Saturday, November 17, 2012

Other Shows We're Watching

Veera - still watching this, it continues to hold my interest, but the pace slowed this week. Ratan still in shock and denial, and she lost her baby. Sampooran still guilty, regretful and hurting, but didn't manage to tell her what happened to make him betray her. And Ranvi continues to bond with his new sister ... the scene where he watches his dad clean the baby and change her diaper, while he holds a cloth and some mogra flowers to his nose, was cute!!!
Want Ratan to emerge out of her mourning mode ... from understandable shock and fury, it's becoming more like self-pity. The woman is not even concerned about her own son in her grief - difficult to condone for long in any mother.

Khamoshiyan - caught glimpses of the first week's episode. Seems promising. The FL, Mrunal is an average actress, but it's her first show, she may improve. Mohit is decent. The supporting cast is very good. The mysterious happenings in the family in Kolhapur are interesting ... waiting for the mystery to unfurl. Apparently the second male lead will appear this week.

I didn't watch any Madhubala or QH at all this week ... someone please give a quick recap! Thanks!

28 comments:

  1. I simply love Veera. Agree it was a bit slow moving. Guess they wanted to focus on the myriad emotions running through the various characters. Sampooran's disappearance seems to have knocked some sense in the family which now genuinely fears for him. The poor guy was pushed to the brink with no support. Wonder if Ratan will ever get to read what the guy had written. Yes, he had slipped up but the circumstances under which he did are still a mystery. Am more interested in the unique love story developing between the young boy and his baby half sister. Every single scene involving them is so innocent and heart warming.


    Madhubala is becoming increasingly interesting. The love story there is going in the reverse. The trust and respect between the leads gets established before love can develop. Madhu finds out that her foster father is behind the attacks on her husband and confronts him about it. Her mother is equally annoyed with the man to dare harm the man who is their daughter's husband, even if the intention was to protect her. In the meantime the evil ex-girl friend turned sis-in-law of RK gets Madhu's father arrested and later poisons RK's family against Madhu stating that she knew her father was the attacker and still kept quiet about it because she supported him. RK's mom is fearful that her son's life is in danger and although she was her sole supporter when RK forcefully married her and brought her home, now she has turned against her.


    RK who was already aware of his father-in-law's actions and hid the truth from his wife to save her the hurt is made aware of his father-in-law's imprisonment and rushes to free him by withdrawing his case. He later attends a press conference to inform his return to acting after his convalescence period following the life threatening attacks. Madhu returns to RK mansion where she is insulted and is about to be thrown out by RK's step family but RK lands just in time to save her. He later tells her how he still trusts her and dismisses her questions as to why she let off the man who tried to kill him. He explains why he reposes faith in Madhu to his manager and later establishes his confidence in his wife to his entire family by making her feed him with her own hands, shirking all implications that she was trying to poison him.


    All RK's lines this week were superb. Must commend Vivian's clear and well modulated dialogue delivery. Barun can learn a thing or two from the guy for whom Hindi is not his mother tongue.



    As far as characterisations go, RK seems to have more dimaag that ASR ( atleast so far). The explanation he gave to his manager as to why he believes in his wife's innocence is logical and well thought out.


    This indeed is a different love story where the heroine had gone to great lengths to save her husband's life despite the fact that the man had harmed her physically and emotionally. She seems to have developed a very strong bond which binds her to him. The hero learning his wife's sacrifices quite accidentally well and truly appreciates her and is going through great lengths to shield her from pain and hurt. His sarcastic comments even as he cares for her are as much as aimed at hiding his growing feelings for her as it is to give her the impression that their equation hasn't changed and hence she needn't feel uncomfortable.

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  2. QH: Has a lot of potential. There seems to be some mysterious past surrounding the female lead who has burn marks in her arm and some bad nightmares of her past. The hero right now cannot stand the girl but is a loving brother and son. They are dealing with the issue of colour of the skin being given importance in matrimonial matters. The half brother is highly annoying - lazy and hopeless flirt and a bad liar. The actor is not making it easy to warm up to the character either. Like I said, at this point, KSG is the only one who impresses me. His sister and mom are OK. The female lead has toned down her screeching a bit but still has a long way to go in tugging at heart strings. I feel the PH has invested more in the dead stock than life stock as far as this show goes. The calibre of acting of the majority of the cast come no way near the opulence of the sets, a total reversal of how they handled their earlier two shows.



    Sorry about this very long post.

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  3. I do want to watch Veera regularly but seem to forget timing as usual keeping with my TV trend before IPK happened. Loved their promo.

    Caught glimpse of darga scene of Asad mom-dad.....it was beautiful ..... Gul has her way with romance and I am surprised to see such chemistry between elder leads. Nicely done. Wish only if could hold on to their own talent, telly world could have been a happy bunch.

