IP REDUX; Janus !!

~Personal note~

Kudos to each and every one of you, who make redux what it is...a family, held together by a love that surpasses the breadth of waters.

A huge thank you to the entire cast and crew of 'Iss Pyaar Ko Kyaa Naam Doon' for delivering an episode that was beautifully intense and powerfully gripping. Words can not express how perfect each and every scene was, along with the acting which was first rate. The dialogue was also creatively layered and significantly poignant - in other words, I was damn impressed!

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People often say that blood ties are a lot thicker than water, the cliched notion which suggests that biological connections run a lot deeper than any other bond we will make with people outside our biological family unit. In other words, we will do for family what we will not do for others.

Tonight's episode was all about family ties and the issue which come about as a result. By giving us characters that are essentially flawed, this drama does well to hone in on aspects of society and the pressures which exist within. If the last few episodes sought to highlight issues pertaining to social injustice this episode sought to define the institution of the family.         

A man, who's had to deal with the misfortune of losing his parent's love and protection, was forced to redefine those very values by way of sealing his own fate. A fate which lead him to believe that a house is not a home; it is an institution in which people are bound together by blood, respect and responsibility.

But his fate took a turn the day Khushi entered his life, freeing him from the clutches of his own ill fate. His heart began to feel the all too familiar pangs of love, an emotion which he had long buried, lest it destroys him again. The rekindling of love forced him to break down the very walls which he had built in an effort to remove himself from past grievances; a past which continues to haunt his very existence.    

After tonight, it seems that Arnav's fate has once again taken a turn, as he finds himself face to face with his dark past, a past which he had tried very hard to leave behind by clinging onto his present. It is his present existence which freed him from the hell of the past, proving his love to be limitless. His journey with Khushi is slowly but surely breaking down all the barriers which he had first erected; and his love for her is now equating, if not surpassing, the love which he holds for his own family. It is only after growing in love with Khushi and her family has he been able to identify with feelings of love in its various forms. It is not a love which restricts him or burdens him; it is a love which sets him free. And that is where his love extends the realm of blood ties...showcasing him to be a better person.

Blessings

The scene where both Khushi and Arnav bend down to seek their blessings from daadi was an amazing scene. Whilst Daadi's hand confidently passes over Arnav's head, emphasising their blood ties, Khushi is denied those blessings in the very same moment. What I loved about this scene is how it reflected the importance of the three characters, daadi, Arnav and Khushi, and their relationship with each other. Whilst Dadi's giving her blessings, Arnav's eyes remain steadily focussed on Khushi being denied of those same blessings. From this scene, it's clear, that his want of blessings holds more value for her, than it does for himself. And rest assured, he's taking it all in, observing carefully the way in which his wife is denied of her rights; and being the righteous man that he is, he will most definitely make sure Khushi is accepted whole heartedly by the people he loves. 

Arnav's past, present, future

The next scene which depicts the workings of fate and the intertwining of past, present and future is when Khushi enters the room, only to find Arnav lost in his own thoughts.

I absolutely loved, and I mean LOVED this scene. Arnav is a man who's still caught up in the trappings of his own fate, regardless of how much he's changed, and this scene did well to highlight that. The scene perfectly captures Arnav facing the reality of his dark past, while blurring out his present - Khushi. Barun was SUPERB in this scene, whilst he stands there alone and isolated in his own thoughts, his face automatically dons the mask of his former self - ASR; the person who is void of all emotion and that had learnt to close himself off from the rest of the world.    

The whole exchange was so beautiful yet heart breaking. Though Khushi, is very much part of his present, she has no idea about his past, and that leaves her feeling helpless. Sanaya was brilliant here with her nuanced expressions ' she captured Khushi's helplessness, worry and pain perfectly! In fact, the whole scene was very maturely scripted!! She walks up to him, with slight hesitance, knowing how upset he must be. She doesn't force him for any answers, rather, she very lovingly tries to ease his pain by way of making excuses for Daadi's attitude towards her. She turns away from him, leaving him to his own thoughts, and sits herself down, comfortable enough to voice her own fears. Sure enough, this causes him to respond. And the moment he turns to face her, she reads him completely. And I love it! She's not that naive to think that his pain and anger is a result of her being denied dadi's blessings, but it's much deeper than that. At this point, she realises that she doesn't know him at all, how could she, for his past is part of his present. She needs to understand both before she knows him fully. She doesn't once pressure Arnav into revealing his anxieties; rather she gently assures him that she's there for him if ever he needs to talk. 

