The question I wanted to ask for a long long time!!

Ok..

I haven't even watched this show... not even an episode.. But I kinda followed it.. Maybe I just couldn't escape it... it was all over the place...

I know the story.. thanks to my friends and wiki.. (My friends are Arylies but not forum waasis)..

I know that the show just took a leap.. and I thought now is the perfect time to ask this question..

Why was 'Imilie' successful while 'Mohi' was a failure?

Both are remakes from the same bengali serial 'Ishti Kutum'

In fact, when I saw the first ever promo of 'Imilie', I was like.. didn't they do this already? Yes!! they did!! They did it with 'Mohi'.. I had to google it at that time..

I haven't watched any of the show... but was really curious from a sort of 'research' POV..

What did this PH do better that the other one couldn't..

Was the difference from a 'tribal' girl to 'village' girl that big of a difference?

I am so interested about the difference of acceptance of two similar products.

And before anyone say Aryan Singh Rathore as 'the' reason... Imilie was way famous before Aryan's entry...

Audience were really invested in the love triangle Adithya-Imilie-Malini

Also, just mentioning it...

I hated the story of 'Ishti kutum' from what I read in wiki.. Maybe the wiki was not the correct source.. but oh! God!

That was the reason, I didn't watch Imilie..

Just saying.. not to offend anyone... just wanted to get it out of my heart

Originally posted by: umawanderer

I haven't watched any of the show... but was really curious from a sort of 'research' POV..

What did this PH do better that the other one couldn't..

Was the difference from a 'tribal' girl to 'village' girl that big of a difference?

I am so interested about the difference of acceptance of two similar products.

And before anyone say Aryan Singh Rathore as 'the' reason... Imilie was way famous before Aryan's entry...

Audience were really invested in the love triangle Adithya-Imilie-Malini

@bold: Surprised someone actually is acknowledging that basic fact😆. I've read many claims that apparently Imlie was famous in the beginning only cuz the show was airing during the lockdown days😆.....as if people had nothing better to do in lockdown than to force themselves to watch a story that supposedly was "terrible" 😆.

As for your question....I've seen some epis of Mohi and the reason for its failure was clear - poor casting and lack of nuance in the storyline.

Imlie succeeded from the beginning because they were able to execute a very complex storyline with a lot of class and grace. It was not merely a story of bigamy as many are quick to dismiss. It was a story of three characters and their lives interwoven in extremely complex circumstances beyond their control....that was the hook for the audience that invested in that storyline. It isn't bigamy that automatically pulls in audience for "shock value"....it's how you show a complex situation and what can lead to such a case where a man who was married to one woman ended up marrying another.

Aditya was shown as an honorable man who wanted to do right by his promises and commitments but kept getting trapped in circumstances beyond his control. Imlie was a girl who was willing to sacrifice her life to save others without thinking where the path will take her. Malini was a woman who's whole existence only revolved around wanting a man......this journey was about how the paths of these three characters criss-crossed in all kinds of dramatic circumstances. The story was named after Imlie so she was the central character around which everyone's journey ultimately revolved and the audience also became invested in wanting to see her win her rights after all the injustice she faced. That was the core of the story for about 200 epis.

After that the makers didn't have a plan and just devolved with time into random gimmicks. Some people latched on to the new gimmicks, others didn't and the show inevitably winded downwards only.

But since you brought up the Mohi comparison, that parallel only holds for the original triangle which was very compellingly executed in this show along with some superb performances from the cast. The Tripathi family was very well cast too and helped create a bond with the audience originally.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

@bold: Surprised someone actually is acknowledging that basic fact😆. I've read many claims that apparently Imlie was famous in the beginning only cuz the show was airing during the lockdown days😆.....as if people had nothing better to do in lockdown than to force themselves to watch a story that supposedly was "terrible" 😆.

As for your question....I've seen some epis of Mohi and the reason for its failure was clear - poor casting and lack of nuance in the storyline.

