene better... the impact of the scene came from the facial expressions before it, not from this action.

Here I agree to some and disagree to some. I am not looking for logic anymore-😆 so didn't bother much but yes the rules are imp and must be followed. Whether school. College or office rules & systems are put forth for a purpose and must be followed by all. here is an official decorum and is followed by all levels of management.There are strict disciplinary actions taken in case of violations. And liked your idea of missing from academy,… perhaps there was creative deficiency 🤣🤣

Abhimanyu did not look at the cadets, who had gathered around, even once-

well said👏👏. In the scene Abhi not looking at the cadets and continuing his work made the impact more striking. As an officer he demands an explanation and deserves one.

Uhmm I think it was between an authority and an officer. That's what Abhi tells Rajveer not to mix the two. I wonder why didn't Rajveer put forth any reason/explanation for the meeting and end the issue becoz I think Abhi sensed that Nair is trapping him. And the frustration at seeing him indicates that.

Abhi didn't want Nair there. Pray why were the cadets lurking around😡? As if some tamasha is going on🤢…. it isn't their business to see the officers in contention.

That's brings to Maj Nair, must applaud him for his impeccable timing. 👏 He acts well and his smirk is deadly too. He is pitting the two friends against each other.

I may be wrong but I think there is more to the confrontation than what is shown to us, I mean there is more mystery to it. Perhaps Raj and Abhi are in it together to expose Nair. Wishful thinking but possible-😃.

The best was shifting of emotions from the gift scene to the confrontation scene. I liked the opposing emotions being presented. In one he is gentle, caring and happy and in another he is strict and commanding. I think GC is over shadowing Abhimanyu completely.⭐️⭐️

The next scene was one shot of a troubled Abhimanyu staying awake at night... followed by the drill the next morning.... in this scene, i was very tempted to sing 'yeh zulfein... uff yu ma!' 😆 😆... kitni baar pony se niklenge ek jeevan mein... Lirh, tumhe bahut yaad kiya..... tum pahuch jao scissors lekar!

Shevs mere dil ki baat keh di…. I wish I could get into the tv set and do that-lol or better still get to lrl sets and do it!!! Mr India trick can do wonders here no one would ever know….. not even GC-😉….….😆

Seriously though, Abhimanyu goes on lecturing throughout the drill.... scriptwriters, teachers do tend to make the same point over and over again but that does not make for great television 😃.... He went on and on about chain of command and it was very dreary.... Gaurav modulates his voice effectively but thats about it.... no one could have made those lines sound interesting....

Very well said.👏

and then Ali falls and is sent off to the infirmary.... and then came the last scene, which redeemed the drill sequence.... when he says 'you've gotta be stronger'.... there was pain, there was sympathy but there was also the realisation that life is ruthless.... that one has to learn to survive, even if one has to kill one's soul to do it....it is a lesson that Abhimanyu has learnt well.... the expression here was again very good, among the best moments of Abhimanyu's presence in this show, i thought.... on a personal note, it reminded me that watching serials, enjoying oneself and writing tome like posts are all luxuries not available to everyone.

I too felt the same. Its more of Abhi's own lessons in life which he wants the cadets to understand. In the life of a soldier the only role of primary or any importance is that his Army (Country) wins. All other relations have no significance as a soldier. In war he has to forget this that's why he insists on the WEAK link. He was more reflective when he looks at Ali perhaps relating to the grind he went through. He wants them to be braver, stronger and the best.

On that perhaps rather sombre note, I conclude my analysis today. See ya all tomo. 😊

What I found appalling is the words used by Cadet Ghai " mazaa chakhate hai" it reminded me of street language used by ruffians than an under-trainee officer!!! The dialogue writer needs serious professional training in the art of dialogue writing. How can you show a lady officer to be reacting in such a way? Besides its too crude reaction…. Script writer you need to be real learning/ trainingasap.

