A wake up call!

Dear StarOne/ Cine Vista,

This is the'aam aadmi' petitioning you to please give us viewers some credit.
While cinematic liberties make for some great visual indulgences it shouldnt by extension imply we have dysfunctional brains.

The theme of the show, apparently, was to highlight the plight of ladies being deserted by cheats who decamp with their wealth under the pretext of matrimonial bliss thanks to the obession for anything NRI.
Mind you thats a serious issue you have touched upon.Its a fact that lives have been lost,destroyed and real people with real lives have been affected.
And, hence,you shall tread ever so lightly on such a sensitive issue and a social evil.

The episodes running to the first fifty, at about the time the protagonist makes her way to Delhi have been superbly executed. Kudos. Neat performances.
Believable screenplay. An underlying social message. Kudos!!!
Now, the story has to go ahead , which was always the LOVE story around the theme of NRI marriages. Fine. Makes for one helluva plot.
Between 50 and 200 episodes, you have shot and canned one of the most entertaining love story on the small screen. Applause!

As viewers we donot wish to be nitpicky and we can overlook a WHOLE lot of errors/idiocy/needless drama glaring at us the whole time.
As long as the love story is gaining momentum we are fine.

You cannot write a decent script? "GET HELP". I shall be glad to help for free.

This is not misdirected anger. Nor do I wish to berate anyone here. May I repeat I am one of your dedicated audience. Only a lot more sensible than you give me credit for.

Shows come and go, but can the Indian TV ever forget Buniyaad, Hum Log, Udaan to name a few?
And being part of the industry who better than you to come up with answers on that. You have a reserach team and a whole lot of crew on hand ( yes ,we are watching when the credits roll during the show).
Please have your writer and director, run any new ideas for the story with the common man alongside your " creative team". That should give your some honest, real world perspective.

Yes, small or big screen, you are the dream merchants. Undeniably so , and you have a tough job on hand. And you may think its easy for us to comment when you are working hard at it. If you take every Tom Dick Harry's opinion you will never get any show done.Agreed.
But please stop ridiculous twists in your plot. It may make it engrossing enough till the next episode but it also makes you look like dumb ass.

Your show is not the regular saas-bahu fare or the holy **** dished out in the name of reality shows. I think that appealed to the masses. Please retain that integrity. Make room for rationality, sensibility and simplicity.

I could give you 100's of bloopers right from the begininng but you are better off reading through the comments segment. For now I shall give you the most recent, yet rather cheap one you pulled off.Please explain, for the sake of sanity.

a.how does a woman not show a bump during pregnancy after the first trimester? Your show is running for about 9-10 months now. The pace of the story notwitstanding, your leading lady has been in Delhi for more than 3 months now.

Please be responsible of what you wish to air in the name of twists and turns to the plot and garnering TRP's. Its not wise to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs but donot trade in the story for 1000 episode landmark.

Its tragedies that distinguish been-there-done-that love stories from the legendary ones.
So ,we can stomach a whole lot of contortions in your script.

All said and done , you have a fabulous show on! Good luck in the new year.Looking forward to such a beauitful love story ( in a long long time indeed!!!) unfolding graciously.

Today's episode was quite a turnaround. In under 12 hrs , our lady is critical, the family is battling Mom vs baby dilemma and a young romance lurking in the shadows.

The doctor is breezing in and out making emphatic statements on every cue. Not a single sequence was novel in its execution. MK and Matarani's scene.Since time immemorial such scenes have been part of movies, tv shows and its a case of overkill. When the scenes and even dialogues are predictable theres is no fun. Besides it sends across the message that

Had a brainwave a couple of days ago but never got to explore that bit.

Since the show has quite a knack of springing surprises, how bout a volte face and taking the story to a whole new direction?

u've summed it up quite well tht there is nothing much left to add 😊.

I wish I was more tech savvy. Just lost all of the really long post I had painstakingly typed out in the last 37 minutes.

A stupid error message that said: In order to protect our forums from Link Spam we DO NOT allow Newbies to post Links on the forum till they have more then
25 posts made on the forum.

Grrr! meri mehnat pe toh paani phir gaya na....aur phir aaj ka episode khatam hote hi , laptop uthaya aur jhatpat likhne lagi thi...
ab wahi flavor apne is wale attempt mein lana mushkil hoga.

Bade buzurg kehte hai na , "Ab pachtaye kya hote jab chidiya chug gayi khet."So, here' s the reproduction version of the original . Geez! I never even got to proof read my post.

Since I began on a discontented note, let me liven it up before we proceed.

A big "Thank you."

a.To those who responsed and liked the thread.
b.To those who have appreciated my style of writing and made some very encouraging comments.
c. (a) and (b) its a pleasure and honor.Looking forward to your support and guidance. There will always be room for imrpovement.
d. finally, thank you for the inputs to the thread.