Imlie succeeded from the beginning because they were able to execute a very complex storyline with a lot of class and grace. It was not merely a story of bigamy as many are quick to dismiss. It was a story of three characters and their lives interwoven in extremely complex circumstances beyond their control....that was the hook for the audience that invested in that storyline. It isn't bigamy that automatically pulls in audience for "shock value"....it's how you show a complex situation and what can lead to such a case where a man who was married to one woman ended up marrying another.

Aditya was shown as an honorable man who wanted to do right by his promises and commitments but kept getting trapped in circumstances beyond his control. Imlie was a girl who was willing to sacrifice her life to save others without thinking where the path will take her. Malini was a woman who's whole existence only revolved around wanting a man......this journey was about how the paths of these three characters criss-crossed in all kinds of dramatic circumstances. The story was named after Imlie so she was the central character around which everyone's journey ultimately revolved and the audience also became invested in wanting to see her win her rights after all the injustice she faced. That was the core of the story for about 200 epis.

After that the makers didn't have a plan and just devolved with time into random gimmicks. Some people latched on to the new gimmicks, others didn't and the show inevitably winded downwards only.

But since you brought up the Mohi comparison, that parallel only holds for the original triangle which was very compellingly executed in this show along with some superb performances from the cast. The Tripathi family was very well cast too and helped create a bond with the audience originally.

Thanks for such detailed answer.

I guess.. Casting does sometimes make or break a show.

I was seeing the wedding promo of 'Mohi' and the ML in that is smiling in his second marriage..

I don't know if Adithya smiled in his second marriage..

but when I saw the Mohi promo, I could understand what you were saying. The 3 characters are in complex situations.. and yet the acting by them did nopt convey that.

Maybe the writing was also much more crisp in case of 'Imilie' than 'Mohi'.. as the actors can only do as they have been told...

@red: I didn't know that... I thought everyone knew 'Imilie' was famous because of the love triangle.. I had to sit silent and hear fierce debates while having no freaking idea about who the hell Malini was or why Imilie couldn't tell her the truth...😭😭.. Ah!! perks of being a non-regular!!!

Originally posted by: umawanderer

Thanks for such detailed answer.

I guess.. Casting does sometimes make or break a show.

I was seeing the wedding promo of 'Mohi' and the ML in that is smiling in his second marriage..

I don't know if Adithya smiled in his second marriage..

but when I saw the Mohi promo, I could understand what you were saying. The 3 characters are in complex situations.. and yet the acting by them did nopt convey that.

Maybe the writing was also much more crisp in case of 'Imilie' than 'Mohi'.. as the actors can only do as they have been told...

@red: I didn't know that... I thought everyone knew 'Imilie' was famous because of the love triangle.. I had to sit silent and hear fierce debates while having no freaking idea about who the hell Malini was or why Imilie couldn't tell her the truth...😭😭.. Ah!! perks of being a non-regular!!!

You're welcome 😆

Casting correctly goes a long way but at the end of the day, the actors also have to live up to the content.

The writing as well as direction for the original conflict points in Imlie was bang on. The audience feels the suffocation and despair that Aditya and Imlie felt over being forced into a marriage. They could feel for the tragedy that even though Imlie was technically Adi's wife already, they couldn't reveal the truth to Malini (who kept fainting each time Aditya tried to tell her the truth) or tell Imlie's family that Aditya didn't accept his marriage to her cuz the villagers would kill him. Then later on not being able to reveal the truth to Aditya's family as well because of the hurt it would cause them.......These conflicts weren't just surface level....they were sold compellingly in every one of those first 200 epis, that is why the show got such high TRPs and was in the top 2 for that entire phase.

The entire execution of keeping that secret about Aditya-Imlie's forced marriage and then the evolution of Aditya-Imlie's relationship and falling in love with each other against remarkable odds was done very compellingly. They kept the focus on respecting consent....Imlie accepted at that point that Aditya only loves Malini so she didn't want to stake her own claim as a wife since she felt Aditya didn't accept their marriage. It was only later when he realized that he does indeed love her and has only ever known true love with her that the story took a turn.