    Watched khamoshiyan .... I like Appa Sahib.

    PKDH ... No DKD ... That's what I liked about this serial ....there is a happy feel and natural flow of relationship. Again I like mom-dad pair much better.

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  4. Off Topic:

    I have at last validated my IF account. So now I can send Buddy PM. I have already sent to the once I know. Please do write your IF ID or just send PM to mine. Would love to keep contact with all of you. Blogspot keeps on doing ramanchi on me. So I need another place too. My ID is -

    .Sama.

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    1. Sama...i am anita27..i finally figured out how IF works...:D

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  5. My list matches Opti's to the T.

    Dia - Veera is very gripping, the little boy is brilliant. I agree with you, I do want the Mom to come out of grieving, enough of self-pity, time to stand up on her feet and get to the bottom of why her husband betrayed her.
    Opti - You write beautifully , so won't even try to go into details. But your analysis of MB and QH is exactly how I feel about the two shows.
    Really like how the love story of MB is shaping up, trust comes before love. Both Drashti and Vivian are doing justice to their roles.
    QH : Really liking KSG , his mom and Dad. The acting skills of the rest of the cast need to hugely improve. The heroine is neither good looking nor a good actress. I can't seem to understand what Gul liked in her. Te chemistry of the mom and Dad is good, it's keeping me hooked to the show.
    In addition to the above two, I have also been watching PSH, I could never expect VS and Sugnit pair. Adi and Sugni seems to be doing much better.
    I will start watching Khamoshiyan next week.

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  6. Opti, you have given the gist very well. It was great to read.

    I too am following madhubala from last week. Gave up on EHMMBH.

    QH, I see randomly, I like KSG though i did not like him in DMG and I won't lie, the girl as well. There is something about her that I like. Her accent is just not new York returned just as Maan's accent was not foreign returned. But I still loved Maan despite the accent. It is still definitely watchable for me but not yet addictive.

    Yesterday I sat and saw the whole of last weeks's episodes of JUNOON on Life OK. And there is something there which has caught my interest. So I am going to follow that this week and see whether it sustains my interest.

    I see pyar kya dard hai also. It is there on record for me and I fast forward the characters I don't like.

    I see BV only the sidharth Shukla portions. So that s also a fast forward watch. I cant stand too much of negativity, that is the problem.

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    1. QH - I meant that I like the girl as well contrary to the general feeling.

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    2. Usha,
      I lke the girl too, MA!
      Zoya will never be a Khushi because the actress is not Sanaya, but I feel this girl has something about her. She is playing the role of the slightly spoilt foreign returned to the T.
      I loved the friday episode for the bonding between Zoya and Asad's mom. These are the bits other than the romnace that 4 lions excel in. When they have their brains about them, they do the family scenes very well. I love the female bonding in their shows (I have only IPK experience to speak about)- between La- Khushi, Anjali- Khushi.

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    3. Usha/Su,

      I like the girl but do not feel connected. Her acting is so put on. In yesterday's episode where she lands in Azad's bathroom while he was having his bath, her acting seemed so farce. She is way better than Ayaan though. I just can't stand that guy.

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  7. watched "the departed".
    yes, i live under a rock, its been eons since the movie came out on tv.. but was captivated. the moves, reactions, countermoves, the thin slice of unreal connection so expertly woven.. and then wanted to hit something when the movie ended.. "seriously? i mean really? thats it? thats IT?? " "ugh why? why????? "

    then i gave it a day to simmer. (i love the way leo acts) (i love matt damon, though he's not the chocolate boy anymore) (gosh that Jack Nicholson.. i'd marry a man like that!)

    somehow, i'm glad i saw that movie..

    and (here goes) this movie reminds me so much of IPK.

    so special applause to the directors of IPK.. who melds, links and weaves all the threads.. the story, the acting, the editing.. who gave us something worth watching.. something that had multiple layers of magic woven into something as simple as a hate-turned-love story.


    for having the same pull as a movie.. for converting a movie person like me and hooking me onto a daily serial. for having something more with every rewatch.. for telling stories that unfolded through months.. always keeping me interested.. it was not only for the lead pair that i watched the story, though the lead pair is absolute eye candy in both looks and acting prowess.. the story itself intrigued me..

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    1. me, who can rip through an M&B in one hour, was hooked to 8pm tv.. me, who never watched hindi dramas unless it was on youtube.. (flexitime access, finished story..) me,who had no time between mommying and taxying and biwiying.. dropped everything and flabbergasted my family by plopping myself in front of the tv come 8 pm. my kids, who had never had a whiff of bollywood drama.. became pickled in arnav and khushi and hello hi bye bye.

      my hubby, so used to the "take it or leave it" biwi, rolled his eyes for the first month. closed his eyes the second month.. started narrowing his eyes by the third( the swami drama had started by then)... his biwi had changed color. no amount of riffing or heckling seemed to work.. kiddos were singing rabba ve on the toilet... and trying out "swami" as an assault weapon. "whats happening in this house??!!"

      thankfully, that mania has ended.
      devi maiyya ne uski dua sun lee.
      now no tv during the pm primetime. just like before. \
      shaanti in the house. just like before.
      kids do homework. just like before.

      thank you, 4lions, for dissing the show.
      i did not know i owed you my sanity, until i regained it.
      thank you, barun sobti :D
      your quitting has indeed been a good thing.

