Why Kumkum Bhagya fails to be an Epic?

So here comes the post on Why Kumkum Bhagya fails to be an epic?'.

I know I am posting a lot today but I need to get over this before I go off from IF. Need to study from tomorrow onwards.

This show has made me go crazy. Apart from the entire Sense and Sensibility part that I mentioned previously https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kumkum-bhagya/4253126/why-kumkum-bhagya-is-not-sense-and-sensibility

Also I wrote one on my idea of adaptations https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kumkum-bhagya/4254691/whats-an-adaptation-to-you

There are many other things that are so wrong with this show. Main one being that it gives out all kinds of wrong messages, like if you are rich you can get away with almost everything, women are either stupid(Pragya) or evil (Aliyah) or both evil and stupid(Tanu). In laws are always bad and your sister in laws are root cause of all troubles, it's okay to have extra marital affairs as long as you don't consider yourself married police can always be bribed and the only time they do their duty is when they are against good people, etc.

In fact even the men are not spared. As per this show all men are either incapable of thinking for themselves or pushovers.

There is Aakash and Tayaji who are bossed by Tayiji, Raj who is pushed over by his wife Mitali, Suresh who is blackmailed by Abhi who inturn manipulated by Aliyah and Tanu and Purab who is beaten and scolded by everyone, poor guy. Did I miss someone? Maybe robin or chai wala or someone. Sorry how can these measly people do something that the great Abhi can't do? Use their brain that is.

And when he does use his brain what does he come up with? Torture Pragya and the Aroras plan in disguise of catching the culprit red-handed. And yet I say that this show could have been an epic. Why?

First let's see that.

-it has great actors who can pull of any scene with ease.

-it has amazing chemistry between the lead pairs. This is something that cannot be created. It has to be there naturally and this show has it.

-basic plot of the story was something that could have been dramatized in a good way.

So now let's see where this show failed.

-First thing makers should have decided what they wanted this show to be. Passionate love story, family drama, story of the bond between two sisters, a show sending out a social message (I hope not), etc. they should have seen what they wanted as their main focus. Or maybe they did. (note: never ending misunderstandings)

-the character build up was bad. They were not well thought of. All these characters do is serve some kind of misunderstanding or drama to the plot.

-characters are inconsistent to the point that many of their actions and reactions make no sense.

-there were just too many misunderstandings. No matter how creative and forward we are the one thing we want and believe is truth triumphs but here there was just so much negativity that it got frustrating after a point.

-the entire portrayal of women wearing modern clothes are witches or characterless. This is not only regressive but it sends out the wrong message that women who are wearing modern clothes are easy to approach especially if you have money. As a woman Ekta should have been careful about that.

-also the only way people in this show are innocent is if they are dumb. If they are smart they automatically become cunning and evil.

-working women and their profession was mocked. Pragya is a teacher who can go on an infinitely long leave and Tannu is dumb and shameless because she is a model. Also Tannu has no talent and the only reason she gets work is because she is Abhi's girlfriend. Really? This is how woman are treated today?

Now let's see the characters that are portrayed in the show so far.

Sarla Ma: she reminds me of Mrs Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, who was just as hysterical and fragile with regards to her daughters' marriage. It seems totally contradictory to the fact that this is a woman who runs her house alone without any male help and brought up two daughters all on her own. This could have been actually used as a strong point though to connect with the viewers if it had been played right. Having been abandoned by her husband and spending her life alone if Sarla was shown to dread that this same fate may befall her daughters then it would have worked wonders. Instead of so many nonsense MUs if this plot was given a little more time I think we would have been able to connect to her plight. Also they should have cut down a little on her constantly blaming Bulbul for Prgaya's marriage break up. Her blaming Bulbul would have also been explained if she saw herself in Pragya hence more reasons for her to fear the fate.