Though Arnav is conflicted with his own past, he doesn't ever lose sight of his present - he acknowledges Khushi's fears and insecurities, and very tenderly seeks to reassure her. And words fail me to describe how much I loved this moment. Forgetting his past for a moment, he let's down his guard and releases her from all the guilt which she had been burdened with since their marriage; acknowledging for the first time that he was in the wrong. He assures her of her innocence and further accepts that the marriage was indeed forced. And the moment he clears her name, Khushi's expressions convey a moment of relief, which then turns into adoration, acceptance and then love. And that for me, was my moment of redemption - thank you CVs!!! He finally voice what she'd always wanted to hear, that it was of no fault of hers, and neither does he blame her...and with that, her faith in him returns, twofold! 

And I just love that she gives him his space, though she may not know him fully, she knows him well enough to know that something is troubling him, and that he'll open up to her when he is ready. She willingly accepts that his pain is now her pain, and his happiness is her happiness...however for now, it seems he's not quite ready to burden her with his past just yet.

 "she's like that. Hamesha se esi hein wo. Daadi hamesha cheezo ko apni angle se dekhti hein, sachayi jese to unko nazar hi nahi aati, wohi samaj ti hein jo wo samaj na chahti aur expect karti hein ke sab log cheezo ko unki tareeke se dekhe, aur agar koi nahi dekhta hein to unkeliye woh galat hein.."

I loved how layered the dialogues were today. And in several instances, it felt as if characters were holding more than one conversation. When Arnav iterates the above lines to Khushi, he turns away from her, his voice trembling, hurt and anger evident in his entire frame, so much so that you can see his body shaking. What acting Sobti, sheer brilliance! He knows his blood ties very well, and for some reason, it rattles him...the moment he says these lines, it seems as if he is describing a reflection of his former self. Family traits being handed down, generation after generation, so that it becomes almost impossible to move away from his past. 

The entire face off between Naani and Daadi was just EPIC! During this whole exchange we find that a woman who self-righteously believes in her own blood ties, had seemingly severed those ties long ago, stepping away from her responsibilities. I love how blunt Naani was about this, she only laid out the bitter truth after being provoked. Though Arnav is not quite ready to delve too deep into his past, he's having to confront it all the same - through his nightmares. Daadi however, it seems has cut herself off from the past completely. Ignorance is bliss in her case. She's quick to judge her own family in their present state, but refuses to see how this links to the past. Her state of in denial is what blinds her to reality, as Naani wakes her up from it.."talookh hein" - of course there's a direct relation between past and present. The fact that she's running away from it says a lot about her Malik traits, traits which were perhaps seen in Arnav's dad too - a man who turned away from his responsibilities.

In terms of acting, execution and dialogue, this scene just topped it for me! In this scene we see Arnav confronting his past, no matter how much Dadi wishes to deny it. Just like how he reminds her of her son, she reminds him of his dad. But the moment she questions his stance, his decision, his rights, he responds with:  "kis haq se?" What right does she have to ask him these questions after years of neglect!? He's bitter, angry and deeply hurt - and has every right to be!

"Haq banta hein humara, rishte se, umar se...hum aapi ki daadi ji hein, apne baabuji ki amma..."

When all else is lost, she reasserts her claim over him by emphasising their blood relation. Doesn't matter if she had been there for him or not all these years, but the fact remains in that she's his dad's mother, and therefore has every right over him. The unfairness and hypocrisy of it all irks Arnav and turns him bitter, and at this point we are made to sympathise with him, his past and his present, knowing both are closing in on him.

The moment he goes over to stand next to his Khushi, supporting her, showing her to be his equal, it is clear where his priorities lie...with his present self. By siding with her in this very moment, he's chosen to face the past with her. He won't hide himself nor will he run away from it. He's wronged her enough in the past, and he's not going to let his past spoil it for him again. He's ready to make amends, to love and to be loved, and in time, will hopefully overcome all barriers so that he can secure his own happiness for the future. The moment he turned his back on his daadi, she had every faith that he'll return to her on the grounds that they're blood related. But Arnav proved her wrong..his loyalties doesn't lie with people who are tied by blood, rather they are with the people he loves, irrespective of their social standing.    

What I really loved at this point is the way he chooses to break away from his blood ties, by refuting her claims that he's just like his dad. It is whilst being in the company of others that Arnav had been able to reconcile his past differences with his present, in doing so he's proven that he's nothing like his dad, nothing like a Malik...for the present Arnav is far better than that. He's a man who's overcome his past, a man who's shown to be responsible, righteous, understanding, fair, just and loving. 

Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone - but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yeilding...             Betty Davis.