Posted:
Apologies in advance for the length!
Its been years since a show has moved me as much as NBT...I've never seen anything on Primetime Indian TV quite like it (Ok, I admit, I haven't watched that many Indian soaps, and all of them claim to be 'hatke', but this show really IS Different!).
I promised myself when I started watching the show that I would stay away from I-F and I wouldn't write, because when I start writing, I tend to ignore all other worldly responsibilities (as I'm doing right now). There have been so many instances in the past where I wanted to put my thoughts to paper (or the keyboard), and I've resisted doing so...but I have been so very moved by the way the CV's have handled things these past few days, that I knew I wouldn't be able to go without penning down my thoughts much longer...and then, yesterday, Mr. Mohan Bhatnagar struck a chord so deep that I was practically forced to write this up today.
Ideally, since I haven't written for the show before, I would do a lengthy character analysis first, but unfortunately time won't permit it...so, I simply wish to comment on everything that has transpired since the video of Amar's shooting was played on the news channel.
First of all, I would like to commend all of the actors for their stunning performances upon seeing the video...the emotions of each character was so brilliantly portrayed. Renu Bhabhi deserves a special mention...undoubtedly she has been the nagging bahu that never misses an opportunity to call Megha and her kids out, but It's evident that she truly loves her family, and DOES have their best interest at heart. Her tears upon seeing Amar's unruly murder, and the way she consoled Nanhi was so touching. I must credit the CVs here for their complex character sketch and for making Renu (and all the other characters) so very true to life.
Cut to Mohan's words to Megha upon leaving Prabhat Leher. "Aapka vishwas mujh par se bhale hi uth jaaye, par iss baat par se nahi uthna chahiye ki ache logon ke saath hamesha acha hi hota hai." When Megha asked him to tell her the truth about handing over the CD to Denanath, it was his silence, in the end that broke her trust in him. She wasn't ready to believe for a second that he would betray her because she knows in her heart that he loves her ("tum mujhe itna bada dhoka nahi de sakte...tum toh mujhe..."). But when he stood there, unable to negate the accusation and silence the all the questions running through her mind...unable to fight for himself, she stopped fighting for him, and began to believe what everyone had been saying all along, that his intentions were faulty. Megha's accusation hurt Mohan more than anything...he looked at her, then, questioning her distrust in him...he would have fought the world, as long as he had her trust in him...but when he lost that, he lost all reason. So for him to come back the next day and tell her ki "ache logon ke saath hamesha acha hota hai" struck me as so sadly ironic. He's done nothing, all this time, but try to help her. As Megha said yesterday, he's fought both of their families and the world, and gone out of his way to make things right for her. He is so pure at heart and tries so hard to do good, but what does he get out of it? More humiliation? Loss of the trust of the one person who's trust mattered more to him than anything else...even his own ego/pride? And yet there he was, still reassuring her, trying to make her believe that no wrong will ever come her way simply because she's beautiful person (discounting the fact that his opinions are biased).
And then came the final blow..."tum jaise do chaar aur mil jaaye na zindagi mein, toh uss par se bhi vishwaas uth jaayega." The pain in Mohan's eyes on hearing that mirrored the shattering of his heart...the loss of everything he'd stood for. But Mohan wasn't just deeply hurt by her words. If her words shattered his heart, they also shattered his hope...hope that one day she would allow herself to love him back. And in losing his hope, Mohan regained his practicality. He realized he couldn't go on pretending that Mrs. Vyas could (or would?) ever be HIS Megha...