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    2. J....gud one.....
      "i did not know i owed you my sanity, until i regained it" how true!!

      They also serve who only stand and wait!! - John Milton
      I am waiting patiently for the decline to dissolve into "nothingness" bit also believe "a thing of beauty is a joy forever"...like u J, will seek to remember the good times...and let the "nothingness" fade from memory!! Thanks for a lovely perspective, as always a no-nonsense one!!*HUGS*


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    3. Wow J, that was absolutely brilliantly written.
      It reflects the situation n my house as well. The sanity has returned for a second time.
      The first time it was the return of mom from Maaahi ve, and now it is return from rabba ve.
      I remember I was telling a friend about this addiction and how this guy is so good looking like a M&B hero that I overlook all the horrible things he says. So my son came up to me all worried and asked me, is he even more good looking than Appa. My husband and myself laughed so hard, I said, of course, no doubt, he is definitely more good looking than Appa.
      Then my husband turned around to him and said, don't worry, thank god, he is only on tv. If he had been around in real life, he would have got a whack on his head and a policeman at his door as well.
      But yes, the sanity has returned and thank god QH does not have a BANSHEE wailing QUBOOL VE........ :-)

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    4. J,
      You have described EXACTLY what has been mine and my family's journey through my IPK craziness too. Only, my parents have been left flabbergasted too with my fixation for the serial as well as the net!

      And like you, I silently thanked Sobti for putting an end to this madness- I think he pulled the plug at the right time, unknowingly.

      For me, the show continues to hold interest, though it is not the same as before. And I thank 4 lions and Sobti for returning my sanity.
      It will be sometime before the 8 pm itch disappears, I guess, for me- may be till Barun leaves. After that, I may not fight over the 8 pm slot with my son. I'll wait till 11 pm when my son would be sleeping.

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    5. J,
      *rofl* well written! Exactly my state ... it feels good to be out of the IPK madness. I spent the entire weekend off the laptop ... it was truly liberating!!!

      I will continue to watch the show as long as Sanaya is there ... but the love story which was the addiction is over ... for me, it ended with a happily ever after. I can watch the BP episode or the post remarriage episode - both are fitting ends to Arnav Khushi. I don't need anything more. Whatever comes now is a new story about new characters.

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    6. Jaya - you have just brilliantly echoed what (I suspect) most of us went thru with ARHI. There was NO WAY I would be caught dead anywhere else but in front of the telly at 8pm......I even rescheduled my life around it. As you so rightly said, the departure of CT and BS is helping me wean off. I still watch it for Sanaya's sake, but the serial has lost its magic. Now, I actually do not mind catching the late show, or missing an epi altogether...........wow, forgot what freedom of choice used to be like........ ;). As Opti and Dia once said, perhaps this PH does not have the capability to deliver serials with a storyline that lasts beyond a year....in which case, it's a pity for they had a lot to offer with IPKKND.............ce la vie.

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  8. I caught up with the Thursday Friday episodes of Madhubala ... as I have not watched for a long time, I can't comment on story progress.

    But acting ... Vivian is surprisingly decent ... I will not call him good yet, because he does have that expressions in the eyes that Barun does. His dialogue delivery and diction is way better, that is where Barun truly loses out. Acting wise, Barun is streets ahead.

    Surprisingly, so is Sanaya ahead of Drashti. I felt they were at a similar level, but I felt differently after watching MB ... Madhu has also been given a much weaker character, at least in the scenes I watched ... she did not come across as the firebrand I had seen earlier. Her character has been weakened and RK's made stronger.

    RK's mother I have seen earlier, standard weeping crying telly mom. Raza Murad is good, and I have always loved his diction.

    I caught Friday's episode of Veera today ... and liked the Chaiji a lot. Her worry and fear as she realises Sampooran is missing, changing to sheer terror that he's done something to himself ... excellent! Thank God somebody is coming out of the shock of the news. I liked Sampooran's friend too ... enjoying the characterization and everybody's reactions ...

    Still waiting for Ratan to emerge out of her shock, it's becoming more and more like self-pity ... or will she end up going into depression? Is that why Ranvi is forced to take over looking after the baby completely?

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    1. Dia,
      I used to feel Sanay and Drashti were at par, until I watched some Geet scenes and then more of Madhubala. Drashti's expressions are limited, and she cannot do comedy. Sanaya enjoys her comedy, that is why the ott Khushi is not that irritating all the time. Any other actress would have made it look really stupid.

