Originally posted by: IdiotViewer
Arshi... How your crisp bytes make me wish I was more proficient in hindi... I'm sure my enjoyment would have quadrupled! As it is, I find myself googling most of the words... I should thank you thus, for building up my hindi vocabularly, in addition to my evergrowing SC playlist... But, Silsila, I know... After all, it is cult. Tho, I'm sure you would agree with me, that our SC has gone a step beyond... Just yesterday, happychappy mentioned that SC is breaking the mould of TV shows being second to films, in terms of scale of screenplay and caliber of actors... With every episode I cannot help but agree. Give me a sub-standard product and I'll give you but two lines. Continue thus and I'll happily churn out essays appreciating and analysing each aspect of the show... And so would all of us here, in our own unique ways. The evidence is before us, in every CB.
If I may... "Mind dump" really does not do the quality of your Crisp Bytes justice... Been noticing that your beautifully broken lines have become more precise, more impactful and more... piercing as the episodes go by... I had missed telecast today... Marshall McLuhan had it right, the medium is the message... Watching on iDevices really does not have the same impact for me... So was quite composed while and after watching the epi... Till I read your CB's and I was back to yesterday. Not shedding tears, yet. But with eyes full of tears threatening to shed. That's the second time your words have done this to me... Somehow I suspect it won't be the last . But bring it on, you and SC both! 👏
First, an honorary mention to "Kuch Na Kahe"... Coupled with the flashback's, its charge becomes a hundred fold. Previously, it was my dose of oxytocin, but now as soon as the first bars play, I threaten to become an emotional wreck. Now I'm no one to proclaim, but I'm willing to bet that this has to be one of, if not the best, produced for a tv show thus far... Big props to the lyricist, the composer... To Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal for giving life to the song. To Gautam & Jennifer for brilliantly living it 👏
Performances: Today, both of our leads were giving tough competition to each other. Fortunately, we can appreciate them equally because their acting styles are quite distinct from each other... Jennifer, is v spontaneous in emotional scenes. She does not hold back at all. She breaks down completely and we break with her. The hesitance, the incoherence of Kumud, the affect of the overpowering ehsaas, looks so so natural. Hers is an honest act. Gautam, on the other hand, is a class act. His outrageously expressive eyes, the subtle changes in his expressions... Even his little-boy imploring look as Saras, asking "why me? why us?" is enough to shatter Kumud. As an actor, Gautam can stand his ground and make us break down. He has been doing so with consummate ease since the last two episodes. Ergo, full marks to Jenny and full marks to Gautam, today 👏
Loved the beautiful use of flashbacks, melded so naturally with the flow of the episode... And the Saras-Kumud convo was just genius. A conversation without words, yet pertinent topics like love, regret, complaints and anger were all expressed through the intensity depicted on both of their visage... And in their eyes, fathomless orbs, which became the conduit to their souls...
Symbolism, was rife today... The Dukh baa, Guniyal and Kumari convo... The placement: read it as both Kumari and Dukh baa keeping up from where VC had left... Both buffeting the tender, misplaced hope that Guniyal still nurtures regarding Kumud's destiny. In her heart, she knows, but at the same she will grasp for dear life whatever convictions others hold out to her. At the Desai household, everyone seems to have them aplenty. They are also heading for a majestic fall... Dukh baa has taken Saras' errings personal... It represents her private failure as a mother-figure in his life, and what makes it more worse, is than one "child" of hers, ended up hurting another, to the deepest extent. More than anyone, Dukh baa was the common tie, the launch pad for Saras' and Kumud's intimate realisations and now... She too has her every hope tied with Pramad... "Kumud ka bhag"... The fire in her eyes, the absolute conviction as she derides Saras as not being worthy... She may strengthen G's hopes, but what about her own, and what of them, when the mirror of Buddhi Dhan's respectability reflects Pramad back to them, no longer. She will be shattered, just like S and K are today, but Dukh baa's indirect culpability goes even further... Will she ever be redeemed in her eyes? Doubtful. Will she ever be able to gather the shattered pieces into something resembling a whole? She will. This I'll take the risk of saying. Gut instinct. Dukh baa's formidable. You would want to have her on your side. Because she will fight. She will fight till the very end. If need be, she will go down fighting.
Dukh baa also had the honor of uttering the most portentous line of the episode: Agar Kumud pe koi aanch aayo bhi toh uski raksha uska asli jeevan saathi karega... And the one with the rightful, lifetime claim does simply that. The method chosen... The pillar... The sheer viciousness and crudeness of the operation was very revealing of Pramad's psyche. And a warning to us all: The man is crude and his actions will be vile. Cue the shot-gun dulha and his quick-fix attempts to rid... the wedded baggage. Tho whatever he throws at Kumud, his target will multiply. And his aim, however precise will always waver and fall short. Because Kumud has a guardian angel. A fallen one, yes. Sans the wings and golden halo... but with his purity fully intact. So pristine that he shines. Remember the dark abyss Pramad threatened K with that wedding night? Well, Saras is waiting at the bottom now... Illuminating the path down. A footnote on the pillar itself: Intriguing that it was an implement belonging in a holy place, used as the chief instrument in the execution of a purely evil deed. One "fallen" battling another "fallen". Read it as: forget the Devil, Saras will even stand between, and shelter K from the holy, if need be. Witness the tainted holy pillar... Liken it to Kumud's tainted matrimonial institution. With that act of mortal rescue, S has but firmly inserted himself into the Pramad - Kumud - Kalika connect. He is her rescuer, by virtue of that mere fact, P already bears him ill-will... Tho, what of the fact that he is first and foremost her saviour, as she was once his?
