I have taken Laila's comments seriously and created a separate post for my views.
Disclaimer:
For those who have already read, I have added few more of my thoughts.
For those who have not, then let me warn you,
- it is too lengthy because my comments are running parallel to each of the Abhi-Simi scenarios.
- may get disheartened, may influence your thoughts on the show, but it is not my intention.
I am not here to pin-point each and every issue. If you have read my previous posts you would know that I can easily forgive the creators for the bloopers they sometimes create, for e.g. the discontinuty of a scene, which could be in the clothes, makeup, accessories on the characters or the surroundings. These can be easily ignored.
I have gone through most all of the posts in this forum lately.
For me, it all started falling apart from that scene where Simi snaps and screams - "but you don't love me??"
That was the breaking point of the serial. Glitch #1. It was too fast ... it definitely showed Simi in a desparate state... yes, she was under lot of pressure but that made it look like she is forcing herself on Abhi.
I am just trying to put Abhi's scenarios with Simi from Abhi's point of view.
1. Abhi see Simi at the temple. He takes a look around Simi. Is Abhi attracted to Simi? No idea, but we want him to because as a viewer we know it is the same guy who always comes in Simi's thoughts about her dream-man. (The guys hand behind Simi's hand trying to ring the temple bell). Good.
2. Abhi meets Simi coincidently when she is running away from RB. He understands what the incident was about from Simi. Does Abhi at this point realised that this is the same girl whom he had seen at temple? Viewer is happy because he helps her get back to her house. Did he have any feelings for her at this point? Boy met girl again, so OK.
3. Simi-Abhi meet at Qutub Minar. He takes her pictures. They talk and he know more about what kind of person Simi is. Viewer is happy with Abhi because he doesn't think that Simi-RB incident was appropriate eventhough the guy was a fiancee. Why does he take pictures of her? Did he think she is attractive? Still for the viewer it is OK, bcos we are expecting the love to grow gradual.
At this meeting, Simi and Abhi though are good at heart are not alike and viewer is still ok, bcos oppsites attract and they can balance each other in the long run.
At this same meeting, Abhi coaxes Simi to bring the truth about RB in front of family. He is helping her.
4. Simi-Abhi meet coincidently again at Simi's house when he comes for dinner. Viewers catch Abhi having totally mesmerized by Simi. Viewers like it. Going good.
5. Abhi doesn't want to get caught by Anita with Simi's photos. Viewers like it, think he must be attracted. Going good still.
6. Abhi overhears Simi-RB conversation. Viewer is happy because track is going in the right path.
7. Abhi follows Simi to the park where Simi meets RB. Knows truth about RB bcos of that dropped affidavit. Story on the right track.
8. Abhi goes all out to help Simi by bringing out the truth about RB - jagraata episode. Whole scenario was totally messed up by Simi. Simi blames Abhi for the mess. No Thank You... No Sorry.
Simi is forgiven by the viewer bcos family(Manju) wants this marriage and still Abhi is anyway around and Simi's dad doesn't know the truth, so viewer still has hope.
Is Abhi helping Simi because he is a good person, friend or he is attracted to Simi?
7. Abhi crying in desperation why Simi doesn't understand she is ruining her life with RB. The excellent drawer scene by Neil to protray fustration. Viewers are fine, think he is attracted to Simi.
8. Abhi gives 1 last try to make Simi understand. The beautiful terrace scene. There was attraction written all over his face from that look. Going great. This is what viewers want too.
9. Abhi's sigh of relief when he finally gets to know the Simi-RB marriage is off. He thanking the jurnolist friend - viewers are still thinking this will grow into love eventually.
10. Simi-Abhi's overnight telecon. Viewers get to know bit about Abhi's background. This scene more looked like 2 friends chatting from Abhi's side.
11. Simi-Abhi chat while he is driving. OK scene.
12. Abhi learns from Guruji that he would be her support. Viewers though like this because they know this is what eventually would happen, we do not know how Abhi took it as.
13. Abhi-Simi meet in the park and suddenly Simi snaps at Abhi and screams - "but you don't love me!". Viewer thinks, she just messed it up again, but are sitting tight hoping Abhi understands that she is under pressure and consoles her.
Later this does not happen. They go away their paths. Abhi is shocked, but we do not know what was in Abhi's mind.
