Reporter's HUB - Epi 09-Apr 27

Kabir and Ananya's conversation on the stairs..

Firstly, I couldn't stop grinning.. Rajeev and Kritika are just natural when it comes to portraying Kabir-Ananya's volatile, fiery and yet somewhat awkward relationship, as has been seen so far.

We've seen a dumbstruck, hero-worshipping Ananya before who fumbled for words at the first sight of him, and later was disappointed when the man she sees as a paragon of free-spirited journalism broke his own rules (Or so she thought)..

This Ananya, the one who would bring Heaven and Earth together to get her job back was born when he challenged her to prove herself worthy of her job position. She doesn't hesitate once before planning to conduct a sting operation right in the heart of the office. (Although some bits were too perfect to be real, they did manage to pull it off convincingly to a large extent..)

But I somehow feel that she would have done the same even if her job wasn't at stake.. She would have fought for Varun..

Kabir just loves pushing her wrong buttons, doesn't he! Either he does it unknowingly, (Which is even better), or he knows that she needs that extra push to bring her back on track.. As a young reporter, Ananya comes with a lot of spirit, and feistiness.. And as her boss, it is his responsibility to use all of it to his benefit.. Which is exactly what he's upto..

And Ananya absolutely loves to prove him wrong. Her crush or no, the unsung hero of Newsmaking or no, she doesn't bow down to him.. Whether it's just the winning streak in her, or perhaps the fact that she actually wants to prove herself to the man she looks up to, either way she will not submit to his sarcastic taunts and tough tasks, is what I feel..

The Bracelet! Hahaha.. I sooo knew this was going to pop up..

Kabir's expression was just priceless..

(A sidenote - If anyone has been following Rajeev's previous shows, esp. LRL.. That shy expression on Raj's face when Naina used to catch him red-handed or when he confronted his own feelings for her and smacked himself mentally (eg. The red saree scene)..

That subtle hesitation to accept that he was caught, and the covering up with a poker face..That is sooo Rajeev-like.. And soo darn adorable..

Soo.. Varun develops cold feet, as was expected.. To talk about changing the world, and actually facing the moment are opposite ends, and it was completely natural for the youngster to be nervous about what was being asked of him.

But I loved the fact that despite the frenzy surrounding her, Ananya sat down with him, and demonstrated to him that he was prepared for it.. No morale-boosting long speeches there.. That's what I love about #reporters so far.. They're trying their best to avoid OTT scenes as much as they can..

The little scene between Khalid and Kabir when the former asks him to meet Krishnan.. It was a seemingly plain conversation to lay down the foundation for the next bit.. But did anyone notice that Kabir still has his arrogance intact.. It's soo obvious that despite Khalid being the boss, it's Kabir who has an upper hand here..

Talent, and brains - a lethal combination, and Kabir squeezes his best out to prove why he is the best.. It's actually impressive to watch him being shown as the powerful media whizz, but with subtlety..

The scene outside the green-room..

Again, I was grinning from ear-to-ear right since Kabir agreed to meet Krishnan.. He was bound to bump into the pehredaar'. I didn't understand why Malvika had to witness it, but ah well, she did have to play a role later..

Anyhow..

Yeh kya battameezi hai, Miss Kashyap!' Was such a *whistle-podu* moment..

We've always seen the hero blocking a heroine's path in movies and tellyshows so far.. But this was a first time.. Side-stepping, refusing to allow him to pass.. It kinda reminded me of Gandalf's You Shall Not Pass.. from LOTR..'

"Pagal hi ho jaungi na, Sir.." Again, comes a pat reply.. Witty, desperate and silly, yet it is soo Ananya-like..

She babbled on and on, cooking up stories, mincing her own words just to buy time..

But the cherry on top - "Inhe mere bracelets yaad hain.." can I just blow a kissi to her..

Again, Kabir's expression was hilarious at being caught..

She definitely knows how to embarrass him, without even probably realising it.. (I'm soo looking forward to his reaction when she fangirls over him.. It'll be such a sight to watch!)

Aaand then comes the confession.. So THE Kabir Sharma accepts that he thinks she's worth it!

We soo knew it, didn't we.. He's putting her through a test, not because he wants her to prove herself, but because he wants to push her to the limits, and watch her carving her way back in.. (Me thinks, this little exercise will strengthen the trust they shall place in each other in the future, as an editor and reporter.)

Aaand she goes on and throws him yet another googly.. "Sir, aap please decide karke bata dijiye ki aap kya chaahte hain?"

Well, we'd all like to know that too..

He says she's crazy, but he wants to watch her succeed.. Errm, I'd say Kabir Sharma is losing it..

Naah.. Jokes apart.. He's just as confused as we are, I guess.. Coz Ananya is so unpredictable from what we've seen so far.. From being a daredevil reporter to a girl who is driven by challenges, and then to a seemingly silly woman who can torture a man's ears with her silly babble..

But does Kabir Sharma, the Editor-in-Chief really care? It's too early to say..

Like he said, "Apne sawaalon ke jawab khud dhoondhna seekhiye Miss Kashyap!"

Well, we would give it a shot and even jot down a few conclusions.. But..

