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Welcome to another edition of Director's Cut!
We hope you have enjoyed the show!!
- The Beatles, Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
She insists it is Shyam's right to be with Anjali at this point in time.
The simplicity and elegance of today's episode was a treat for me today. High in drama content and emotions, taking me on a roller coaster ride, with thrills and spills and some good old-fashioned nausea. Iss Pyaar ko Kya Naam Doon? is a love story wrapped in a whodunit, and a drama that is full of suspense!
"There is a distinct difference between suspense and surprise and yet many
pictures continually confuse the two, ... We are now having
an innocent little chat. Let us suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table
between us. Nothing happens and then all of a sudden, "Boom!" There is an
explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an
absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense
situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it, probably
because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware that the
bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the dcor. The
public can see that it is quarter to one. In these conditions the same innocuous
conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene.
The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen, "You shouldn't be
talking about such trivial matters. There's a bomb beneath you and it's about to
explode!"
In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment
of the explosion. In the second case we have provided them with fifteen minutes
of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be
informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending
is, in itself, the highlight of the story."
- Alfred Hitchcock, a master story teller in an interview with Francois Truffaut, another great director.
As we watched the cradle being taken out of the room, how many of us were urging Arnav, Khushi and HP, 'Come on, look under that thing, there's a will there! That is all the proof you need, dammit!'
But no, the proof walks out the door, and we sit back and go, Oh No! Where did it go? The storytellers leave us hanging. We do not know the fate of that will. Perhaps we never will (pun completely intended!)
There are many open threads in the story.
Let's take Garima's story. We know there's a story. But we don't know what that story is. Is it the twist in the tale that we are expecting? Or will it be just a lame, tame misunderstanding? Will Arnav and Khushi separate because of her past? Will their love survive whatever dark secrets are revealed? We are left hanging as Buaji hangs up the phone. The expected Garima-Dadiji confrontation will not happen today as well. The suspense continues - or will it be just a surprise?
For a bit, we are brought back into the world of Arnav and Khushi. Standing on what should have been the threshold of a life together, yet held back by tragedy. Khushi, the true ardhangini - other half - giving her husband the reassurance of the faith she has in him. His gratitude and love for her shines through his eyes. Until they are rudely interrupted by Dadi.
We all know Dadi came to RH on Shyam's instigation. We all know that she hated Khushi on sight because of what Shyam has fed her. We all know that she is helping Shyam behind Arnav's back. This is the first bomb that we know is ticking. Arnav had already had his suspicions yesterday, in the hospital. How long before Arnav puts two and two together to come up with four?
The conversation moves to the hall, the place where Shyam's true colors were revealed to the Raizadas. Nani, Mami, NK, and Akash stand around the two in the center - Arnav and Dadi. Khushi stands behind him - literally and figuratively. The battle of words begins.
She insists it is Shyam's right to be with Anjali at this point in time.
He bites out that he lost his rights and he can never be forgiven
She throws in the emotional atyachaar - what if Anjali does what your mother did? Would you be able to forgive yourself?
He is restraining himself: Di wont do anything like that.
She still tries to goad him
And we are watching, waiting for dadi to expose herself. And she does.
She looks down her nose at her grandson and says, no one loves Anjali more than Shyam.
There is disgust and anger in Arnav's face. Nani and Mami are aghast They all know exactly how much Shyam loves Anjali - not in the least.
She reveals more of herself to Arnav - I have seen the love and longing in his eyes for Anjali.
As Nani tries to pacify them both, something clicks for ASR and he stops her.
He has finally put two and two together. The bomb has just exploded. A little bomb, but a bomb nonetheless. A bomb we had been waiting to see go off! Sarcasm and disbelief drip through his voice as he interrogates her. You saw this much love in Shyam's eyes? You met him for the first time yesterday, right? You were never here. You never met him before. How can you believe him so much after meeting him for the first time? Unless you... Unspoken were the questions - what ELSE are you hiding from us, Dadi? WHY exactly are you here?
How many of us thought this was a completely YES! moment for ASR? I'd like to point out something here. Many times we were told that when ASR lost his temper he stopped thinking. Here he is on the verge of lashing out at Dadi, when Nani intervenes. It distracts him from his anger - and he THINKS instead. What was a niggling doubt yesterday, becomes a full-fledged conclusion. He has found out Dadi, what is more important is that he has exposed her in front of the whole family. A family that is as distrustful of Shyam as he is. Everybody is suitably stunned at Dadi's duplicity. The first bomb was a success, eh?
