Scene 1
Let's start with naming star(let) of this scene as Mansi, who emotes like she's been Gulaal all, all, all her life long! So I don't know about everyone else, but everytime I had previously seen this aam bagh sequence, I had actually missed these few minutes of the dil hai chotta sa song filming. And watching it for the first time day before when I was downloading the next clips for upload - when i saw this, it reminded me of what Mansi said on her final blog entry as the show was wrapping up on air - of how for all these days since the launch in November, she had lived and breathed in the existence of Gulaal, day after day after minute! Watching that first reaction from her, to the sight of open sky, her just beginning to get cozy trance in the dream like reality as she calls it, having seen it, in her words - after arson - her first sight of the cluster of trees and trees and more trees, of earthly and green effused with skewing through filtered rays of the sun kinda smells like inhaling whiffs of the past, the shine in her eyes as she drinks it all in - and then that faraway distant look into times of a over a decade ago, when she was only a girl, whose only wish in life, was to live it every minute - Mansi emotes so so well, its like being a part of her soul, one that was caged - reasons foresaken for now - and one that has found this utterly unexpected moment of release, its nostalgia just now to begin with oh so delicious and tempting, it draws her in like a Pied Piper tune! I love the contrast between glimpses of the old Gulaal seen by this new one - even if in a zapped state of mind - and so many kudos for the choice of song here. Forwarding just a tad to the bit we'll be doing today - to a dialogue spoken by Talli to Kesar inj reprimand where she is telling him how Gulaal ki bade bade sapne nahin hain, bas chotti chotti ichchayein hain - this scene is every evidence of that. I think the delight of this scene, the sheer pure beauty of it emanates from the fact that beneath the very complex person that circumstances have made her to become, beneath the layers and layers of time and tragedy, still lies that simpleton straightforward easy to please golden heart, which Vasant had set out to find one day!
Of course you can figure - I love this scene. The sense of marvel Gulaal feels in this almost tangible revival of her past, even if chimerical, is so real while watching this scene, I'm right in there, a part of the scene, or even a part of her, feeling it just like that! The subtle touches like her glancing up to the bunch of mangoes - almost with an excitement in her eyes as if taking aim, or like tips of how to get the aim right are bubbling and just at the tip of her tongue - the nuances of her many levels of this euphoric emotion come in distinctly with each reaction! Mansi takes a tremendous bow for this scene - I know the GK excitement kicks in only after but just here in this bit, is so much magic surrounding her character! 👏 👏 👏
Not to forget a quick mention to Neil's expressions for Kesar right at the start as he too finally gets out of the jeep and overhears the 'girls chatter' - the ladies man, as Srushee aptly calls him 😆 I love how all the attitude and all the gruff and all the cold - and everything synonymous to those acts - are despite himself overpowered by his curious amusement at the girls. Or well, the girl. The way he dips his head for a second, to purse his mouth, before following their tracks into the bagh - is all the proof in the world, that his intrigue is too luring for the 'facade' to be held up. Kesar's reactions in the much later to come hopscotch scene at the Gulaal he gets to see then, with her friends back in her childhood, is like an advanced and much more evolved version of the reaction we get here and now. Gulaal's slowly rising wonder in seeing the world again, rubs off on him as a curiosity at witnessing this different side to her. And lest I forget to point out - I shall always think of what this bagh scene would have been like if Dushyant had driven them in fact, and not Kesar - perhaps he would have not been fooled by Talli's shortcut scheme in the first place, but ignoring that, what if this had been the exact setting with Kesar replaced by Dushyant (who was initially meant to drive them) It brings me to the conclusion, that even in the high strung tension that has existed between GK at this point - the constant wariness that surrounds Gulaal whenever Kesar is around - is only a very conscious emotion. Subconsciously, she is still as easy around him, as it was a decade ago. Because if it was Dushyant, I doubt hugely, Gulaal giving into Talli's cajoling at all. With Kesar as an chaperon (lol 😆) she can almost forget the 'decorum' required to be upheld - without even realizing she has dismissed it temporarily! It's not until she catches his eye (in the next scene) that she becomes aware of her reflexive abandon! And the boat ride that follows is further proof of how she does in fact have a strange comfort around Kesar - even at this point! I doubt she would have indulged in any of this fun so carefree - knowingly and unknowingly - if Dushyant was the escort! So yeh - just a difference that stood out for me.
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Scene 2
So this scene needs to be split into stages.
