FINALLY …………………. SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
I started seeing this show at the recommendation of my friend Kools. She and I both invariably ended up liking Krishna the character a few months ago (about the time of the pregnancy track). I thought Krishna's character was unique/engaging and the concept of the show itself was interesting - the fate and marriage of a middle-class girl who unconventionally marries a tough guy.
As a newbie, I thought both characters had been developed well and the story itself had lots of potential based on the original synopsis.
Then I started reading posts about how the show was supposed to show a woman's struggle and emancipation in a "realistic" manner and actually influence societal progression in India. As the show progressed, the female protagonist's every action, decision and reaction was scrutinized and in many instances vehemently defended.
Kools and I joined in the passionate "debate" and looking back in a retrospective light , I cannot help but be amused at my own foolish attraction to a show where the female lead's saga was a comedy of errors and pre-emptive strikes, the male lead's "character whitewash" was undertaken in the name of civilized reformation, a "by-the-book" middle class family went on flights of self-perpetuated misery and blatant hypocrisy and the unavoidable "zero" element of female emancipation and struggles in all tracks.
Thankfully, my expectations of even the miniscule amount of realism about "relationship highs and lows", "a lone woman's struggles in a patriarchal stronghold", "the upliftment of the vulnerable women", "the leverage that education brings into a woman's life" from this show dropped a long time back. Even as an "off the shelf" soap, the storyline however has been predictable and even corny quite often.
The Arushi Thakurain track is unexpected and distasteful to those still expecting social entertainment or an alignment with the original synopsis focusing on Krishna and Pratigya's marital merry-go-round. I agree. It seems however that more realistic element of the lead's marriage is being deferred or discontinued for whatever reason (limited creativity, viewer inability to handle anything other than Kriya, etc). So might as well have this track to fill the ever widening entertainment void, right?
I think this track (though not my first choice for entertainment) has the potential for being interesting and is necessary to even the playing field for the following reasons:
- All along Pratigya has been battling characters who are "obviously" negative by virtue of their illiteracy and orthodoxy - Now we will get to see her tackle the "negativity" dealing with an educated, orthodoxy-assuming contemporary in-law.
- All along Pratigya has been "fighting the good fight" against illegal, immoral Neanderthals who she feels no attachment or kinship to and therefore is able to quote principles and law in a detached self-righeous manner - Now we will get to see her "fighting the good fight" against a "legally-of-age" bigamy-committing criminal who she definitely has a very strong sense of kinship and attachment to (??). We all know the track record when Adarsh and Shyam Saxena had a brush with the law, right?
- All along Krishna has rebelled against his brother and family in a most disrespectful and disloyal manner in defence of his wife – now we will see him experience a taste of that of so sweet poison as his brother imitates his actions (??)
It is these expectations that make this track so interesting for me and while the production house's efforts to date have been below par in "true" entertainment, I am hoping that they do not disappoint here.
I honestly do not believe that the Aman - Arushi track had even half the potential here. Well let's see what happens until then we will reserve further comment on this track.
On another note:
- Shyamji invited every living soul he knows to see his daughter willingly choose bigamy (whether with Aman or Shakti) but did not want anyone he knows to witness Pratigya marry a rich bachelor?
- All three of Shyam's well-moulded children have married for revenge – Prats and Adarsh married to take revenge against Krishna and Arushi married to take revenge against Pratigya for supposedly alienated affections due to Krishna (??)
- Shyam was totally ineffective in instilling "book smarts" into his children (as is evident by their life choices) and SS was totally ineffective in instilling "street smarts" into his children (as is evident by their constant entrapment in the marriage bait of the revenge seeking Saxenas)
- The white-washed Krishna is currently "allowed" to do dabangi to protect Prats from Thakurain. What about the dabangi to protect Prats from naiki bahuria? Will that be allowed by the One?
- I think every time Arushi slaps Pratigya as a jhetani, Pratigya should slap Arushi as a didi and remind her that she has always been a Saxena blueblood before Singh bahu in her heart. CVs I know you are trying your hardest to gain some "sisterly" sympathy votes here but the whole "weepy depressed" thing is not working for Prats. She is a fire-starter not sob sister.
- Krishna needs to stop saying "Arushia" and respectfully call the lady what she wants "bhauji". If not, Shakti should take him to task with a machete for disrespecting his wife in his presence.
- Who would have ever thought that we would see Arushi on the musketeer team with Sumitra Devi Singh and Piyassiya?
- Naina is looking to poison herself and her family – seems the contract negotiation between Monica and the production house was unsuccessful
Wondering:
- If Arushi gets abused by Shakti, who will she turn to? Her family – she just disowned them and if Naina is successful they are all probably dead. So I guess no. Her sister? She hates her guts so I guess ego will win over misery. So then will an educated girl like Arushi who has no one to turn to act and behave in the exact same manner as an uneducated Kesar? Hmmm. Interesting.
- Will Arushi get pregnant first or Pratigya? As we know Shakti has the better track record in this respect than Krishna.
- If the Saxs are alive and call to speak to their girls – how will they react when jhetani restricts her older didi from maika communications out of spite just like the thakurain? Will they be able to claim in-law abuse like they did with the thakurain? Hmmm. Interesting.
- Now that a Saxena daughter is a champion in subjugating another women's marital rights will Shyam the Virtuous inspire Arushi as he did with Prats? I think it is time to highlight a poem, verse or quote of another Indian author. At the speed at which Arushi is moving, it think Shyam needs to consider Express Post.
- Now that the Mathur family has not other evident purpose will the Komal-Jai track proceed so that the family can stay in the entangled web of ongoing deceit.
Of course none of the above may ever happen (for fear of total loss of TRPs) but it is fun to speculate out loud.
Hope
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