I was never a Shaheer Sheikh/Rhea Sharma/YRKKH fan. I never watched any of their earlier shows even though I had come across the promos of those shows here and there. I hadn't watched any ITV show in the last three years since life had taken a toll on me. However, when the promos of YRHPK started airing, there was something about it. Inspite of the concept of marital courtship sounding unnecessary to me since I belong to a metropolitan city where such a concept is common, I was attracted to the show. I couldn't put a finger to what it was about the show- the cast or the concept or the general setup of the show that got me noticing it. Although liking the promos, I started watching it in mid April since by then I had watched a few clips on Instagram and they made me want to see what the show was about.
This very decision, to watch the show was the best one ever! As soon as I watched the episodes, I realised that this show was not like the other shows on ITV. The refreshing camera angles, jokes which are in tune with popular culture and characters which are multidimensional in nature, make it unique. As I watched more and more episodes, it was then that I realised that it was the bg music in the show that got me attracted to it in the first place. The soothing happier version of title song along with the modern take on dheere dheere makes it easier for the viewers to connect with the moods of the characters.
Now, coming to the characters, words fall short in describing them. The very reason I decided to write this post was to appreciate the beauty that this show is. My favourite character, just like many on this forum, is Abir. For the first time on ITV, we are seeing a ML that isn't a conventional business person. He isn't the harsh/rude good looking guy with a business mind. Instead, he believes in philanthropy. He considers his life well lived in helping others. A person with an artistic mind, he expresses his emotions. Unlike the conventional ML who represses his pain, Abir exudes it even though he tries his best to hide it. For the first time on ITV, we see a male who shows every trait of being a feminist. From understanding what's going on in the mind of the lady he loves to disagreeing over his sister being manipulated to get married, he has always tried to uplift the women around him. The next character that I want to talk about is Mishti. She is the girl next door that questions everything yet is unsure of what is correct. Her imperfections make her character relatable. The pain that she experienced in her childhood impacted her so much that she believes that she needs to make an informed decision in every aspect of her life. If she doesn't question the minute details of the happenings of her life, she feels that she, herself, will be responsible for ruining her own life- something that she is scared to do since fortune was never in her favour. The confusion portrayed by her is the question of every girl before making a life changing decision. Even though the feminist in me cringes every time Badi Maa talks about Mishti's marriage and in a way forces her, it is still believable since not every family in the current India is liberal enough. I like the pace at which the show is going, neither very fast nor extremely slow. The type of variables that they are working with- whether you talk about the marital courtship argument or the spectacles one, the show is exploring very minute details that sometimes entail a marriage in India. The show is about these imperfections that make it an understandable one. It doesn't try to protray the ML or the FL lead as being perfect. The confusion the characters face at every step, the times that they fall weak inspite of being strong at many instances, make it realistic for the audiences to connect to it. The thick description in the portrayal of the characters reveal the layers they comprise of.
Here's to a show that tries to convey realistic representations with an extraordinary soundtrack and well- skilled actors. Here's to YRHPK that has done a good job on these 50 episodes!
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