Originally posted by: superbike

stop it...😆😆

Ok, will not apoloigise the next time around 😆 😆

Originally posted by: anujkpjk

well i am hoping for some interesting epis ahead. the relnship of raj and abhi is entirely their own and the cadets do not understand it all. they r siding wid their favourite captain and going to trouble abhi who is totally helpless. that scene was enacted very well betn raj and abhi. the stares they both gave each other was enough. alright u r not going to support me says raj
and abhi says thru his eyes - look what u have done - was it necessary - all u needed was a bloody permission. the sheer frustration of being under obligation as vp and his inability to help raj was clear on his face.
but then abhi is abhi. unlike raj who is easygoing on the cadets and who let off the cadets easily he has a totally different way of dealing wid the cadets. he is going to teach them the lesson of their lives. and it is high time the spoilt brats learnt to mend their way. the way he handled the drill was perfect. the cadets do need a strict teacher now.
we have an interesting week ahead where we will see abhi dealing with the cadets in his own style. after all woh cadets ka band bajaane aaya hai.
and i hope the cadets stop behaving like school kids for raj. all that raj taught them is going down the drain. it is high time that the cadets learnt it the hard way and the only person who can do it is abhi.

and the abhi - naina scene - abhi is such a softie at heart. he looked so overwhelmed - gift aur woh bhi naina se. totally unexpected. kya looks the and kya words of encouragement. he is good at handling girls - hmmm- style bhai!

aur class lete waqt - kitna dashing lag raha tha hai na whynotty. uske baal pata nahin kaunsa shampoo lagata hai!

waise i liked the way he took the drill - just like they do it in the army. but r u sure the lines were repetitive - it was more of a kind of explaining things in different ways. there r some topics in books in which the explaining is done in such a way that u feel that u have read the same thing again and again. i think abhi was making the cadets understand the importance of coc.

hope to see more drills of abhi - ab dekhna yeh hai ke will he manage to bring the cadets down to earth or not?
it is going to be abhi all the way. step aside raj. i will miss raj in the serial but i think i will continue watching lrl for abhi.

Hey anujkpjk, my id is whynot and not 'whynotty' 😆 😆.... but you can call me Shvetal.... thats my name 😃

I agree with what you say about Abhimanyu... i have stopped analysing the character of Abhimanyu in detail now because i think the various layers that make up this character have been well established by now. So now i focus on writing my reactions to Gaurav's acting and to the scene rather than on explaining or analysing Abhimanyu. Also, i know that you and spian and Shweta will all three do it, so in my analysis i just put together random ideas to kick start a discussion. 😃

As for which shampoo he uses, i have no idea.... though Shikakai Kesh Nikhaar would be my guess! 😆 😆

Yes a lot of things, especially in text books and class rooms, are frequently repeated.... but i find that very dreary.... as i said in my analysis, that does not make for great television though it may be realistic. 😃

Yes i'm looking forward to the next episodes too....

And sweetie i too am going to go on watching lrl for Abhi.... i'm telling you, welcome to the fans of Gaurav club 😃

Originally posted by: scorpiongal

thanks for the analysis shvetal. i want to see the whole thing desperately..as there has started a power cut in our area everyday at a fix time of 9 pm to 10 pm..so now everyday i hv to watch it next evening. 😭 😭 😭

Oh thats sad news.... I hope the timing of the power cut changes soon. Hope you get to see it without any interruption. All the best for that!

Also, you can always comment on the analysis later.... what is the weekend for? 😆

Originally posted by: gulrani

Just finished watching 18/7 episode ...must say mindblowing 👏 .... thank you shvetal for your great effort in writing the analysis... 😊

Anujkp ....I am just speechless about your way of explaining this serial , about Capt Abhimaniyu s character, Capt Rajveer ... etc ...you are absolutaly brilliant .... 👏

You're welcome Shabnam. And i agree that the episode was very good.

Agree with all that you're saying about Anuj. 😊