So now that I am done with the thanky you's, let us get back to why I joined the forum and subsequently to the discussion board with all the fellow followers of GHSP.

I think it would be an iteration of a million voices when I say today's episode reached greater heights in terms of being
emotionally charged and intensely enacted, rating high up on the entertainment quotient.

Let's dwell on the highlights, one at a time. (the one's i dont mention, please contribute)

1. Acting-MK delivers one of his best performances on the show.The portrayal of a man, torn between his dilemmas and guilt is sensitive yet emphatic.
Not to mention the chemistry we have come to love so much has revealed another facet- that of maturing and evolving.
I will have to keep mum on the rest of the cast as I had no patience and was pre occupied with anitcipation. Since no one in particular
struck out like an eye sore I take it they have been sufficient.

2. The twist- The issue that dogged last two episodes has been resolved. A very sensitive bit of writing by the creative team and delicate handling of the turn of events. In its entirety the incident has taken the Geet-Mk's bonding several notches up.In the run up to the D Day on wednesday there shall be
many a slip between the cup and lip yet we audience are rejoicing.

3. The inherent message. Now that's one too many. I think I interpret way too much and read a whole lot between the lines.

Dadima's conversation with Geet is a classic example of the older generation passing on their wordly wisdom to the younger ones,
so they can sail smooth through the troughs and crests created by waves that characterize our life.

MK's moral stance in particular appealed a great deal.

We live in an era where relationships are on the fast lane and getting quicker. Ficklish and at times spinning out of control. MK's character makes me sit up and take
note of the need for owning up to our actions and reactions. The character's commitment to nurturing their relationship is astounding.It's a universal truth that
love flies out of the nearest window with time but its honesty, integrity, and trust that form the paradigms for any binding relationships to last an enternity.

Likewise,Geet's stance, on owning upto the responsibility that motherhood calls for was delicately portrayed.

Both, Geet and MK's characters are evolving into individuals who put others/each other before themselves such is their understanding for one another.
In a man eat man world of ours today, though fictional and in a daily soap,they warm my heart.

I had never been much of a TV person and a better part of GHSP , I watched them on India forum. The battle for the remote at home is rarely won by me. Sigh!
And that makes me ponder. For someone who has trashed daily soaps, berated most of the popular shows, aired hateful comments and opinions all along, why the fixation with GHSP?
And here's what I came up with. A list of what I like about GHSP. Once you are through with it, please add some of your own.

Note: Not numbered as sequencing shall seem like I am assigning comparative ranking/weightage.

Barring the times the story required a certain amount of physical violence and verbal assault to lend the scenes credibility, the show has been suqeaky clean and
not exaggerated or overtly dramatised.

The language. Hindi with liberal dosage of punjabi has always been respectful. Even the vamps and villains mouth acidic dialogues without resorting to expletives.Such
a welcome relief from mumbaiyya slang or addressing in first person. That a lesson in etiquettes.

The wardrobes. The stylish Maan ( well he carries off everything with equal elan!) The simple Geet (as said on the show, " she would look fab even in a rucksack".)
The elegant DadiMa ...So on and so forth. Nothing over the top or inapproriate.

The actors. Most of the regular characters apart from lead pair have grown into their roles and are very convincing. All actors of Handa clan were superb.The first 50 episodes
were what did me in.The next 50 got me hooked. The following 50 addicted .Sigh!!

The direction. The screenplay. Dialogues dept could do a lot better though. Occasional brilliance is fine but sustaining is the key.

Finally,The Romance. This I keep for the last since I have a lot to vent.

Disclaimer: All opinions expresssed herewith are personal and apologies if that hurts some sentiments.

As mentioned, I dont really watch much TV. Hence,before arriving at these views I suffered through some of the crappiest episodes of shows that are scum on the
face of this earth so I could talk out of experience.

Emotional Atyachar, Splitsville, Axe your Ex, Love Truth Cash..... You get the drift??

Most of the participants on the show feature teenagers, mostly. Almost diabolical and ironic that these shows revolve around "relationships". Though a negligible % they are
representative of the mass, called the " youth". And if what transpires on these shows are any indication, the nations youth is nosediving into moral decline. Headlong!!
A strong statement, yes. But then it's a personal opinions. Strong cause it irks me to no end as also saddens.

The most recent one I came across had a dozen odd PYT's vying for a boy's attention. The task was to please the boy in question to earn points. So you have youngsters strutting
in itsy bitsy , resorting to worst kind of seduction on national tv and faking all of it!! Worse, the camera then pans to each of them interviewed on the sets. The language
used, the manipulative attitude, the foul tongue....sends chills down my spine.
I do wish, youngsters would take ( moral) responsibility for their actions and reactions and for heavens sake they are on TV. Raises doubt over social/moral/cultural/ethical
degeneration.

