Hello baisas,
I apologize for being MIA for the past few days. My family came to surprise me for my birthday and spent the entire weekend with me! They just left about 3 hours ago. The second they left, I kid you not, I binged watched July 30 to August 2 episodes. Shweta was kind enough to keep me in the loop by PMing me the Takes that Diya and the rest, despite their agony, still took the initiative to make. I applaud them for their dedication. 👏
Rudra, The Anguished Lover - Broken, yet Strong
"You will lose someone you can't live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through. It's like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp."
-- Anne Lamott
I finally got around to watching the dreaded July 30th episode and it was heartbreaking. I know many people were appalled by Rudra's lack of reaction to Paro's death...but I say that his lack of feeling expressed far more than what tears can do. Shock, utter shock that his Paro was dead. It's a common reaction among people who lose a loved one. He lost half of his soul, but he chooses to continue life...to continue to live for his wife, his son. Because life goes on for the living. And just how cute is this father-son duo? The first scene after 7 years is them sleeping side by side in the same pose! *squeal*
Now, the August 1 episode - first of all, fantastic direction! Whoever was directing, kudos! Finally, we see Rudra break down. Many were disappointed by Rudra's lack of ...emotion at Paro's funeral. I honestly think it was because of Rudra innate sense of control...he was staying strong for his son, for Paro because of the promise he made to her. But, his breakdown after seeing his beloved's wife look-a-like finally showed us that the loss of his Paro still affects him 7 years later. He's still grieving. That definitely smoothed down any ruffled feathers. My favourite part of the episode was where he was questioning Bholenath for hurting his son, telling him not to give him this hope. I honestly cried there. I felt Rudra's desperation and helplessness to protect his son for all harm - be it physical or emotional. I also understand his reasoning for leaving the BSD. He's punishing himself. Because he couldn't save Paro in time, he decides to lose the one other thing that is most important in his life - his job.
The Ranawats - Cherishing Memories
"We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."
-- Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook
I'm so incredibly glad the CVs are continuing to bring Paro in the RR 2.0. She is not forgotten, not our hearts nor in theirs. JJ, Hope, Diya, Shutter, Shweta, Tennessean and others explained that exceptionally well in their previous Takes so I'm not going to be redundant and talk about that. But, I have to say that the little nuances the CVs bring in these episodes remembering Paro melts my heart! For instance, (1) Maithili remembering Paro's love for imli and Dhruv sharing that same passion and (2) when Dhruv asks about his mother, his Maasi tells him exactly how loving and wonderful she was and how she sees Paro in him every day (his laugh, his nose, etc.). Not only are we cherishing these memories of Paro, so is her beloved family. I love the fact that we started RR 2.0 with Paro's picture watching over her King and Prince in bed. It brought a smile to my face despite the morbid first half of that episode.
Dhruv - The Saving Grace
"A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station."
-- Bill Cosby
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ashish is a fantastic, natural actor. In the new RR, you can see the grief and sadness expressed in his eyes. Dhruv is truly Rudra's saving grace. Without Dhruv, Rudra would have died the same day Paro did. Rudra is only living for the happiness and well-being of his son, the son he made with his Paro.
Dhruv has a lot of Paro's mannerisms - her love of imli and most importantly love for Rudra, his Papa, her Major-saab. How cute is Dhruv calling him "Papa"...I always imagined Rudra being called Bapusa, all formal and all. This shows just how well father and son have bonded with each other. They truly have this "you and me against the world" mentality going on. I like how they talk to each other about stuff no matter how painful it might be. Dhruv telling his father about seeing his "mother" clearly showed that. As well as Rudra apologizing to Dhruv that he didn't believe him before but also affirming that the woman was not his Mumma.
The scenes where Dhruv is following Rudra around into the BATHROOM of all places was just too cute! And him looking into the mirror to see if he's got a mooch like his Pappa was absolutely darling! The new Dhruv is just as adorable as the old one. I know we've all bonded with the first one, and so it's hard to see someone else play Dhruv, but let's give this new kid a chance, eh? 😉
Ranawat Juniors
Koel is a beautiful name (isn't that the name of the sister in Parineeta?) for a girl and she is so cute in her role! I love how closely knit the brother-sister duo are. This is exactly what Paro wanted for her son, a little chotti behen to masti with! They most definitely bring the sweetness in the new RR and I always have a smile on my face when they interact!
Paro or Myrah?
"This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me joy, thank you for loving me and receiving my love in return. Thank you for the memories I will cherish forever. But most of all, thank you for showing me that there will come a time when I can eventually let you go. I love you. "
-- Nicholas Sparks, Message in the Bottle
Hats off to Sanaya for getting into character so quickly! As we have seen in the past couple of episodes, Myrah is COMPLETELY different from Paro in mannerisms and in the way she speaks. But today, we saw some similarities. Myrah is definitely as direct as Paro but of course a lot more verbal! She does have a soft heart and ready to defend those in need.
A couple of days away from the forum has given me a clear head. Life does go on, no matter how much we throw tantrums to the unfairness of it all. All are speculating as to what Paro could not say before she died: I'm pretty sure it was for Rudra to find happiness in his life, with someone new. Paro's main purpose of existence was for Rudra (and now Dhruv) to be happy and healthy. And with Paro's selfless heart, I wouldn't have expected anything less.
Now, do I see Rudra falling in love with Myrah? Absolutely not. Despite being identical to Paro in looks, Rudra fell in love with Paro because of her personality and moral character. He's not shallow. The looks of a khusboorat aurat will never make him fall (he has had 15 years of training). Paro was the ONLY exception - they had a soul bond and childhood connection to consider. They were destined to be together no matter how much they fought it. The key here for any type of relationship between Rudra and Myrah would be Dhruv. I'm hesitant to say love story because unless Rudra starts seeing Myrah as Paro, he will not think of her romantically.
Now, the million dollar question: Is Myrah...Paro? Rukmani thinks so! Who else started jumping up and down when our titli-dose appeared? ME! I'm on the FAITH bandwagon and I say HELL YES, IT'S PARO! Rudra nahi toh Paro nahi. I'm starting to trust the CVs once more. They haven't left Paro in the dust...she is still very much part of RR.
I'm looking forward to seeing how RR 2.0 shapes up to be. Although it is a completely different feel from our previous RR, it is no less interesting. The mystery surrounding Myrah (is she Paro or isn't she?) and will Rudra and Dhruv ever get their happily ever after is more than enough to keep me hooked!
A piece of advice for everyone: I think that the way we should go about watching RR 2.0 is to have NO expectations. Let's just go with the flow and enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
Edited by khushiarnav88 - 11 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