As he realizes the extent of his Dadi's audacity, she in turn stands tall and proud. She is proud that she is needed to save this household. So very proudly, she reveals Shyam's visit to the ashram, where he explained what 'trouble' was brewing in the house. She looks at Khushi as she says so. Arnav closes his eyes, furious that Shyam would have put Khushi at the center of all blame. But he is not surprised. Little Bomb number two explodes. Her unexplained hatred towards Khushi is explained.
Dadi is now on a roll. She explains that Shyam had never said anything against Arnav. All he said was that he wanted to live with his wife, who is the expectant mother of his child and whom he loves Beintehaan. The rest is all a misunderstanding!
We, the veiwers know that Dadi has been made a complete fool of. So does the Raizada family. Shyam has fed her need to feel important. He knows her biggest weakness is her own ego and self-importance. He has cleverly stroked it. How long before Dadi understands that? That is the third bomb ticking in this scene, but we the audience know it wont explode now. Probably later, maybe never!
ASR loses it again. MISUNDERSTANDING! There was no misunderstanding. .. Do you have an idea? This man tried to kill me.
And now another bomb goes off - one which doesn't surprise us, but hits Arnav hard. Dadi doesn't believe him! This time he has support from NK , but Dadi does not listen. Once more Dadi spouts words that almost seem to come from Shyam - Do you have proof? All of them look at her. They know she is firmly in Shyam's camp, now. She had come to save this house - now she is the only one standing on one side of a line that she has drawn. They are disgusted with her actions.
Finally Arnav has had enough - You didn't know what was right or wrong for me 14 years ago and you don't know now. All these years, I've been looking after di. Not you. And i will do it in the future too. You left us, right - why did you come back? What have you come for, from your ashram? You should have stayed there.
This is something we, the viewers were waiting for, weren't we? Dadi was an uninvited guest, who came with the express purpose of bringing Shyam into the house, and breaking up Arnav and Khushi. The foundations of a family that was finally getting to be stable is shaken. She came to this house, not to save it, but to break it up! Arnav's shots finally hit home. A negligent grandmother - she is not as powerful or as important in her grandson's life as she had thought. He has hit his target. He has reduced her importance in his life. A hard one for the old lady. But this is one little bomb that we didn't see coming, although we'd expected it. There is instant gratification for us, the viewers, at the look on her face!
Finally, Arnav sees the challenge that Shyam has thrown in his face. He takes it up. He will do all he can with his power and money to block Shyam. Tomorrow there will be heavy security around the house, and a restraining order against him. He knows Dadi will inform Shyam of his actions. It is his response to Shyam's actions. But it is a challenge to Dadi, too. Bring it on! And Dadi looks like she does want to bring it
After all those minor explosions, we need to cool off and what better way than ... to bring Shyam into the house, and the room of his Rani Sahiba? While Arnav is being coaxed by Khushi to take his medicine, Shyam is busy feeding Anjali.
Two spouses taking care of their better halves.
While Shyam's manipulation of Anjali is no surprise or suspense, Khushi on the other hand, throws us, the viewers a little surprise. She tells Arnav she thinks Shyam should be allowed to meet Anjali, at least once.
Lets stop with the suspense and watch this little scene again. I loved it. ASR is ASR and Khushi is Khushi. There is anger in him, he has made his decision, and as Khushi makes her request, he lets it out, he cannot believe that Khushi of all people would ask him this. She makes her plea. A positive person, Khushi is ready to give everyone a second, third, fourth,...nth chance. But he is not. As soon as her face falls, he quickly softens it with an okay? I loved that little interaction. She responds to that softening, and accepts his decision. Khushi has to learn to be a little cynical about people. Arnav is a master at it, and he just gave her, her first lesson.
Right on cue, Anjali appears at the door. She has been emotionally twisted by Shyam, and she gets up from her bed to make her request to Chotey. The whole family is horrified when she asks for Shyam back. All except Dadi. We all knew that someone would ask for Shyam to be brought back. So this little bomb only needed someone to light the fuse. Unfortunately, it goes off under Arnav again.
What will Arnav do? That is the suspense that we the viewers are left hanging with. Someone tell me please, please. We know what we want the answer to be. But will the writers answer our pleas?
I guess we'll have to wait and see.
After thought:
Two lines of dialogue for NK and what lines he got!
- Nannav is telling the truth.
- What happened in an hour that you look so much better?
As always, NK gently points the characters in the right direction. He gave Dadi a hint. Dadi did not even bother to listen.
He has given Arnav a hint. What could have caused Anjali's miraculous recovery? Will Arnav listen to him and understand the hint?
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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