11/7/11
An episode that was so lively and stress free.
KESAR'S PLAN
Kesar whistling to a tune and eagerly getting ready to implement his day's plan of bringing her childhood friend's to meet Gulaal. He left hurriedly even skipping his breakfast because he had more important thing to do.
Loved the way Gulaal asks herself "Yeh kya ho raha hai mujhe ?" when she feels it's her delusion hearing imaginary voices and it finally shocks her out of her wits to see herself face to face with her childhood friends. The bonding was good and it did not appear forced and they looked like long lost friends who just started on from where they left. That is the essence of friendship. The years of separation doesn't matter and when you meet up and talk you never feel that you have missed out on each other. You just start from where you left off.
KESAR, THE HOST
Kesar was the perfect host to the guests and a perfect friend and loving husband to Gulaal. Kesar just smiles when the friends mention him being the one responsible for their reunion. I just loved the expression of Kesar when the friends tease him saying "Aapki aankhmicholi baad mei kar lena". That gets Kesar and Gulaal out of the brief eye lock that they share, his eyes so full of love and hers that of gratitude. He genuinely apologizes for intruding their space.
Kesar has a detailed plan I guess. It appears he has already teamed up with her friends that he reminds them that they are not leaving her so soon. He also made them dismiss her opinion of staying back at home since she had lot of work.
KESAR AT THE DINING HALL
The dining hall scene was superbly done. Kesar hints at both her friends to ask Motaba for permission. I like the words Motaba told her, not to restrict herself, not to weigh herself down to the confines of the house and to live life to the fullest. I liked what her friends told Motaba that both are happy in their lives, especially Dhani saying "Dukh ko bhi khushi mei badalti hoon". Gulaal has to adopt such an attitude in life. And of course best friends are the best people to advice on such issues.
There is a sequence when Gulaal tries to convince Motaba that she has work at home and hence is not willing to go for an outing. You must see Neil's body language here when Kesar quickly looks at her friends for an intervention. It was his SOS distress call to them to interfere ASAP because he knows Gulaal's capability of convincing people, that too Motaba.
I keep mentioning that Neil's forte lies in his ability to quickly change emotions and this scene was a perfect example of that. I absolutely love the way Kesar invited himself over to accompany them. In sudden excitement over what Jamna Kaaki said, he offered to take them out. Very quickly he became wary of other's noticing his excitement. Within seconds he came up with a substantiating reason that the guests are eager for an outing, so why disappoint them, and between all the men available, he was the ideal candidate. Obviously Raman Ba would not go with them, he has no business to, Dushyant Ba is too busy being Sarpanch and also managing their factory, so he can't and as if there was no other option out, it becomes HIS DUTY to accompany them. I really like the way the men, especially Dushyant and Motaba smiled at him because obviously they knew him very well and though they knew his intentions for his wish to be with Gulaal, they quietly gave in with an appreciating smile as if saying "Okay Kesar, we know what's going on in your mind" and so Motaba says " Tera farz toh banta hai"
Actually it was so touching to see Kesar trying all within his means to make her happy but it is so heart-wrenching to see him restrict himself and find a reason rather than being able to rightfully say "This is my wife and her friends, I will take them out"
KESAR AS REFEREE FOR HOPSCOTCH
I loved the scene where Gulaal is the ideal DIL and a mature person who was helping out the lady but at the same time getting slowly drawn into the game they were playing. It was the team-spirit at play when she slowly battled between being the mature Gulaal and slipping so conveniently to the young girl so full life. Kesar gave them ideas to enjoy the moment and very maturely took a back-seat and stood aside and kept a distanced watch over foul play in the all time favorite girl's game of Hopscotch. Oh how I was reminded of Abhi playing hopscotch in Kb with those little kids until Simi came to meet him in the park. That was really cute the way Gulaal mentioned Garam Masala and when confronted changes it to Ajwain. She broke free from her own chains and screamed out like a little kid "Out, Out" and see her pride when they tell her about her smartness with a 'Yeah, obviously I am smart" gesture. Kesar was for a moment sweetly surprised when she yelled out OUT and joined them for playing.
Kesar was too happy seeing her confidence in winning the game. But the minute they mention about "Pati's love", he senses her awkwardness, as well as witnessing her mood turning worse, handled her well in politely requesting her to come over and listen to him, speaks out his mind saying he understands that it is bothering her and patiently and wisely convinced her by bringing back the winning spirit in her. He also assured her that he was with her, with a "Mei tere saath hoon", so go and win the game. When I am beside you, you will win and with that he gives her such a reassuring smile.
It appeared as though he just sweet-talked a child to get his work done by agreeing that the child was right. We generally do that to little children, like when a child falls down to the ground the guardian tells the child that it was the ground/floor's mistake, gives a tap to the ground and says, Don't worry, I have hit the floor hard, it wasn't your mistake at all, you have every reason to be angry at the floor/ground.
I can relate to an incident when Gulaal calls on Vasant's phone and Kesar picks it up first saying to Vasant that the phone that was gifted by Raman was supposed to be shared by them. Kesar in his sweet little voice tells Gulaal that it is Vasant who is speaking to her and knowingly Gulaal gives in to the child's little happiness that he fooled her and that she could never figure out t was Kesar but without his knowledge she makes him admit that it is Kesar who is speaking to her. That was the situation then, now it is his turn. He is agreeing to whatever she says but without her knowledge is making her realize her own self that she has deliberately left behind.
Kesar witnessed all sides of Gulaal today. He smiled when she was happy. He played the perfect host and saw the gratitude in her eyes. He silently found happiness when he witnessed a naughty Gulaal playing and fighting with her friends over Champa. He gave her a quiet rebuke to her tantrum by disallowing her to have a say in deciding their outing. He smartly invited himself over to accompany her. He gave her a chance to enjoy a simple fun moment of hopscotch, he did not overstep his limits and took a back seat allowing them to enjoy, he sensed her awkwardness, and he sweet-talked her by instilling a winning spirit.
He knows pretty well how to handle her mood changes, her mood swings, when to be happy with her, when to step back and when to coax her out of her mood. Now what more can she ask for. KESAR HAS CAUTIOUSLY INVITED HIMSELF OVER, TO BE HER COMPANION FOR LIFE.
Precap
The Pati,Pati,Pati chant is getting on her nerves. Loved the way he tells her that they do not know the reality of our relationship, anyways it is going to end after three months, so it doesn't matter what they think or interpret of their relationship now.
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