14. Abhi overhears Simi-Mili's talk about Simi's attraction. Viewer is not sure if Abhi did hear the entire conversation. No idea what Abhi has in mind.
15. Simi-Abhi talk again bcos she needs a shoulder to cry on after RB threatens her on phone. Viewer thinks story is back on track.
Here again, Abhi says - "I understand you more than anyone and have decided on something, you don't have to cry again in front of anyone anymore. We'll meet tomorrow". Here viewer like Abhi who is totally in control of what he is doing but again thinks what does Abhi mean by this? Isn't it too fast to say all those?
16. Abhi is rehearsing in front of mirror. Caught with bouquet flowers. Viewer again is puzzled with what is in Abhi's mind.
17. Anuj-Anita's marriage scene - Abhi-Simi's great chemistry with attraction written all over all of their scenes and Abhi repeatedly reminding Simi to meet. Viewer is kept guessing.
18. Finally Abhi asks Simi to be a friend. Dejected look when denied and totally dejected when Simi goes away. Viewers sympathize with Abhi for bottling his feeling inside. Viewers understands it may not be appropriate to confess so soon afterall. Track is accepted.
19. Suddenly we have Abhi confessing to Simi like a kid. A total change from the strong Abhi, to a totally unsure if he should confess, to being kiddish.
Yes, I have left some more scenarios between the two, either because I didnot remember at the time of writing or it was intentional as it is some more of the same scenario.
Some of the members on this forum have described scenarios for the 2 so aptly (refer other threads).
IMO, if not 1 more date, they could have extended the confession on phone scene itself to express themselves when and how it all happened. Instead they let them speak about babootar and babootari! Not convincing at all.
Though viewer was happy for Simi, the scene didn't have any magic, was too sudden. In all the above scenes (1-18), it is viewer who is always assuming what Abhi's feeling are. Sometimes it is very clear like the terrace episode, marriage episode, but not clear in others.
How and when did the attraction transform into Love?
If we as viewers feel something is not right in a scene, then how come the creators of the show who are so experienced in this field can't indentify where they are wrong with a particular track?
Facts are not dynamic, but are constant, they do not change but are extended/built-on as we progress, if it is not done, there comes the mis-match, the disconnect with the viewers.
As a viewer I feel cheated, my thinking just ignored and since I started watching this show with the expectation that this is not one of the run-of-the-mill shows, I am just proven wrong.
In the visual media of communication, the story teller uses, his characters + dialogues + voice over, to tell the story.
When he relies on the characters + dialogues, the acting(emotions+bodylanguage) by the actors along with the words(dialogue) convey that story to the viewer.
The acting and the words(dialogue) should match to the story and should have a flow (consistency) maintained.
In Abhi's case, the emotions + bodylanguage did convey to the viewer that he might be attracted to Simi (It is not obvious all the time), but he was not given the words(dialogues) up until the confession, that he really was attracted and has already fallen in love.
As I think back, one of the main reasons for this could be the overnight telecon scene with Simi. In this scene we come to know a lot about Abhi (good job by the creators of building the character with the facts from his past).
Viewer comes to know
- Simi is not one of the 1st girl he is meeting.
- Simi is not the 1st potential girlfriend he is going to have (fact from a different scene).
- Simi is not the 1st girl he is attracted to.
- Simi is not the 1st girl whom he could be attracted to who is older than him.
Viewer has an idea that Abhi is attracted to Simi, but since the viewer has the knowledge about the above facts, there is a doubt in the viewers mind if this guy is really serious about this girl or is it just not like one of the crushes he had at the age of 12!
The creators never gave Abhi any dialogue to support that the actions, emotions were in fact LOVE, they always maintained a worm of doubt in the viewers mind until he confessed like a kid.
View the 2 scenes [a)#15 above - a totally in control Abhi b)#19 above - Abhi confessing like a kid], side-by-side and see if it bothers you. If it doesn't good for you. If it does, then I am one among you. Thats all.
I have beaten this topic to death now. I am still hoping that the creators would use Abhi's character to justify why they did what they did in any future episode.
For now, I've taken it off my chest and want to carry on further. I still like the show as it still is maintaining my belief that even with few major glitches, it is proving to be different from the rest of the shows.
I like this forum too because I found this forum has varied views light, humorous, to the serious ones and am happy that I could express myself seriously(I have written some light thoughts too) and to have come to know some like minded people.
Arjun
Cricket
