Nothing new here
10 pm, Monday to Thursday, Sony
Pyaar Ka Bandhan, as the title suggests, is a soppy drama inspired by Nirupa Roy tearjerkers. Set in a Bengali home, it's about a cancer-afflicted mother counting her last days, four children (two boys and two girls) and garibi in generous measure. Mother abandons the kids because she can't bear them to see her die. She leaves them at an orphanage hoping they will all eventually land up at good homes.
The youngest of the lot does land up at a rich bloke Vikram Rai's house while one of the sons finds shelter and love at a Muslim ayah's house. The ayah incidentally works at the Rais. Brother Ayaz (rechristened) and the London-returned bigdi beti, Ariana, who is actually Mishti cross paths several times but no, this is a TV show.
Happy endings are nowhere in sight. It's a tacky show, alright, doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before. The story moves at a snail's pace while the actors go through their motions indifferently. Then there are the stock Durga Puja shots we had to make do with, as the serial begins in Kolkata. So there were those many references to puchkas, rasagollas and even a doctor trying to sound like an authentic Bengali - he tells the grief-stricken Bijoya (the mother) that she has "blaaad cancer". Not bhaalo at all and these are just the initial eight episodes to be precise!
The story though full of clichs could have been a nice, warm, heart- tugging story about a mother and her children who are separated because of circumstances. But since it's a daily show and you have to stretch it endlessly, inane romantic tracks (Vivaan Bhatena as Ariana's childhood friend tries too hard) and other sub-plots keep marring the pace of the main story leaving you wringing your hands in despair. The show could have been tighter and better executed but old hand director Anil Kumar sleepwalks through Pyaar Ka Bandhan. It shows.
All in all, a kaam chalau effort which doesn't throw up any surprises for viewers, who we think have much better alternatives on prime time TV now.
Verdict:
Watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas instead for your larger-than- life fill of everything Bengali.
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