It's not so simple as whether or not Aditya was smiling during his second wedding....lol but to answer your question - no, he was mostly stressed out the entire time because he was also worried about Imlie simultaneously and kept wondering what will happen to her. He was ready to reveal the truth the day of his wedding to Malini but Imlie was the one who stopped him again out of regard for Malini's feelings and the emotional attachment that Aditya's mom felt to Malini.....again, it was all people making choices at various crossroads that drove the story. That is how it happens in life as well.

I think the story was executed well and the casting was superb.

Sumbul being the best, Gashmeer and then Fahmaan - were good.

the two families - Tripathi & Rathores & ofcourse Malini

Though the story line has faltered many times the actors were the ones who kept it up. There was a simplicity in this serial nothing too jazzy. The lead is a simple girl without any attitude !!

Sumbul and Fahmaan were too good.

This girl Sumbil is just too good. Which heroine can pass off such a simple look so well. She does not even need make up. In the world of glamour when everyone is putting so much make up this girl managed to be on the top with her good acting !!!

It was their good attitude towards their work and giving 100% . Not easy at times when the script did go downhill and illogical at times.

Timing.

This show premiered in Nov 2020, the world was mid pandemic, lots of restrictions in movement, lock downs and work from home.

The whole of entertainment industry has flourished from 2020 to 2022.

That being said, the original creative team and actors were very good. Everyone put best efforts and made it worth the time for viewers.

I started watching this for the complex character of Aditya and it was executed beyond my expectations which involves both acting as well as writing.

When my mom told me that they already had same story in Mohi , I went back and saw few episodes and could not connect with the actors..

Atif used to mention when show started that they have put a lot of hard work to make in different in execution from all other adaptations.

Like AYji said, here the trauma and pain of both Adi and Imlie was shown so beautifully that I couldn't help but fall in love with them and their world and their complexities..

Originally posted by: aarti1234

I started watching this for the complex character of Aditya and it was executed beyond my expectations which involves both acting as well as writing.

When my mom told me that they already had same story in Mohi , I went back and saw few episodes and could not connect with the actors..

Atif used to mention when show started that they have put a lot of hard work to make in different in execution from all other adaptations.

Like AYji said, here the trauma and pain of both Adi and Imlie was shown so beautifully that I couldn't help but fall in love with them and their world and their complexities..

Aarti ji, I take all of Atif's claims about the original story execution with a BIG bagful of salt now😆.....in many ways it feels like tukka hi lag gaya in the first 200 episodes despite a clown like Atif being in charge😆 cuz just take a look at the other trash he's made before and after this😆.

I would add that a big part of the hook in the initial days used to be the way they handled that whole phase of the lies piling up despite Adi and Imlie both trying in their own ways to dig out of them....the way they used to struggle with the weight of the secret and the burden of guilt used to make for a very compelling watch cuz these were two good people with no malice in their hearts still somehow being buried under the weight of this secret that kept them connected.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

Aarti ji, I take all of Atif's claims about the original story execution with a BIG bagful of salt now😆.....in many ways it feels like tukka hi lag gaya in the first 200 episodes despite a clown like Atif being in charge😆 cuz just take a look at the other trash he's made before and after this😆.

I would add that a big part of the hook in the initial days used to be the way they handled that whole phase of the lies piling up despite Adi and Imlie both trying in their own ways to dig out of them....the way they used to struggle with the weight of the secret and the burden of guilt used to make for a very compelling watch cuz these were two good people with no malice in their hearts still somehow being buried under the weight of this secret that kept them connected.

Yes ofcourse Atif looks like a clown now. Actually I had my questions about his integrity when after giving all the hints about Adilie being the endgame throughout the year he quickly jumped to other side. Like he had no regards for people who have been showing him all the love and respect. Even if you have to switch sides for any reason, show some grace and respect man.

I am a sucker for complex characters. Characters who look bad on the surface and their situations make them even worse but they have pure love in their heart. Like Rhett Butler in Gone with the wind, his love for Scarlett was a constant when though Scarlett kept getting married, then there is Severus Snape from Harry Potter series and now AKT.. now I come to think of it.. all three had incomplete love story but that's okay.. their love was as pure as it can be..

It amazes me that, even though Adi Imlie relation was based on Imlie’s faith but all Adilie fans will remember it for Adi's love as Imlie’s faith wavered in the end.