Posted:
There is extensive use of fire symbols on the show starting with the Sun, candles, lamps, bonfires etc. The name "Agnihotri" itself has fire in it! I am attempting to understand the significance of candles/lamps in this post.
A lit candle has three components - wax, wick and flame. Wax represents body, Wick represents the soul and flame represents love, wisdom, hope, happiness and courage, depending on the context.
In the Kolhapur hotel room scene, Aastha panics when the door gets jammed, leaving her trapped in the room with Shlok. As she starts pulling at the knob, her hand slips and she falls back into Shlok's waiting arms. In this scene, the camera focussed on the wall lamp behind Shlok first and then the focus slowly shifts to Shlok's face. This indicates that, though he wants to shut out love and compassion from his heart, it is still there. That is the reason why he wasn't able to go through with his plan of tarnishing Aastha's image.
When the power goes off, he himself lights the candle at Aastha's request and covers her with the dupatta she lost in panic, thus returning her honor. He gives the saree meant for the Goddess and then the candle to her. She takes both, which means that these feelings are burning in her as well.
When she comes out dressed in the saree, Shlok walks towards her mesmerized. In that shot, Shlok and Aastha stand facing each other as he holds a candle and there are two lit candles in the foreground, indicating that the flame is burning in both of them. The wax spills and burns Shlok's hand when he was lost in Aastha. He doesn't even feel the pain, until Aastha takes away the candle from his hand and starts soothing his pain by blowing air. Spilling of wax indicates that the passion he suppressed for long is spilling forth. He doesn't even realize that he is getting attracted to Aastha until she takes away the candle from his hand and starts fanning his desire by blowing air on the burn. His defense mechanism sets in and he blasts Aastha.
In the 7-AUG-2014 episode of the Stranger Challenge, Aastha brings the candles to their bedroom when the power goes off. She bumps into Shlok and spills the wax on her hand. Shlok soothes the burn by blowing air on her hand. This is an EBP of the scene in Kolhapur hotel room where wax spilled on Shlok's hand, but this time it is Aastha whose suppressed passion is spilling forth. She withdraws her hand and tries to mask her feelings in playfulness. Shlok gets pissed off and tries to spill some hot wax on her himself. So if she doesn't acknowledge that she needs him as much as he needs her, he would even force her to realize.
On the very first night of their Stranger game, Aastha walks into their bedroom to check on Shlok. He grabs her and holds up a lighter to take in her beauty. Here too the flame indicates love/passion. Their shadows cast on the wall behind and Shlok's blue shirt on the sofa covering Aastha's shadow is also very beautifully shot. My detailed take on this shot here.
In the 7-AUG-2014 episode, Anjali brings many candles in a plate to Jyothi's room, symbolizing celebration, cheer and happiness. She first asks Aastha to take a candle to Shlok's room. Next, she tells Sita to light a candle in the study where Niranjan is lounging. She doesn't give Sita a candle from her plate, but instead tells her where the extra candles are and asks her to light those for him. Then she places a candle in Jyothi's room and finally she passes one to Varad. She is lighting the path to happiness for all her kids. She is the one who told Aastha that if she loves Shlok enough, she will take care of him when he came home drunk on Valentine's party. That is the moment Aastha started caring for Shlok again. She is the one who stopped Abhay, with Aastha's support, from taking Jyothi away. She will probably sort out Sojal-Varad-Mansi issue.
In the 8-AUG-2014 episode, in Niranjan's study, there were three lit candles in a candle holder. This reminded me of the nursery rhyme "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over the candlestick." The origins of this rhyme are interesting. This jumping over the candlestick is a game played as part of a wedding celebration. Each person had to jump over the candle without putting out the fire. If someone jumps successfully without extinguishing the flame, that person will have good luck for one year. If the candle is blown out, that person will have bad luck.
The three candles in Niranjan's study are burning brightly. I think, the center candle is Niranjan and the two candles on either side are his trusted aides, Anjali and Shlok. I think, Anjali and Shlok will support him in the near future when Aastha will try to prove his wrongdoings. In 11-AUG-2014 episode, during Jyothi-Sid marriage, Anjali was stealing a glance at Niranjan when the pandit was telling the importance of "Mangalsutra". I think, her sense of duty towards Niranjan and the institution of marriage will not let her go against him.
After her late night rendezvous with her Stranger/Husband Shlok, Aastha bumped into Pawar and starts thinking about the purpose of his visit. Meanwhile, the power comes on and she puts out the twin candles she was holding in her hand. She will go through a bad time in the coming days, I think, because of lack of support from both Anjali and Shlok.
Other instances:
There are times when a single candle is lit in a dark room, like for Jyothi in Sid's apartment, symbolizing hope. Also, Aastha lights a diya near Tulsi while Shlok was making an attempt to deal with his past sitting on the terrace. Here too, the lighting of the lamp symbolizes hope, I think.
Aastha talks to Anjali and Niranjan about the 50% partnership and Shlok is enraged that she didn't discuss this with him. He was actually angry at her for trying to separate from him. There was a lantern in the room in this scene. Lantern's purpose is to light one's path. Here in this scene, its probably lighting their path towards each other, because Shlok pulls Aastha to him in this scene.
The first night after coming back to the Agnihotri house following the court order, Aastha took a lamp to the guest room, when Anjali tampered with the power supply in order to send her to Shlok's room as per Niranjan's wishes. She was scared at that time and the lamp here symbolizes her attempt to gather courage. When the lamp is put out by wind, she found comfort in the darkness himself, Shlok.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My other posts in this series Symbolism in a Shot
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
Current Affairs
Bigg Boss 19
