Posted:
| Ample justice |
| Piyush Roy Naagin...Waadon Ki Agnipariksha Fri-Sun, 8.30 pm, Zee TV Given the penchant for re-cycling now redundant, but once successful Hindi film formulas from the past by our soap writers (read the successful ongoing re-hash of the saas-bahu family sagas of the sixties), I wonder why it took so long for someone to attempt the hit revenge seeking Icchadhari naagin (shape changing serpents) film formula of yore on the small screen. Aroona Irani and Kuku Kohli's AK Films' adaptation of the same as a new weekend telly series, although belated makes a commendable rehash with ample hints and character impersonations from the seventies hit multi-starrer Nagin and the eighties' blockbuster Nagina, featuring Sridevi. So you have a beautiful naagin with raging blue eyes who enters the human domain with a purpose and a tragic history, but makes the inevitable folly of falling in love with a human being. The story revolves around an icchadhari naagin, whose parents Naagraj (in a brief cameo by Irani favourite Manav Gohil) and Naagrani were killed by a scheming greedy aristocrat Rudra Rathod, in his obsession to possess the Naagmani, famed for its unlimited powers. The orphan naagin enters the Rathod family headed by matriarch Aroona Irani, as a dutiful bahu to take her revenge and return the mani to its rightful owners - the serpents. However, as luck would have it she falls in love with the object of her destruction with her duty as a wife starts coming in between her revenge and her love towards her husband leading to the narrative's entanglement in myriad serpentine twists and turns. The plot's a winner here and some of the twists do spring a surprise. Irani's production house known for some formulaic but taut telly socials in the recent past like Des Mein Nikkla Hoga Chand, Rabba Ishq Na Hoye and Vaidehi, brings in the lavishness of her productions into a tale that frequently oscillates between the modern and the occult. The fantastical naag world is recreated with all the attendant symbolisms made famous by the 'naagin' genre of films in the frequently propitiated lord of the serpents Shiva, the dark powers of the amavas, body changing serpents, past curses and predestined tragedies, and of course the been as a permanent background score. Not discounting a naagin's dancing abilities though the Naagrani smarting as a village belle gyrating to Aaiye meherbaan... was a bit on the comical. Ghosh, who debuted as the perennially sobbing bahu trapped in a loveless marriage in Ghar Ek Sapna(Sahara One) makes a noteworthy transition into a seething, revenge seeking sexy serpent. But will she manage the scare impact of Sridevi's memorable naagin act is yet to be seen, though Shahbaaz Khan as the tantrik baba a la Amrish Puri's classic villainous act in the film, is impressive. Verdict:Go for it if you enjoyed the Nagin and Nagina kind of movies and grew up reading the Naagraj genre of comics. The telly series does ample justice to an indigenous formula that has rarely disappointed on the thrill and drama metre. Perfect casting and well conceived twists makes this tragedy of errors an enjoyable weekend concoction of drama, adventure and fantasy. |
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