Abhi: what can I say about this guy? He is a character which totally defies logic. He is like a hero taken out directly from Judith Mcnaught's Regency era books. His total distrust in Pragya and believing the stupidest things against her is just like Clayton Westmoreland from her Whitney! My Love' where Clayton goes as far as almost raping Whitney when he believes that she had been sleeping around with guys whilst being engaged to him. Whitney forgives him too easily like what Pragya will end up doing but Whitney at least had reasons to forgive because she was actually planning to elope with her childhood crush. Also she does try to stay away from him in the beginning when Clayton out of guilt leaves her. And later Whitney also has to regret her decision because Clayton again doubts her when she gets pregnant when he finds an old note in her drawer. And this time Whitney leaves him till he falls on her legs and begs her to come back, literally. I cannot explain the entire story as it has too many factors playing in it so if you can't understand me try reading the book. Personality wise Abhi reminds me Tsukasa Domyoji/Gu Jun Pyo of Hana Yori Dango/Boys over Flowers.(Japanese/Korean drama)

Aliyah: this character could have been grey. Obsessed with Purab but loves her brother dearly. It is always nice to see grey characters rather than black and white. Shikha is a good actress. In Mahabharat too she was good as a loving sister to Draupadi but totally obsessed with her revenge against Bheshma. They could have done so much with her. They could have shown some childhood moments, shown the bonding between the brother sister duo. That would explain why Abhi trusts her so much. Also Abhi working hard for her sake and then when all this turned overnight so did Aliyah. Her pride in her brother turned in to vanity. The days when his fame started could be shown where Aliyah was so proud of her brother that she believed he could do anything and slowly that turned to I am his sister so I can do anything. Anyways ekta likes to drag her serial for years so instead of these senseless misunderstandings she could have given background story for each character. And who wouldn't love brother sister bonding scenes in Indian drama. Remember IPKKND where there were some beautiful Arnav-Anjali scenes. There too he married Khushi for his sister but people could at a certain level connect to that. So why would Abhi-Aliyah fail?

Tanu: I hate what they did with her. This character had a lot of promise. For one she was a supermodel. And that meant she was good. But all they used her for was as a plot device. Nothing substantial. The actress was pretty good. Why couldn't they for once show a working woman as well...not evil huh? Why does every woman in Ekta realm who comes from the glamour world has to be a villain. It is not necessary to make everyone who is not the heroine love the hero only for his looks or for his money. Why can't the viewers be made to feel for anyone other than the heroine? Tanu was Aliyah's best friend and knew Abhi and Aliyah from before he became famous. She dated him. Even then she was an aspiring model. And trust me it is not at all easy to be a model. So she needs to have some strength of character. Then why oh why is it always needed to be shown that it is Abhi's name that gives her work? As a woman I really feel bad for that. Why her profession and her character can't be kept separate. You know it is always nice when you see that someone other than the main lead deserve even the slightest of chance. Tanu could have been a girl who loves Abhi genuinely but gives her Career higher priority. It makes her practical rather than born evil and also her attempts to oust Pragya would seem motivated by genuine feelings for Abhi which is much less negative then what is shown.

Purab: I don't have much to say against him. Just that I wished he was shown as someone with a voice which is now being shown but is kind of a little late.

Bulbul: she could have had little more scenes with her sister. I just feel that this says about their love for each other rather than show it.

Pragya: I understand now what they wanted to be her story. But I guess it was not so well presented. She just seems too submissive like any typical Ekta heroine or even more. but then Ekta should not have set this up in 1st century. Yes the timeline does make a huge difference contrary to belief. Because we know that in certain timelines women were meant to be like Pragya and that does not come out as regressive. Also this entire Pragya keeping quiet for Abhi because she loves him might have worked if only there were not so many misunderstandings that it seems like everything is unfair to her because she wants it to be that way. Anyone is reminded of 50 shades of grey? :D

Many would argue that our Indian culture teaches us that women are meant to bear the pain and stay strong. That's a wrong conception. The stories of Mahabharat and Ramayan didn't tell us that Women are weak. No. in fact these stories strongly send out the message that once a woman is wronged nothing can gain you forgiveness. When Sita was asked to give a test of her purity she was wronged. Then she never looked back. Again when after years for her children's sake she entered the court and was again asked of her purity she proved it by saying that if she was pure her mother the earth would take her within her arms. Ram begged for her to stay but she never listened. In Mahabharat Draupadi's humiliation in the court caused a bloody war where everything was destroyed and the ones who wronged her were brutally killed.

Pragya's main problem lies in the fact that not only she loves Abhi unconditionally but that she actually believes that whatever she does in her love for him is right. She never once wishes that she should have never loved a man who doesn't love her back. True she is desperate but she doesn't accept that which comes out as either she loves taking abuse or she doesn't have a sense of self.