And at the other end of spectrum we have MK's and Geet's romance. Platonic.Subtle.Profound.Pure.Magical.Beyond the physcial manifestations of "love". The old world charm, where eye's speak volumes when the
lips doth not move. Its for nothing that god meant eyes to be mirror of our souls and while eyes are the beholder of beauty, skin deep or not, they are the key to unlock
mysteries of the heart.

GHSP is a love story. Like he M&B's. Like in fairytales.Damsel in distress and the knight in shining armor. So, why do they appeal to us even today?
Is it because they retain the true essence of romance that they cast such a spell?
Somewhere along the passage of time, we are witnessing a multitude of changes that are sweeping through modern day relationships.One can speculate endlessly.
When I watch Geet Mk on screen I can relate to that essence. And that answers my question.

With the D day set for Wednesday, amid the excitement and anticipation of it all, here's me signing off.
Brevity aint one of my virtue. those who have made it to the end- thank you for your patience.
Have a happy sunday!!

Okay I will fill up that top reserved slot later.

I concur with a lot of your views, what set GHSP apart was substance and style - where one was not sacrificed for the other, and whenever it does, it falls short of expectations. Those are my 2 cents additions for your brilliant essays and conclusions.

Thank you for detailing the saga of GHSP for everyone. It is needed - a spot reality check at this fine juncture. Time for a SWOT analysis and for conceptualizing a plan for future roadmap if GHSP wants to be/or set a benchmark in Indian soaps, it has to reinvent itself - apart from the flashes of brilliance like the baby scene today - we need a more consistent and well panned out brilliance overall and credible storytelling as also the old times production values that set apart GHSP from other soaps. When it caters to the gallery it forgets its real essence and becomes just another soap, so it has to realize it's own USP and as to what SET it APART.

GodHelpUs, HOW did I miss this post???

You are a hard act to follow....after all that you've written, what can I say that won't sound illiterate!

At the moment I'm speechless....your grasp over the language is amazing. I hope you are able to achieve your dream to be a writer soon.

Your take on the show matches mine but I wouldn't be able to express it the way you've done, in a month of Sundays!
Yes, the show is amazing,, the lead pair is....for want of a better word....mindblowing!
Unfortunately, the list of bloopers (all that you've said about Maan and his office staff, is spot on!) are increasing alarmingly culminating in that maha blunder about the mom and fetus bit the other day.

Again, unfortunately, it's this very lack of attention to some of the simple necessities of scriptwriting and fact finding that can make a huge difference between a good show and an extraordinary one.

(One blooper...if you can call it that...and not such a great one as it evidently didn't catch anyone's attention....is that inspite of being a big and superbly successful businessman, why did Maan take Geet to a mall(!!) to buy her a wedding dress instead of hiring the topmost fashion designer in the country? Most of them live in Delhi anyway.)

Having said that, I have to say that the Cvs, like God, move in mysterious ways. Only the other day, I was tearing my hair out in frustration and confusion over Maan making a big deal out of the Geet or baby decision....I was wondering what the fuss was all about.

Then, we get the Mother of all episodes, with superlative acting by the leads....the segment in which Maan apologises to the unborn child directly instead of confessing his transgression to the mother directly was an inspired move by the cvs...who were more or less written off for their stupidity the other day.

That and the portrayal of Maan as what must be the most unselfish and selfless character ever to be created in teledom or filmdom....his unhesitating assurance to Geet that he would choose the child over her the next time must have been the most difficult promise he's ever had to make....but he did it in such a way that his beloved never guessed or saw what it took him to do that!

It's the subtle touches like these that make us forgive the cvs for their inanities and their tendency to take us for granted.

I think I can put up with a thousand asinine bloopers if they throw crumbs like this our way once in a while!!

hi,

nice post...very true and i agree with it cent percent

how I wish this post is read by CV's....

A matter of fact and well written post 👍🏼 I appreciate that you took time out to write....some of us have voiced what you have mentioned...sometimes I feel what we say is accounted for & sometimes simply ignored... anyhow what I have gathered is that CV's believe things not to be perfect... and hence we see the bloopers all the time..😆
Blessing in disguise for them are the lead pair...The chemistry of Maan and Geet portrayed by GC and DD is what saves them at the end of the day! I am not much of a TV soaps person but GHSP has proved an exception so far...and definitely there would be no doubt to call it my addiction.

Hope in future the episodes are shown with better insight and logic.
Still kudos to GHSP team members for keeping our interest intact from past 9 months👏 I'm ignoring the phase when leads were ill. 😊