Loved Buddhi Dhan's concern and affection for Saras. Adored his hand, caressing S' head. Something so "right" about it. Left more of a warm glow inside than the LN - Saras equation ever did... Left me wondering, has Saras already usurped the seat of affection, that Pramad could never quite gain? Point to be noted: Alak's dissaproval of Pramad... Etched clearly on her face. Even more intriguing, how the heir-apparent purposefully changed sides, choosing to stand next to her father (aligning herself with Saras, yet again)... Kumud's stunned at hearing her chandra's turned anew... And he for his part, abashed even, both realising that an integral essence has been forfeited.
Pramad, you are creepy, vile and your perception of the world and its people leave a lot to be desired. Right now, in addition to the vileness, all that's visible is the chip on his shoulder, and the ridiculous entitlement he carries. Further character dev may provide more substance, but hope no redeeming qualities surface. With that stupid life attempt, Pramad, you are out of chances. Not that you ever had any. Aanshul Trivedi, you've raised the bar. I'll take you anyday over Umess 🤢
Kumud and Saras... have transcended the physical. Their love now veers into the existential. It is innate and but an extension of themselves, representing all that is good, pure, and strong within them. More than any societal or moral ties, it is a check on their realities. Forget erasing the feeling, even temporary escape from it is downright impossible.
Kumud... What she was willing to be a pile of dismal charred ashes, still resembles a consummate blaze... The dawning realisation of events past, the flame of her burnt out love re-ignited and fully steadied, his betrayal cancelled out by his attempt, tho last-ditch unsuccessful it was... She utters joyfully the name imprinted on her soul... Breaks free, seizing the moment but halts...The first time ehsaas and conscience have clashed swords. She turns back and is mercilessly afforded a full-frontal view of who she now is... Her mangalsutra, not only the shackles of her feet, but also the noose around her neck. At Pramad's convenience to wring tighter whenever he is so inclined. Her sindoor, not only delineating she is now behind enemy lines... But also representing the life-blood he shed... She can but only utter, helpless, like a mantra, the name, the being, alone capable of plummeting her to her highest highs and dragging her down to her lowest lows... Saras... (Fantastic emoting by J, yet again! First-class 👏)
And for Saras... Still reeling from the darkest nightmare beheld... The first-hand experience of the hell, his choices have pushed her into... Stunned at the Devil who now has kabza over his rightful claim... The impatience and longing dancing in his eyes, thirsting for a meet (Gautam's eyes! Again, please take a bow 👏)... But his helplessness betrays his aim. He knows he cannot comfort her, not from this. Neither can he confront. Not like this. He recognizes a masterstroke of destiny for what it was... Though unaware that another is dead-set on making plays that both cannot anticipate, neither make... Pramad... His resentment increased. He no longer views K as just "samaan" but as more a pro-active tool intent on bringing him down, another usurper. In his desire to see her banished, he himself throws Kumud across the threshold her conscience had refused to let her cross.
From there on, the usual suspects take over: what drew them to that impenetrable, unyeilding barrier, like moths to a flame, but ehsaas? All questions asked, all tears shed, all regrets still hurting, all anger bubbling up, all wounds festering... Now what of them? Saras and Kumud, they will have to learn to act and react differently to each other. As simple as the subtle distinction between "in love" and "love"... From being "in love", they will have to adjust to loving each other. In love, is impatient. It tolerates no wait. Saras and Kumud, have a lifetime of hopeless anticipation in front of them. And only love for each other - unconditional, true - will see them through. Because if you love someone you do not do what S and K have done - you do not hurt, you do not humiliate, you do not ditch them at the altar! But if you are in love, a love that you have no control over, a love that transcends your existence, a love that consumes you and makes you take unbelievably stupid decisions and make even stupider sacrifices, then you do exactly what they have done. In love, makes you put your finger on the self-destruct button. Do it believing that you are in full control of your faculties. Do it for the greater good and end up heralding the greatest destruction imaginable. The high of "in love" is but a prologue to the crushing blow that will follow... And people in love, they live for these kinds of tragedies. And die in them... Thus they will still remain "in love" but the "love" component of the state will have to take greater prominence, if they are to make through this everlasting dark and stormy night... They have already been put into boxes... The "ladka" and their "bahu"... To sustain, they will have to operate within these very boxes.
Think of their love, as a phoenix, emerging from the ashes of its own conviction, security and even arrogance that it was sacred. Remember, hamara rishta atoot hai? Now... The innocence is gone. The security has been snatched. The claim has been usurped. And the re-birth has happened. Now it is only too aware of its insanctity and that makes it a phoenix worth protecting... Aaj unki daastan bhale adhuri hai, par mohabbat muqammal hai, ehsaas poori hai... Sochiye toh saath hai bhi kya, bas pal do pal ka mehmaan... Some people will always be a part of your life. And somethings you will do just because you know that they are important to someone. So will they have to.
Last word: Mohabbat ke dairon se bahar nikal kar mohabbat karenge. Aisi mohabbat karenge jo saath reh kar bhi log na kar paaye... At the end, we'll all be taught a wonderful moral... Sometimes it is the journey that matters, not the destination. This journey will steady and strengthen the spark of their love. Make it see its true potential... The end will only culminate it.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
