The dreams of youth
Amita Ka Amit
Sony Entertainment Television, Monday to Thursday, 8.30pm
Cast: Charlie Chauhan, Shritama Mukherjee and Fenil Umrigar
A regular Gujarati girl in Mumbai, Amita Patel has had a pampered upbringing. The 20-year-old dreams of dating a boy who is handsome, charming, moneyed, respectful of elders and good at handling kids. From a family that runs a sweet shop, Amita also has weight issues, but that doesn't affect her — unless she finds herself face-to-face with a boy she likes, which is when her confidence nosedives. Amita is jolted into reality when she gets married. The show follows her as she attempts to adjust to a life of responsibilities.
While most of the cast is new, there are several faces from Gujarati theatre too. The girl-next-door Amita is portrayed by newbie Chandni Bhagnani, whose expressions of excitement and extreme disappointment are endearing. Vikas Grover as Suraj is Amita's latest crush, Rishabh Tripathi portrays her mischievous brother Atul and Jyoti Gauba is Amita's doting mother. Actors such as Nayan Bhatt and Raksha Desai will join the cast later.
The middle-class Gujarati milieu is depicted nicely. Amita's parents want her to marry soon, though she is only 20, while one of her friends is married and pregnant. Amita Ka Amit also aptly portrays the lives of urban Indian youngsters. Amita calls her friends to share the smallest piece of news such as when she gets hold of Suraj's number. She texts her brother in another room instead of calling out to him. Young audiences will find Amita's emotions easy to relate to, especially her issues with her appearance and weight, and her relationship with friends and family. Good, often also humorous, dialogues and sequences aid these portrayals.
The tendency of Indian television towards excessive drama is always a dampener. Also, this is a story of an urban girl, but promos reveal that the setting will change to a household where the protagonist will live with her in-laws. This may be an attempt by Sony, a channel that mostly deals with contemporary stories, to cash in on the family audience. Amita Ka Amit works for both youth and older audience. The situational humour is portrayed well.
Verdict: A good family drama laced with humour.
Cricket
Marathi TV
