Rangmunch TV article- Cinderella's tale

Rich Girl-Poor Boy-StepMother and a love story. Jab Rang Chadhe Pyar Ka, toh dil ho jaye dildaar ka says the tagline. Jamuna Paar gives you every reason to smile.

Two weeks into the story, though you know rides on cliches, Jamuna Paar that started on 27th February 2012 on Imagine TV has something in it that makes you wanna give it a try.

The story so far: The story opens in a Party where the Malhotra family is celebrating their younger daughter Jassi's success at a fashion event. While the entire family has gathered Vidhi their older daughter is no where in sight. She turns up late and gets yelled at by her father for not coming on time since she is jealous and insecure of her younger sister and her success. Vidhi leaves the party hurt and upset only to be chased by cops on night patrol. A knight in shining armour arrives on a bike, and saves her!

Going a little into a flash back, Vidhi Malhotra is a daughter of a rich business man from South Delhi. After her mother passes away her father marries again. Vidhi's step mother comes with a daughter Jassi, and her mother. In order to secure her place in the house, Pammi makes sure that Vidhi is projected as the complexed, insecure one in the family, not wanting to warm up to the new entrants. Years later, things have only worsened.

Jassi is a spoilt brat. In the garb of being a Successful Fashion Designer, she actually gets all her work done through Vidhi who readily dons the role of a sacrificing lamb for her step sibling. Vidhi is docile and more often than not a push over. In wanting to not offend her father and hoping her family would eventually love her, she readily does everything for her sister and family without letting her father know of her grandmother and her step mothers evil ways.This results in her father branding Vidhi as incapable and he constantly taunts her to learn from her younger sister.

Things take a new turn, when Jassi is offered to go to Paris on an international assignment and she has to make some ethnic designs for impress the clients. Vidhi readily agrees to go the donkeys work once more without even an iota of complaint. This is how she bumps into Bijju, a local designer from Jamun Paar who specialises in ethnic weaving. Sparks fly instantly when both of them realise having met the earlier night and Bijju was infact the one who saved Vidhi. Though reluctant inititally, Bijju agrees to work for Vidhi whom he fondly calls Madamji. The fact that he has taken a fancy to her is apparent from word go. Vidhi also instantly takes a liking to Bijju, though she doesnt admit it.

Jassi manages to impress the clients and is picked to go to Paris. Fearing she would get totally exposed if she were to leave all by herself, her grandmother convinces Mr.Malhotra to send Vidhi also along with Jassi under the pretext of assisting her sister.

Bijju on his part tries to contact Vidhi once more, only to meet unattended calls in response. He is disappointed as he craves to meet her. Ever since he has met her, he cant stop thinking of her. Ditto is the case with Vidhi though she is still in denial. They later bump into each other at a market place where their awkwardness is aparent.

Vidhi tells her father she doesnt want to go to Paris and gets yelled at and being told she has no other option but to leave.

Must Watch:

• the feel good factor and the earthy setting
• Despite so much drama, the story still doesnt go over the top. Be it jealousy, anger, hatred or attraction and affection, you have them all in abundence-but they dont get to you.
• Once you hear the theme song naino ke kinare you keep humming it.
• The curiosity of what color their love story will would eventually don pushes you to watch one episode after another.
  
• The contrast between South Delhi and Jamuna Paar is well portrayed through the characters. Every situation is relateable and real.

BIG no-no's so far:

• Jassi plays her part well, you want to actually kill her.
• Vidhi cant act. She desperately needs to work on emoting better.
• The character of the father gets to you at times as he fails to communicate with his daughter.
• Vidhi's voice looks clearly dubbed and that takes away the real feel from the character.
• The story line is predictable.

One cant wait for their love story to kick start. More than anything, all of us are looking forward to Anand's (Anand Sivakumaran) episodes as the episodes that will air now on will be written by him. Bijju looks cute, he might become the next eye candy. If Vidhi doesnt match up, fans will soon start hating her for being a little undeserving for Bijju.

Over all, the show has had me hooked in the last Ten Episodes. I strongly believe its not what you have in your story but how you tell it that matters. We have had many such instances in the past. Lets hope, this tale turns out lucky for Imagine TV. Pitted against Diya aur Baati Hum on Star Plus thats the number 1 show on the TRP chart, the show sure has some serious competition in terms of numbers.

Newer promos of the show also need to flash more often giving out latest snippets as it catches the attention of viewers while browsing!

We wish the cast and crew of Jamuna Paar all the very best!