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Scheme, Dream n Sob
Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa DilMonday-Thursday, 8.30pm, Star Plus
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ) meets Pardes in Rang De Basanti land, and that's speaking strictly of the soap's broad references. If one goes by a scene-by-scene break up, more filmy formulas, including same-to-same dialogues will tumble forth. The blatant nature of the lift is indeed quite baffling. For instance, one of the establishing shots of the opening episode had Balaji's favourite patriarch Deepak Quazir (who plays a business honcho Lalit Juneja) don a suit and a hat feeding some pigeons painted in white in some square in 'Caneda' (Mumbaikars however, would immediately identify the location as one from the much filmed Hiranandani Square in Powai) literally mouthing the same lines that Amrish Puri spoke in the opening scene of DDLJ.
Cut to Punjab next, where another patriarch Balraaj Maan (Virendra Saxena of Jassi's dad fame in repeat mode) is wishfully watering a lush field spread over acres, while his daughter, Heer is reprising the Tujhe dekha to yeh jana sanam track in another corner of the field with a dressed-as-SRK-lass to the same strum effect. For more of the Yashraj effect, there's a mom who believes and lectures her lovesick daughter on the 'how and why jodis are made in heaven' (reference Dil To Paagal Hai).
Ok, these are scenes two and three, the first actually was of Siddhivinayak, Balaji, Shivji and all the other Gods of the Hindu pantheon at their respective famed places of worship visualised off a little girl's prayer tray. Not discounting the liberal shots of the Golden Temple, given that one half of the narrative is set in Punjab's Ambala, while the other at the moment revolves around homesick Punjabis in 'Caneda.' But if I am not mistaken, weren't the Golden Temple shots shown as an extension of Ambala? But then if Powai can become Caneda, anything can be anywhere in Ekta Kapoor's la-la land. Time and space have hardly been an issue in her soaps, though nothing still beats the flexibility of age on display.
Anyways coming back to the story, Heer was engaged to Prem (Juneja's son) when they were kids. But then the elder Juneja shifted to Canada with Prem becoming just a name for the Mann family with the passage of time. As regards the bride in waiting, Heer, she, since then has been running around Ambala's yellow fields guessing and singing about the whereabouts of her groom to be (as in Kis desh mein hai mera dil…!).
There are other tragic tracks too like the flashback bit on a runaway girl's story from Heer's childhood who opted for death (or escape) with her lover in a locked thatched hut on fire (a la Om Shanti Om) to escape vengeful relatives. So here's adding, one more to the list of film inspirations. Actually one can watch the soap can have a lively dumb charades or also play a 'Spot the lift' (oops! inspiration) quiz.
That's the latest on the new love story by Balaji that replaces their 'epic' TV saga of seven years Kasautii Zindagi Kay. But certain timings still remain unchanged. If the former had Komolika, the new show's vamp quotient was established on day one itself in Tasneem Sheikh's another nagging-miss act that's a shade better than her ever squirming Mohini-attam in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi. The Balaji creative team does have a soft corner for its vamps with Tasneem's character monopolising the screen presence to ample ammo effect. The rest of the cast, well, in time-honoured Balaji tradition are strictly functional within the limited acting range on offer for an actor in any Balaji show. As regards the males, God save them!
Verdict: For fans of the Balaji kind of story telling here's another edition of the production house's much used (and abused) love story with spanners saga set to ample scheming, screaming and sobbing effects with new faces on a new terrain. A prolonged outdoor (which is quite refreshing at the moment) could be the soap's lone differential, but given the pressure of a daily, it won't be long before this team too reverts back to garish studio indoors.
http://www.screenindia.com/news/Scheme-Dream-n-Sob/283098/
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