Here is a post on what I think was missing in the write up of this show. A basic write up of the story which I think would have worked.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kumkum-bhagya/4255991/my-version-of-kumkum-bhagya

Another thing I wanted to discuss was how Kumkum Bhagya dramatic moments that remain with us forever. It has a lot of drama but not those Goosebumps inducing dramatic scenes which are one of the most important parts of and epic. Not many Hindi serials have achieved this task but there are some which at the mention of it makes you think of that serial. So here is a post on some of the most romantic moments I have ever come across.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kumkum-bhagya/4255994/some-of-the-most-romantic-moments-i-have-ever-come-across

-Love Ayuzawa

Amazing post!! 👏

You have delivered so spectacularly on the title, it was immensely gratifying to read. You've covered everything so thoroughly and I basically agree with you on all points so I don't have anything constructive to engage with you on 😃

I really loved the insight that Sarla could have shown to fear abandonment of her daughters. That would've been so fitting and so powerful and so much more compelling than the randomness of her hysterical health (which doesn't fit with her lifetime of independent business ownership, as you've also pointed out aptly).

I adore the idea of showing how Aaliya's pride in her brother became perverted over time into this baseless self importance - it's a point I've had trouble understanding about a character I really want to like, and thank you so much for expressing it that way.

And I think your most perfect line must be on Tanu - why indeed can we not separate her profession from her character. In many ways Tanu is a standard villain and I can find lots of narrative/genre excuses for why her story has been handled as it has, but ultimately you're right, she had the potential to be so much more and it's beyond disappointing to have missed that opportunity.

And Pragya! Oh yes, how I so wish Pragya would be angry and resentful with the universe about loving a man who doesn't love her back. At least for a little while. My mental version of Pragya certainly has more of that kind of emotional core than the incoherent version of Pragya on the show.

Thanks again for the post and for taking the time to detail your thoughts! All the best on your exams, come back and sooth us with more analysis later, hmm?? 😊

Wonderful post!! Loved every word! 👏

Originally posted by: -mina-

Amazing post!! 👏

You have delivered so spectacularly on the title, it was immensely gratifying to read. You've covered everything so thoroughly and I basically agree with you on all points so I don't have anything constructive to engage with you on 😃

I really loved the insight that Sarla could have shown to fear abandonment of her daughters. That would've been so fitting and so powerful and so much more compelling than the randomness of her hysterical health (which doesn't fit with her lifetime of independent business ownership, as you've also pointed out aptly).

I adore the idea of showing how Aaliya's pride in her brother became perverted over time into this baseless self importance - it's a point I've had trouble understanding about a character I really want to like, and thank you so much for expressing it that way.

And I think your most perfect line must be on Tanu - why indeed can we not separate her profession from her character. In many ways Tanu is a standard villain and I can find lots of narrative/genre excuses for why her story has been handled as it has, but ultimately you're right, she had the potential to be so much more and it's beyond disappointing to have missed that opportunity.

And Pragya! Oh yes, how I so wish Pragya would be angry and resentful with the universe about loving a man who doesn't love her back. At least for a little while. My mental version of Pragya certainly has more of that kind of emotional core than the incoherent version of Pragya on the show.

Thanks again for the post and for taking the time to detail your thoughts! All the best on your exams, come back and sooth us with more analysis later, hmm?? 😊

Originally posted by: Lkb79

Wonderful post!! Loved every word! 👏

Only thing I would add is - the relationship between Abhi and Pragya is way too imbalanced in so many ways. The MUs got it started but it continues on in other ways. He gets all the power and agency. She gets none. Even now she couldn't save herself and walk away. He had to save her. Now she will be even more lattu and grateful. If she does manage to save him, he never knows it or someone else gets credit (further MUs, as you mentioned). Why should only she get to see his (very little) good qualities and he not see all the many wonderful qualities of hers?

It's become a pattern - this lack of equivalency. It's really hard to root for a relationship like that. IMO, anyway.

Just saw him slapping Aliyah and regretting AND then saw him holding the silly woman {pragya} and kissing her . All I can say is YUKS! Now this show is an EPIC FAIL.