The Final Countdown

Use the Feedback Sandwich Method

(Talk about strengths, share areas of improvement) e.g. you are a handsome guy/charming lass, I love your smile, you are humble and very kind but when you speak I don't understand a word you're saying.

Focus on the situation, not the person

(Don't attack the person) e.g. you are a great guy/gal but your acting skills are atrocious.

Be specific with you feedback

(The more specific the better) e.g. your feet are beautiful but they smell

Comment on things which can be actioned upon

(not things which are fixed and cannot be changed) e.g. Without that beard/hairy eyebrows and armpit hair you will look handsome/beautiful.

Give recommendations on how to improve

(don't just critique'., be helpful) e.g. You need a shave. Pink and yellow combinations are for girls not boys. or rainbow colors dont sit well always gals

Don't make assumptions

(Focus on what you see and not what you think you know) e.g. I have seen your dancing skills and you need lessons

The story started going downhill from July, after the kidnapping track ended.. which unleashed the basher in me. I continued to point out what was going wrong with the script, how characters were butchered, continued to write stories describing alternate ways to have shown every episode..! I was surprised when the story changed one fine day and Arnav was given balls and a brain and the story picked up.. and then it fell again, and I knew IPK was a lost cause. When 4 lions released their open letter, I joined hands with Tia and Avni and we submitted a splendid plot.. and we waited, thinking.. maybe.. and even then nothing happened.

Then Barun dropped the bomb.. and I thought what now? But never in my wildest dreams did I predict the outroar that followed.. the petitions.. the protest.. the name-calling, the abuses.. to say I was shocked would be an understatement.

The same people who once asked me to stop bashing.. because I expected reel life to be like real life.. now stopped seeing the difference between the actor and the character and started making assumptions and decisions about an actor's real life!

A lot of people asked me to sign petitions to make Barun stay. Honestly I didn't want to. It is not up to us to ask him to change his decision. Maybe he was forced to leave, but what is it to me? I face problems in my life, I handle them on my own. Barun is not a kid who needs to be told what to do in his life. Yes, it was difficult to think that someone might replace Barun as Arnav.. but then again Barun killed Arnav for me a few months ago, when he stopped looking like Arnav and then one of the reasons I stopped watching, was because it became a pain to see Barun on screen.. his disheveled appearance, his disinterest in acting and his poor dialogue delivery. When I wrote this in a post, I was told.. if you are given a bad script how can you show interest? Good question, maybe you should ask Sanaya that.. her character was butchered beyond repair to highlight Arnav's character' but she put on a brilliant show, never complaining, even in rags!

Anyways, I slowly started adjusting to the fact that Viraf might replace Barun. Instead of crying over Barun leaving, I immediately went and watched Viraf's other shows.. and liked the guy. In fact, I liked him so much I thought he would do an excellent job as Arnav, because for me the character Arnav mattered more than the actor, Barun. Yes, Barun was an excellent actor.. but that doesn't imply that Viraf wouldn't do a better job.

However, I slowly realized that people loved Barun more than the show. Yes, you might say that you wanted to see Sanaya too .. you wanted to see both of them together. And then I realized .. why Sanaya never got any awards.. 'coz for people Sanaya existed only because of Barun! If you loved Sanaya separately, you would have welcomed Viraf with open arms.

Barun wanted to leave, his fans wouldn't let him. He was highlighted as a martyr, without any proof, just speculations. People spammed inboxes, social networking sites, made international phone calls, protested outside sets and worse, insulting and calling names.. and for what, for an actor who was old enough to make his own decisions and take care of himself. Yes, I saw petitions asking to save the show, by what.. asking Barun to stay? Why.. the show can't function without Barun? If you remember.. it did during the kidnapping track.. and the other actors, the cast and the crew handled it brilliantly. But of course, the show means nothing without Barun right. That's why the show had to end if Barun wasn't there.

And the funny thing is after writing this post, I just watched today's SBS segment, where Sanaya was crying her heart out .. and still in the comments people wanted to see Barun.. wow! 👏

Anyways, what's the use saying all this.. the show is ending tomorrow.. and I am just sad. This show gave me a lot.. and now it's no more. Because of all the hue and cry, I couldn't enjoy the last few days of the show and worse, it's going to get an abrupt ending..

- No one will ever know that Khushi was the girl who fell into Arnav's arms in Lucknow.. that Shyam saved Khushi from the gundas.. that Arnav and Khushi had feelings for each other for a long time..

- Khushi will never know that Arnav's love was hidden in his anger and his outburst or why he saved her from danger everytime and kicked those gundas...

- Arnav will never know Khushi sold her mother's bangles to buy those plants.. Khushi will never know he put those coins in the detergent packet..

- No one will know that Shashi was paralysed because of Shyam.. or that Shyam tried to kill Anjali..

- Arnav will never know how Shyam harassed Khushi..

- No one will ever know of the contract marriage.. and how Arnav forced Khushi to marry him..

- No one will know that she slept outside.. No one will know how he insulted her day and night..

- We will never know what happened to Laxmi, Mamaji, and Masala Mama. We will never see Shashi walk again. We will not see NK find love.. or find out what will happen to NK-Buaji's love story.. We will not see Anjali find love.. or Mami shower her love on Khushi!

- We will never know what happened between Garima and Arnav's father.

- We will never ever see Arnav or Khushi mature as a married couple.

- We will never see them share their passionate love for each other.. or see them have kids.. we will never see them grow old.

We will see nothing.. that's what we get after loving this show for so long. Nothing!

I don't want to blame anyone, nor do I want to hear any blame or name-calling on this thread. I might be wrong, but in my eyes, Barun's leaving caused the uproar which resulted in the end of the show.. the channel and production house tried to give it a chance, by bringing in Viraf but Barun and Sarun fans didn't want the show to happen without Barun.. and in the end, fans of the show and everyone working on this show ended up with no show!

So to everyone who is now fighting for a season 2 with Barun and Sanaya.. good luck, just please don't expect my support.