being single - Ram & Priya

I was thinking about the promos for the show and how many of them refer to this show about a story of two people falling in love after marriage. However, I always thought that description missed the mark on what made the original such a loved and different show. There are so many dramas where our leads marry and then fall in love. We have gobbled up so many shows in that format that it is actually nothing new. So no, this show isn't just about people finding love after marriage. It was about two people in their 30s who are single and then finding companionship with each other.

As I shared in another thread -- the core of the show was about loneliness, wondering whether you have missed the boat, being surrounded by people but still feeling left out, of being past a certain age where all your friends and peers are already settled while you are not. I am really glad they have kept these notes because that is what made Ram and Priya so lovable in season 1. They were not conventional leads who are young and in their prime. Instead, it was realistic in its portrayal of how difficult a transition can be to share your space with someone. Something I remember and made me laugh was about how about Ram struggled to give up cupboard space for Priya. It was hysterical but also realistic -- after living on your own for so long, you can get possessive even for shelves in a cupboard.

If you are single and have been on your own for a long while, you can relate to the loneliness of Ram and Priya. Maybe you are happy with your job/studies but still feel a tiny pang that something is missing. If you are on the older side for the arranged marriage market, then you are familiar with the awkwardness of being the single person in a room while others are all settled. You know the feeling of being slightly left out and can relate to how Ram and Priya struggle in social situations. You can relate to the frustration of being slathered with well-meaning intentions of friends and relatives who want you to get settled and try to set you up with different people. Part of you wants to tell them that you are just fine on your own but at the same time, you know their efforts are from the heart. So just like Ram and Priya, you may have gone on dates and met people even when you are reluctant. And if you are quiet and reserved or just not flirty, then you know the pain of Priya who gets rejected on date for being too serious, too old, too whatever. Have you been rejected plenty of times in the arranged marriage market? or just in the dating pool? So even if you are not in your 30s and single, we can all relate to being rejected and feeling like we weren't quite good enough -- so that is what makes the characters of Ram and Priya special.

They were about two people who were not necessarily super good looking or really charming. It didn't have the silliness of a couple in their 20s who are constantly bickering for no reason (though it can be entertaining in a funny way to watch). Instead, it was just two lovely people who have missed the prime zone of the marriage / romance market and then figuring out how to live with each other as adults and forming a tight companionship. Romance for those in their 30s and beyond is complicated. You have full blown lives and history and are set in your ways. Your past has shaped you in more ways that can be easily described and so it makes it that much harder to let someone in. The drama was about letting people know that it isn't too late to have a grand sweeping romance and you don't need to be super sexy to have it. That's what I loved about the show (well I managed to watch only 150 eps or so. I tend to lose patience after that and stop watching. 😂) There were parts that were over the top but it was written from the heart when it came to covering a romance for those in their 30s and how difficult singlehood can be in our society.

After a long time, I am back to seeing a Hindi soap. Based on the first two eps, I am excited that they have kept what made Ram and Priya special. They have kept the core elements of the show and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be entertained. 😊

Beautifully put 👏

This show is so refreshing because the protagonists are realistic and different from protagonists of other hindi soaps. Ram is shown as a jolly but sensitive man whom we saw getting teary-eyed in the 2nd episode itself. Priya is shown as a serious woman who tries to put forward a strong face in front of the world, but sometimes has break downs when she is alone because of repeatedly being betrayed by people closest to her.

Both Ram and Priya are broken from within and will heal each other ❤️

Originally posted by: unicorn1

Beautifully put 👏

This show is so refreshing because the protagonists are realistic and different from protagonists of other hindi soaps. Ram is shown as a jolly but sensitive man whom we saw getting teary-eyed in the 2nd episode itself. Priya is shown as a serious woman who tries to put forward a strong face in front of the world, but sometimes has break downs when she is alone because of repeatedly being betrayed by people closest to her.

Both Ram and Priya are broken from within and will heal each other ❤️

Thank you. I like that Ram is so openly emotional. I think it takes a lot of guts and also self-confidence for a man to be upfront like that especially when it is not really encouraged. He does have a lot of EQ and is able to say the nicest of things -- the bathroom convo was a great example. I like that Priya is strong but is vulnerable. Every time she goes to do something, she has a little pep talk with herself where she tells herself that she will be okay and she can do it. It shows that she isn't some superwoman but is forced by circumstances to step up and be strong for everyone else. With the bathroom scene, we see the first instance of him healing her. ❤️