Kalaa sha kalaa

A look at how telly actors are using the colour black to portray myriad emotions
Shaheen Parkar
shaheen@mid-day.com

Black is the colour of the season on television. Suddenly it's become the hue to portray evil, revenge, love, confrontation as well as justice. Though black may be ominous, telly women are sporting it to make their own fashion statement. Parvati's (Sakshi Tanwar) fury after knowing that her husband Om was killed, is best captured in a black sari. Though this may be an occasional recourse to the dark shade, there are some characters who live it everyday. Here's a look at those who believe black is beautiful...
Manasi Salvi
She plays the title role in the SaharaOne soap, Sati. As a lawyer, she takes up womancentric cases and espouses their rights. When writer Kamlesh Pandey conceived the character, he felt that darkness could only root out darkness. "Andhkar hi andhkar se ladh sakta hai," mouths Sati. So whether Sati is in her lacy creation or in a business suit — it is all jet black. And black apparently is also the original colour of sati.

Kishwer Merchantt
As the scheming Vanshitta in the Star daily Kavyanjali, she has been weaving her web of deceit. Being a negative character, she is seen in a black sari with a hint of another shade at the border. Evil stands for black, and she has donned black for this Balaji show ever since it started in January 2005 — that makes her the first of many to follow.

Kirti Kelkar
She is the latest entrant in black-land. As Niharika in the Zee daily Sinndoor, she avenges her husband's mysterious death. Her husband Rudr (Sharad Kelkar) is killed and she vows to dress in black and even put black sindoor in her maang. Here is one femme fatale on the prowl.