That eyelock between the duo.. They simply keeeled the scene with that one.. Challenging, questioning, answering and issuing a challenge forth again - Their eyes spoke what they couldn't..

Rajeev is a pro when it comes to emoting with his eyes.. A few actors in Indian Tellywood have that potential.. But he simply aces it every single time!

But what surprised me was Kritika's performance in that scene.. It kinda reminded me of Arohi from KMH Season 2.. But naah, this confidence and attitude belongs only to Ananya..

The acceptance of the challenge, and him acknowledging it with a Good' was the cherry on top!

This is the kind of stuff that cannot be taught in acting schools.. You either have it or you don't..

And Rajeev seems like an institution in himself! (And no this is not the teenage me fangirling over her first telly crush.. he has indeed evolved so much over the years..)

Like many others here, I too feel that Kabir kinda guessed that his Miss Kashyap was upto something. The piercing, questioning looks he shot at Ananya, all the while she tried beating around the bush to help Varun cover up his sudden appearance spoke for themselves.. His eyes even followed her when she walked away..

He may deny it, but a certain Miss Kashyap has already piqued his curiosity..

The demand for a live-chat.. It seemed slightly unreasonable to me, considering the last minute arrangements that had to be made.. But then again, Kabir knows how to present a news so it makes a maximum impact on the viewers..

He's got an efficient team at his disposal, and he was willing to try it out.. Again, the signs of a good leader..

Also, I loved the fact that he doesn't want to grab other people's spots to be in the spotlight.. He probably respects everyone for the work they do, and it was brought forth when he told Manav that he was only setting the stage for his show..

Then again, self-absorbed and silly that Manav is, you wouldn't expect him to understand..

Ohh, and that little conversation between Malvika and Manav.. I really love she gives him as good as she gets.. He soo deserves it!

The Scene of the Day..

Ananya walking in with the evidence, confidence in her gait, pride in her eyes, and satisfaction that was oozing out of every move of hers.. That's where Kritika nicked it yet again!

To be honest, Khalid's reaction was waay OTT, and absolutely not required.. If it was done to show that both Kabir-Ananya cared a darn about what he had to say, and had eyes and ears only for each other, justified!

But it could have been done without the Saas being melodramatic.. (Then again, maybe that's just how Khalid is.. Overreacting and melodramatic dialogues are a part of his characterisation..)

Undoubtedly, their best work so far.. She issued him a challenge in return, to try and defy her, to deny her the chance to claim her job back..

But Kabir being his witty self, did nothing of the sort.. He stayed mum, allowing her to bask in the glory of her victory, watching her with a hint of arrogance, and perhaps even priding himself with the fact that she hadn't let him down..

Iss baar sound quality better hai.." (You go girl!) The look on her face was soo natural that it seemed almost real, and believable to the T..

While it would have put a dent in another man's ego, Kabir Sharma acknowledges it with a lop-sided smile.. (Errm.. Khalid's over-reaction made up for his silence..)

Anyway.. That's what makes KaYa click.. They complement each other's passion, and feistiness. They seem like a perfect balance between themselves.. His maturity and shrewdness, and her thirst for challenges and wit, we couldn't have asked for more..

Like Manav said, Kabir doesn't need anyone to run the channel.. He seems to have found his right-hand man (In this case, woman..) 😉

So he agrees to listen to her.. Again, he believes in giving everyone a fair chance..

Remember the second episode when he told Panditji at Dill Kranti that he wants Power? I was slightly afraid that it would get into his head, and he'd turn arrogant and self-obsessed..

But it seems as though we have no reason to worry..

Kabir is waay above all those trivial emotions.. He only wants the power to be heard, and watched by a country of 1.2 billion that thrives on daily news telecast. And he has it at his disposal..

Whether this turns out to be his downfall later remains to be seen, coz it seems too unrealistic to watch one man being a messiah of the wronged.. He is bound to break someday, but I wouldn't worry about it for now..

In this moment, Kabir and KKN are on fire!

The message in the end - Hard-hitting and real.. Everyone knows it, but very few people actually practise it.. India wouldn't be known as the Corruption capital of the world if not for such people who abuse their positions and kursis'..

Hits and Misses :

Hits: The acting was top-class, crisp and the pace of the episode just perfect, with focus on the details and of course special treats of Kaya today..

Kritika and Rajeev were absolutely wonderful to watch tonight.. But the precap has me more excited.. Kabir swearing has to be the highlight! Oh wait.. bohot mazaa aayega' had me smirking.. He's going in for the kill!

Misses: No major ones, but I'd really like to see the rest of the staff working.. And I mean really working on something.. Discussing stories amongst themselves, tracking news, putting them together.. I know it seems obvious, but watching it visually will really give us all a feel of what goes on inside the Newsroom..

All in all, a 8.5/10 Episode perhaps.. I'm really excited about tomorrow.. And it's been a really long time since I've said that.. Not since Humsafars perhaps..

Would love to hear from you guys, as always.. (And my apologies for not being able to reply back.. I'm really pressed for time..)

Love,

Avantika..

P.S. A detailed version at my post..