Posted:
I won't talk about Yamini today. I already cannot recognize her anymore.
But the beginning of destruction of Nikumbh's character bothers me a little more. Maybe because, personally, I have always connected to Nikumbh more than Yamini. He has always been a better written, better sketched and wonderfully portrayed character. But somehow, that is not enough. It is an odd thing coming from this show, but honestly, I can sense that it is not enough. The Nikumbh that they have created is somehow not worthy enough in the eyes of the writing team. He must comply with a "superstar" because his talent in itself is not enough to get him a job anywhere. A star must interfere. His vision must be ridiculed because apparently it is only a projection of his messed up love life, never a credible thing on its own, and because it is only a result of a screwed up past, it must be thrown away so that Yamini-Nikumbh can get along. He must be all negative around Yamini so that one day he can appreciate her positive outlook. And he wasn't like this. He has mostly been pretty positive and good-humored. Do you seriously mean to imply that the very same person that arranged a setting with fake snow flakes and electric lights to give Yamini a surprise is actually a very negative and cribbing person? I have always actually loved the way he interacted with people. A hug here, a handshake there... Last time I checked, these were all very positive gestures.
It is not about any Yamini, or Raghu, or the audience in the show anymore. The narrative seems to be treating him like a loser now, like the lesser person. Obviously, he cannot make it anywhere truly on his own because otherwise, how are they going to start the love story? Is this a weird way for Yamini to give back to Nikumbh for all that he has done for her? Because Nikumbh helped her gain her self-confidence, she must now help him get rid of his "negative" outlook? I can see this is how they are going to bring up Nikumbh's past. And Yamini is going to help him get over it. I always knew and expected them to bring up his past, but NOT this way. They treat Nikumbh like he has some sort of a disease (his "negativity"). With a known cause (his ex) and a known cure (Yamini).
It is disrespect to a character like Nikumbh. And it is sad that they somehow need to change him through and through to start their love story. I guess when Yamini will have "cured" him, he will be spouting romantic lines and happy endings! In that case, they would have butchered him worse than Yamini. To reduce a layered, mature, unique character with remarkable perception and vision to such a caricaturish character is like... Complete lack of respect for a character. And it is surprising really... I expected more from this writing team.
The writers should know this. The day they take the Nikumbh out of Nikumbh completely, that day the show will truly die.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