Anyone in Mohan's shoes would have decided to pack up and try to move on with life...after being accused, berated, criticized, mistrusted, and humiliated, Mohan had completely struck out, and as he said, "ab bacha kya [tha]". His anger and irritation at the way things turned out was completely justified (Huge thanks to the CVs for making Mohan so true to life instead of a mahaan 'holier-than-thou' type). Everyone has a breaking point where they can endure no more, and with Megha's final words, Mohan had hit his. He had lost more than he ever imagined he would. His search for the details of the happenings with the flyover began with wanting to bring Denanath down. He had no clue who Amar Vyas was, and how he was involved. When he got to know his precious Nanhi's father was the victim, all reason for his investigation changed...it became more about proving Amar's innocence...and when he fell in love with Megha, it became much more personal...it became about restoring her family name, fighting for her belief in the fact that Amar was innocent, erasing the pain in Her life. (I can't ignore here that Mohan DID print the "facts" and accuse Amar at first, and I love him for that... for standing by his principles and telling the "truth" whether he was by then personally invested in the Vyas family or not... he laid everything on the line [even his beautiful relationship with his Chavanni] to stand by his principles. I love how upstanding the character is. It wasn't until he found out he had been wronged that he decided to undo the damage he'd done...and he would go to all lengths to do it. Even then, it wasn't just because of his love for Megha and Chavanni, it was because Mohan Bhatnagar, the crime reporter, would have gone in search for the truth no matter what. Though, being personally invested at that point only fueled his fire).
And so he packs up (I'm still wondering how he got the entire apartment packed up SO quickly...especially since he did most of it single-handedly, as Guru could do nothing but stand there and stare at him in disbelief). Decides to be kind to his heart and remove himself from the mistrust and doubt...to move on and try to forget about his beloved Mrs. Vyas...after all, he'd done all he could to try to help her, and it had gotten him no where (Not that he had ulterior motives, but he didn't expect he would lose Megha's trust and friendship. He even said earlier that he wasn't sure if Megha would ever forgive him for taking the CD and not telling her, but he trusted in their mutual trust and friendship...he never thought he would lose that too...it's like he said earlier after the first ILU scene, he didn't want to do anything to lose the relationship they had...even if he could never have anything more with her. The BG score is so befitting here - "tujhe paaoun ya na paaoun, khona tujhe main na chahoon").
Undoubtedly it was Megha's last words that made him adamant to leave. If she hadn't said what she said, he wouldn't have made such a big move (literally and theoretically speaking). His resolve was so powerful that not even his Chavanni could stop him. I have no doubt that when Nanhi was trying to stop him, he was playing Megha's words over and over again in his head. (Let's face it , Spidey would do anything for his Chavanni...even put an end to his 'I'm moving out' drama...the only thing that solidified his decision was that, as he said, he couldn't stay in the mohalla knowing that Megha had lost all trust in him.) The pain reflected in Mohan's eyes as he ignored Nanhi's pleas was one of deep sorrow...he was deeply sorry that for once, he couldn't give his Nanhi what she was asking of him. And it killed him.
I have to take an aside and give the CVs a standing ovation for the way they handled the Mohan-Jiji-Papaji scene. Love the way Mohan stepped up and didn't allow Jiji to apologize (he's so upstanding...tho I shouldn't dwell, lest I go into fan-girl mode). Besides, it wasn't Jiji's place to apologize...she was the one Vyas (spare Chavanni) who had always helped, understood, and stood by him, without questioning his motives. His "kaash sabka dil aapki tarah saaf hota, aur Nanhi ki tarah masoom'par sab sayane hai yahan'sabka dil toh patthar ka hai" was gut-wrenching. I realized then that everyone thus far had been worried about themselves...no one gave one thought to what Mohan was going through...how hurt he was. They were all hurt by his supposed actions, but no one stopped once to take into account how their words of accusation would hurt him. Loved how Papa-ji couldn't even look Mohan in the eye...loved his hesitantly folding his hands in front of Mohan...not quite knowing how to apologize or if his small apology would be accepted or not (Incredibly acted by Srivastav-ji). And LOVED Mohan for being the genuinely kind-hearted person he is, and for accepting the apology mutually. (THANK YOU AND HATS OFF TO THE CVs FOR THIS SCENE'it was SO Very Moving).
