Posted:
I'm still trying to figure out why exactly this show has managed to engage my attentionš.
On paper, there is nothing really pathbreaking about the story or characters. It's a simple story in many ways. A female IPS character on TV is not new...barring a few exceptions, most are poorly shown. A gunda mawaali character on TV is also not new...many shows have shown mawaalis harassing the FLs and then somehow ending up married to them.
So what exactly is it about Raghu and Dhanak that I'm liking? š...Perhaps it is the fact that Dhanak is strong, focused, direct and at the same time very feminine. Perhaps it is the fact that Raghu is a gunda but at the same time is surprisingly not cheap in his antics.
Dhanak is a dutiful, strong daughter without coming across like a caricature. Her equation with her father, the way she handles her siblings...all connected with me. The actress is playing her in an understated natural way too so that definitely adds to it.
Raghu is weirdly sweet...lol like he's not exactly a very larger than life charismatic figure...but the way he's smitten by Dhanak is actually strangely sweet...he dreams about her yet doesn't try to take advantage of proximity to her...one of the moments that stood out to me was after her earring got stuck in his scarf, he actually apologized to her before hurriedly leaving...lol and in today's episode when he sees her at the train station, he's just thinking to himself that every color sparkles on her from pink to yellowš...there is a surprising simplicity in the treatment of the love at first sight.
Or maybe it's the fact that TV these days is in an utter rut and most shows don't bother with making even token efforts to give fresh interactions to their leads...these days the definition of "freshness" is strange outlandish gimmicks that go for shock value more than human connect.
I was just struck by the first meeting of Raghu-Dhanak for the treatment of it...the simple age old idea of Juliet on the balcony, Romeo standing below all smitten...just with LED balloons added to the mixš and her wrapping a string around his finger...so simple yet so enchantingly executed...truly kudos to the team for that scenešš.
I also LOVE the theme score so far...the Bhidne Lage Naina song was an instant win for me...and I instantly thought it had a very Ajay-Atul music hangover...when lo and behold, the show even started using Ajay Atul's "Pehli Baar" song from Dhadak in the show...haha that sequence was really lovely in today's epi :)
I like the real locations they've used in the first week to add to the real feel...set design is really good in this show...and I'm liking the direction style as well...it has a natural feel to it.
I don't expect much from the show...if they can sustain this simple, endearing quality to the characters, then it will be a win for me...cuz the story is mostly predictable...but the character interactions may make it stand out.
Last but not the least...I like Raghu-Aslam's tapori bromance too...lol the way Aslam is always trying to keep him in line while Raghu is off running around per his whims...Aslam is like a pseudo nanny for Raghuš
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Jodha Akbar