Stage 1 - when Kesar steps into Gulaal's shoes. The Gulaal before his eyes who bewitches and enchants him so completely, is the same version of original Gulaal who had Gulaal herself in a trance in the dil hai chotta sa sequence. Just seconds ago, Gulaal herself had been so caught up by the infectious spirit of the Gulaal she once was - and the Gulaal she transforms into now, with Talli's challenge, is close enough - for several seconds she is exactly that old Gulaal - and so, can you really blame Kesar to be hypnotized by the enchantress who could have her own person captivated?! It's almost like watching the same scene - that spirited laughing full of life AND open hair Gulaal chasing through the trees, with the only difference in the target spell bound this time - transforming from Gulaal herself, to Kesar this time. His feet move of their own accord, following her around his eyes as if not daring to blink lest the dream like vision should be but a figment of his imagination. While moments ago when he was following her, when Gulaal herself was following the illusion of her old self, he was more intrigued than awe-thunder-struck... but in this current role switching, he has, as if, discovered the same treasure that was leading Gulaal on only moments ago. And now, having found the same himself, he is as much a victim of its splendor, as she was - and more! For Gulaal - it was like trying to grab a piece of her own self that she had pushed so out of her own reach. For Kesar, it is like sighting an unprecedented. His scarring moment of a decade ago has wiped memories of this Gulaal - even his good memories of times with her, are far more of post Vasant death times - and the infectious quality of her spirit, this reckless abandon- he truly remembers nothing of! Its a whole new sight, a whole new world - and he follows it, just like she was - like following a Pied Piper tune, mindless of his own actions! The way this trance like Kesar chase or the ethereal revival of Gulaal ends in an almost hauntingly beautiful break of laughter. Again kudos to Mansi - her laugh, even in being almost one of a moment's abandon, and full on - has a strange hysteric quality to it - like a laugh that has been dormant so long, that it's out of touch with its own precise melody! Like a laugh, that is trying to get acquainted to its own self, trying to remember what it had felt like itself! Special mention also to the soft and dim but very effective keyboard chords of piyu maari in the BG as Kesar watches her spell bound. On a side note - the video derives its title from the moment Kesar takes his shades off - such a herogiri move 😆 - to the sight of Gullu's open hair, which as we well know takes a count of 3, 2, 1 to have him go 🤪 😆 oh-so-filmy 😆
The second stage of the scene is of course, regained consciousness by both parties concerned - the third one blissfully out of focus 😆 I like to think of this scene as an advancement to the recent chatt encounter. Where also, a moment of trance has descended these two, with Kesar being rooted to his spot longer than Gulaal - the influence of that collide and catch bit like freezing him into a 'time stands still' feeling (as Reemz titled it) over here, the daze continues, even heightens in strength, as he follows her movements - and then just like last time, one direct addressing - this time a silent meeting of the eyes - has him snapping out. But unlike last time, he neither poses his back, nor is desperate to escape the 'caught guilty' scene! Instead, after looking away initially, he hesitantly, but still, raises his gaze back to her - a conscious appraisal as if! I like how the camera first indicates the sufficient distance between them, and the look they share shows a contrast of the distance as if evaporating! The famous charge is high strung between them - whatever the 'physical' distance; and in fact contrary to the chatt scene where the proximity had sprung up some of the charge - here it is purely the characters and their history which makes this moment so live! The way her euphoria and his fantasy sort of dims out like a dying flame, but still struggles to flicker in the hope of regaining strength - is amazingly portrayed by both Neil and Mansi - but the solemnity has returned enough for the blissful oblivion to be dispelled nonetheless. And as Gulaal hastens to tidy her appearance then get up and seek out 'shield Talli' the wariness in her body language in addition to all else that the moment itself has brewed up, is evident, and so fair - given their recent history of hot and cold! But surprise surprise, because Kesar has had another of his inexplicable timeout moments where he rediscovers the existence of his heart - foregoes the ego motive et al like he doesn't know those things - the her first sign of pain is enough to have him shift alertly in his spot. Another moment of thought - although more than being a 'second thought' debating whether or not he should help her, it seems like his moment to gather the gall to go do it - and then he thinks no more walking up to her. The uneasiness and awkwardness somewhat recedes, getting shadowed by an increase in wariness on her part - wariness in gauging his approaching steps, apprehending what to expect next, because Kesar has been drive-her-insane level unpredictable these days, and partly, as the slight misty glean in her eyes indicate, from the pain of the sprain itself. So, not surprisingly, his kneeling down to sit by her is met by a suspicious and unsure look from her, before she averts and lowers her gaze. Kesar himself, looks almost like he could do better if she would only 'ask' for the help which (in his head) he has so obviously come forward to extend. But she doesn't, and Kesar again, after another hesitating moment of gathering his wits, tells her in a seeking permission way - laa! main daba deta hu - aww aww aww 😍 ☺️ is bande ko sau khoon maaf for being SO amazingly cute and endearing and concerned and oh the perfect guy ❤️ ☺️ 😆 - anyway, not digressing with my gushing - how can Gullu not let him?! ☺️ So she extends her foot slightly, towards him, in evident unspoken consent, and all I can wonder about is how Kesar refrains from commenting on her shocking baby pink nail paint 🤣 So anyway, good helpful boy (the rare avatar these days) only focuses on relieving her of the pain, her couple times of silent hissing or the contours of her face being set in pain - get those adorable concerned subtle reactions from him as much - which she doesn't notice, duh! - but the whole bit plays out so well. I like, exceptionally, the fact that despite this obvious 'touch-feel' scene to enhance the awkward quotient of moments ago - the two are actually in a comfortable ease during this little exchange. There is no touch me not live tension here, and the whole Kesar massaging Gulaal's foot to alleviate the pain of the sprain plays out like the most natural thing to happen. And any place else, it may have been incredible to imagine - but here, these two, yet again, have so much history, that it makes perfect sense for them to be comfortable in such a situation - despite the surrounding fuzzy emotions! It advances, the comfort of him helping, her receiving the aid so willingly after but that initial bout of wariness she had had; so when he gets up and offers his hand - the wary party has been switched, and Kesar is the one holding onto his sucked up breath apprehensive of what to expect from her for this gesture. Because he knows how painfully unpredictable he has been, how he deserves no obvious willing appreciation from her. But Gulaal wont be Gulaal if she held grudges against her Kesar. Which is how she sights him, just in this moment, that slight curving of her smile before she gives him her hand and takes the support to raise herself from the fall - a symbolic foreboding of times to come, when Gulaal will have fallen Kesar reformed for good (as he is briefly in this moment) and the way he would always be in her attendance to help her rise from whatever befalls her, and how Gulaal, then, would willingly allow him to.
Overall - an excellent scene. Tracing the advance of their bond, despite the excess of regressive chances Kesar keeps grabbing and putting to excess use - is so distinct. Each time that he takes a time out to follow his heart, he has taken another couple steps forward from the last time! And Gulaal, despite all the interludes of inexplicably unfamiliar sides of Kesar, finds it so easy to accept this one side of him that she recognizes so well!
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Edited by JZephyr - 13 years ago
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