Back to My Mohan-Nanhi (I really do love this duo more Mohan-Megha or any other duo in the show). Gah...what can I say about these two. Never have I seen a relationship so pure. Mohan-Nanhi have always treated one another as equals, been there for each other, and become each other's confidants. They have nothing to hide from one another, and their relationship is free of all judgment. Their trust in one another runs so deeply and has never faltered (which is why Nanhi was the only one that was NOT surprised that the news channel getting the CD/proof was all Mohan's doing. She trusted that he would stick to his promise and prove Amar innocent). Mohan would go to the end of the world for his Chavanni...which is why her final plea shook him to the core. If Mohan can't bare Megha's tears, he surely cannot bare to see his Nanhi's tears. Her tears moved him to relying on the bike for support because surely he would fall beneath the assault of her tears on his heart. (Have to commend Palak here...she is SUCH a brilliant actress...her teary "aye chavanni...sunna" was remarkable! What a powerhouse of talent she is.) His words to her, in this scene were heartwrenching. "Tu chahe jitni bhi badi ho jaaye, mere liye vahi rahegi...Chavanni." ...Because a little girl never grows up for her father...she's always his little girl. And when he promised her that he would always be her Spiderman, and be there for her whenever she needed him, he wasn't just saying that to pacify her. He meant it. Whether he moved away or not, despite his equation with the rest of the Vyas parivaar, his relationship with his Chavanni would NEVER change...and he WOULD be there for her, rain or shine, whenever she needed him. It was just a simple fact that he knew in his heart to be true. The chin-touch scene made my heart melt...again, not getting into it because then I will gush about these two to no end...but, I am so very glad that Papa-ji was witness to it. That he got to see just how special Mohan-Nanhi's relationship was...and how deeply it was rooted. A final kiss on her head, and it took everything he had in him to quickly get on his bike and drive away...before he lost what little strength he had left in him to leave his Nanhi forever.
Cut to Yesterday's episode...(the intensity of the entire scene was reminiscent of Yudi's suicide scene in LRL...)
"Kahan jaa rahe ho?"
"Pata nahi. Aur pata hota bhi toh nahi batata"
The way he looked at her...questioning what she was doing...why she was there...stopping him. An inkling of hope rose in his chest for a split second, and then he shunned it away. I love how matter-of-fact Mohan is. No, he wouldn't tell her. Why should he? He only gets in her way, and causes problems for her, right? And anyway, why should she care what he does?
"Maafi mangne ka haq bhi cheen liya?"
"Maafi toh mujhe maangni chahiye'"
'I should apologize...for leaving you no choice but to lose your faith in me. Sorry I've made things so hard for you.' Love how he says it with such attitude and a hint of sarcasm. Almost as if he's challenging her.
"Sorry bahut chota shabd hai Mohan. Maine tumhare saath jo kiya, iske liye. Tumne hamesha mera saath diya'"
"Haan toh maine ye sab iss liye nahi kiya kyounki mein ek crime reporter hoon. Iss liye kiya kyounki main tumse pyaar karta hoon." (Notice the 'TUM'...instead of the usual 'aap' [well, not usually, but he does try...cut him some slack for tripping up from time to time...may have something to do with his untied laces?])
Wearing his heart on his sleeve and bearing his soul because he really has nothing left to lose. Love that he was so matter-of-fact about it...no airs, no over the top confession. He had already confessed before. This time, he was simply stating the facts...telling her the truth that could not be ignored. Megha wasn't unaware of his love...but hearing it from him again affected her the same way it had when he first said it. She never imagined he would say it again...especially after he laughed it off the first time. But she lowered his eyes from his then, as if to say 'I know'. His voicing the truth left her speechless...
"koi ehsaan nahi kiya maine'" He had to tell her he wasn't doing her any favors. He did what he did not only because he loved her, but because he would have gotten to the bottom of it all no matter what. He would have fought to prove Amar's innocence no matter what. He didn't save Nanhi for her, he saved Nanhi because it was HIS Chavannii. He made it a point to tell her he wasn't doing her any favors, because ehsaan toh parayon pe kiye jaate hai. Apno par nahi...aur uske liye Megha apni hai...parayi nahi.
He said he never wanted to tell her he loved her again, but that he had to. Because it was the biggest truth of his life and he shouldn't be running from it. Why should he? I couldn't agree more. Mohan HAD to put it out there again because at this junction, Meghan cannot move forward in their relationship (whatever that may be), without facing it...accepting it. They could no longer continue under false pretenses and turn a blind eye to it. But, would Megha be able to move forward knowing it? Would she be able to accept it as fully as he needed her to? If not, then why was she trying to stop him? If she didn't care about his feelings, then why did it matter to her whether he left or not?...and so the question...
