Sari, liked your take as usual. Looks like an episode that has generated very different reactions in people.
I liked the epi – it was cute and funny and dealt with a topic bound to crop up when two such different people from completely different milieus endeavour to build a relationship. We would all like to think that love is enough. In an ideal world it probably is. In the real (or in this case reel) world, the day to day realities of two such different people are sure to intrude. Sometimes love is not enough – you also need to understand where the other person is coming from and appreciate and/or celebrate the differences. I've always believed that successful relationships are always between two people comfortable in their respective skins. It is not possible to sustain a relationship where you are pretending to be someone you are not – in effect playing a role.
I still felt it missed some of the execution and presentation that make so many of IPK episodes so watchable again and again but, overall, a decent start to the week and hopefully more happy wedding related episodes before the start of some tough times for our loved up couple.
What I liked :
- Khushi looked different but still very Khushish – she looked like a kid trying very hard to play the sophisticate for her man and her man sure did appreciate both the effort and the result.
- The 'can do' and dare I say 'daring' attitude of Khushi in trying to treat Arnav Singh Raizada by essentially walking into a completely alien environment with complete confidence at her ability to manage the 'date'. Can we imagine Payal doing something like this for Akash? We all know how much trouble she had with the hors d'oeuvres tray and that was enough to make her go running off to Buaji for advice…enough said! Isn't this also one of Khushi's qualities that attracted ASR – a seemingly fragile looking unsophisticated girl with a core of steel (that even the mighty ASR would not crack) who will go to any lengths for the ones she loves.
- ASR let Khushi take the lead and only stepped in when things looked like they were slipping out of her control – he offered his help multiple times but always stepped back when she assured him she could handle it.
- Arnav asking her to drink wine for him and then letting her know that he would never ask her to do anything that she has an objection to. He also let her know that he was doing the rasm and mandir stuff for her but, more importantly, had no issues doing any of it – he just didn't believe in these things. In essence, he hadn't suddenly inculcated any belief in the Divine but had no objections to walking up to Devi Maiya to ask her permission for their marriage because he wanted to please Khushi. For all of his emotional detachment and general middle finger at the world, methinks he will turn out to be a wonderful partner for Khushi. He is mature enough to differentiate between what is important and the superficial and fundamentally understands that what drew him to her are the very qualities that will disappear if she tries to change herself into the sort of wife she thinks ASR needs. I also liked how Khushi was willing to drink the wine to please him though it completely went against all that she believed in. Isn't this what love is all about?
- Arnav telling her that he loves her the way she is and that she needn't change herself. He preceded this declaration by asking her whether she wanted him to change for her, managing to cut through Khushi's single minded focus on trying to be what she thinks will please him. They have both in their individual ways assured the other of liking them for what they are, warts and all. Certainly a very healthy start to a relationship.
- The little touches throughout – his expression at her trying to convince the waiter to give them a table, him spicing up her bland dish making it more palatable for her, his reaction at her pulling out the chair for him, her tipsyness at the 'kala khatta' before she discovered it wasn't wine and also at her declaring that she could be ASR by going to an expensive place and 'dating'. The overall attitude on her part was of going all out to try to please him and on his part was one of smiling indulgence at her efforts – very nicely portrayed I thought.
- The whole champagne fiasco and him taking charge once he realized how upset she was at the whole incident by apologizing to the man and then trying to console her first by imitating her and then trying to divert her attention by teasing her.
- The sheer irony of Shyam and Anjali both trying to hide from Arnav and Khushi – for all of Anjali's declaration to her husband about how her brother has a 'galat famiyi' about Shyam, her first reaction was of guilt – because she knows what she is doing is wrong. She also does not find it strange that her husband, who she believes has done no wrong, is bent on hiding himself under the table to escape the notice of Arnav and Khushi in a public restaurant while in a private tete-e-tete with his very pregnant wife. I've always believed that the reason that Anjali did not get in touch with Shyam and did not ever even talk of walking out with her husband was because, in her heart, she does believe all that was said about Shyam. She is unfortunately, weak enough or probably damaged enough, to bury the unpleasant truth and to want to desperately believe that her prefect fantasy world can be restored back to what is once was. She is trying hard to convince herself that no one is in the wrong here, there are just misunderstandings that need to be cleared.
Points to ponder :
Found it quite ironically hilarious that Shyam with all his smarmy charm booked himself and his rani sahiba into what looked like a private alcove for two so that he could indulge in his false lovey doveyness with his wife while the real love birds were left with the hoi polloi on the main floor of the restaurant since the unsophisticated but very genuine Khushi probably hadn't thought to ask for the privacy.
The symbolism of the much-married twosome indulging in false (at least from the husband's side) sweet nothings in their private and hidden corner while the genuine couple sit comfortably amidst all the crowd and enjoy their date did strike me very strongly.
Off to read the other takes!
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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