"Kiss haq se rok rahi ho mujhe?"...as if to ask 'hum aapke hai kaun kaun?... Kya lagta hoon main tera? Because you've made it clear you've lost trust in me, so we no longer have anything to base our friendship on...'
Loved Mohan's rebuttle to all of her excuses..."Chavanni ka haq...Renu Bhabhi ki problem...Unki CHAHAT..." But he demanded an answer from her. He Needed to know that she trusted him. He wasn't looking for her to confess her love or anything overtly dramatic as that (if she had, Mohan would have looked at her like she was crazy...or fainted). But he needed her faith in him if he was to continue living next door. He couldn't live there under false pretenses, like he said. Having seen her nafrat, he couldn't live there and keep consoling his own heart...giving himself false hope.
I'm glad Megha had nothing left to say to him. She looked at him as if to say "why do you have to ask? Can't u see why? You know I can't answer that, but why can't you understand my actions?" ...and with that, she simply walked away. It would have been too soon for her to say anything personal to him. And her actions said it all, didn't they? She was stopping him because she didn't want him to leave. Why couldn't he see that? Why did he insist on hearing her say it?
At home, when Nanhi asked if Spiderman was coming back, Megha uttered a firm "nahi" ...as if telling her own heart that he would never return...that she should accept it and like Nanhi, try to move on.
So what makes Mohan return? It's so simple. Akdu, irritated Mohan's light upstairs took a moment...but eventually he realized what it meant for Megha to come and stop him. Despite her not saying anything, she was saying so much. These two have never needed words before (nor have they ever been very good at it), so why was he demanding her of them now? Her stopping him was a bold move for her...and in the end, it was all the ishaara she needed to give him. And besides, if he didn't come back, he would be negating his previous comment "yehi mera sach hai. kab tak bhagta rahounga maine isse...aur kyoun?"
The smirk on his face when he came back said it all: 'I'm sorry, I understand, who was I kidding...you know I can't leave you. No demands, no expectations, Let's move forward...' Loved the small smile playing on Megha's lips when he returned. Though I'm sure her inner joy mirrored that of Nanhi's outward elation.
I was really looking forward to seeing Mohan-Nanhi reunite after their 'goodbye' scene. The way Nanhi ran and clung to him...the way he hugged her tight and put his chin on her head...it was more than I could have asked for. Beautifully PERFECT. (GAH I LOVE THESE TWO!) ...And the way his playful eyes looked at Megha...I was just waiting for him to shrug in the way only Mohan does...but that look said it all...it was a call of truce, a silent 'I love you', and the promise of a beautiful new start, all rolled into one.
Mohan's final words..."aaj aapne bhale hi apna haq na jataya ho, lekin woh din aayega, iss umeed se nahi, balki iss yakeen ke saath vapis lauta hoon." (Notice the 'aap' instead of 'tum' here...) Mohan has said before that he doesn't expect Megha to reciprocate his feelings...even now, he's not hoping she will...his yakeen is in the fact that she will allow herself to accept their mutual trust and friendship, and not be afraid in accepting the fact that he means something to her (whatever that may be), that he holds an integral space in her life and heart...whether he ever gains her love or not, for now, all he needs is for her to accept that he's important...in whatever little way...and sooner or later, he knows she'll allow herself to. His last words were a promise, of the beautiful relationship that lies ahead...and the beginning of a new equation in their lives. I look so very forward to seeing their new relationship unfold...to see these two start off on a beautiful new journey together.
My thanks to the entire team of 'Na Bole Tum' for making a show so pure and truthful that you can't help but live every emotion with the actors and root for them every step of the way. To the actors for bringing the characters to life so very beautifully. And to Mr. Kunal Karan Kapoor who's awe-inspiring, straight from the heart, simple, and truthful portrayal of Mohan Bhatnagar (perhaps because he is "45%" [plus 44.9%, if not more] Mohan) inspired me to write this. The entire team deserves a standing ovation, and every conceivable accolade out there.
As always, just IMHO...
EDIT: Sorry for any mistakes as I didn't have time to re-watch the episodes while typing this up, nor did I have time to read over it before posting. And again, apologies for the length. Thank you for your time.
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