      On Madhu as a character, she looks weepy now for a reason. Madhu is feeling very guilty that it was her father who had attempted RK's murder, and the whole family is against her now. MIL also does not trust her any more. I have a feeling she will grow stronger soon. It will probably be RK who allows her to grow stronger.

      Madhu knows that RK is not the monster she believed him to be once and RK knows that Madhu is not the type to stab him from the back, is aware of the sacrifices she has made for him. It will be interesting to watch how they take the story forward with so much of understanding between the leads, without compromising on the script.

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    2. How are you girls :)

      Dia,
      Been watching MB since I quit IPK...Drashti is not as good as Sanaya, Vivian is improving or maybe I am liking his improved character... The biggest draw there is not the leads, it is the script and dialogs..especially RK's ..and VD does a great job with dripping sarcasm in his dialog delivery - right now, the combination of the acerbic tongue and the softening in the eyes for MB is very potent:) Drashti is paling in comparision - but today's episode had some of her fire returning ...
      Good writing for most part:)

      IPK - have only been reading LU's or the blog - if Barun disappears and so does Arnav - I might go back to watch it if they have a solid story line around Khushi - otherwise I think Gul has lost steam on how to extend the Arhi story :)

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    3. Srisri,

      I agree the script and the dialogues are the biggest strength of the show. For those watching the show continuously can understand why Drashti's character is acting the way she does. Drashti is a good actress and has a range of emotions she can portray well. This was seen even in this very show in the earlier episodes. I disagree with Su that Drashti is not good with comedy. She excelled in comedy in Geet. One needs to have seen the office scenes in June-September 2010 to understand it. Here she does not have much scope for it.

      For one to make a proper evaluation of the actors' talents one should have watched the show continuously for for a fairly long period. If one watches bits and pieces of the show, one cannot draw the right judgment. I bet anyone watching IPK in bits and pieces would not be as impressed with the acting skills of the leads, particularly in the current track which limits the scope of acting.

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    4. Opti,
      I did catch up on a lot of the older episodes - and Drashti is a very deliberate actress..don't know if that is just the limitation of the role or the actress since I have not seen Geet...what makes Sanaya better for me are her quicksilver expressions :) She can take you from comic OTT to emotional in literally a blink of an eye..saw today's MB episode and kept thinking Sanaya would have floored the two fabulous scenes - both the lead up to tujh mein rab dikhta hai(felt Drashti's eyes just teared and glazed) and the niharofying RK scene - I know comparisons are odious but the similarity of scenes with IPK keeps popping up in memory:)

      I used to think VD cannot act but the guy is emoting much better now - fast learner :)And his lines are getting better and better by the day- kudos to the writer - enjoying the show these days :)



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    5. I have to agree here, Srisri. Drashti was definitely off colour in the scenes yesterday. She could have done way better. In this very show, she did a fab job of the breakdown scene when Mukund left her. In Geet she was way better than she is here, especially in the show's heydays. Yes, Sanaya is a better actress than her because she aces the scenes irrespective of who is directing her and how much scope she has in the scenes.


      I too am impressed with Vivian's growth. His dialogue delivery is one of the best among the tele-actors. His diction is immaculate and his intonation depending on the demands of the scenes is remarkable. His expressions are improving although he does not have Barun's expressive eyes. He has the cutest, most mischievous, dimpled smile I've seen on an actor.


      The show itself seems to be growing from strength to strength. I love the way they have built the characters. There is so much depth in them. It is one show other than Veera which tugs at my heart striongs these days.

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  9. I had almost quit song dedications for ARHI...though my bond with a music is long one....as long i breathe!!

    But one for the mood!!
    An absolute stunner from AR Rahman (considering the range involved in mukhda and antara...RESPECT!!) and fittingly it was in a Subhash Ghai movie (kisna). Altho Madhushree sang her bit well I so wish Shreya had sung this song....


    Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan
    Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey
    Rahegi sadaa yahan, Pyar ki ye dastan
    Sunenge sadaa jise,Yeh Zameen asmaan

    Hum jahan aaye hain, Meherbaan saaye hain
    Hum yahaan khwaabon ke, karwaan laaye hain
    Dhadkane hain jawaan, Ga raha hain samaa
    Pighli pighli si hain, Mehki tanhaiyaan

    Rang dhal jaate hai, Din badal jaate hai
    Raatein so jati hai, Raahen kho jaati hai
    Pyar khota nahin, Pyar sota nahin
    Pyar dhalta nahin, Haan badalta nahin


    Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan
    Hum miley Na miley, Hum rahey na rahey
    Rahegi sadaa yahan, Pyar ki ye dastan
    Sunenge sadaa jise,Yeh Zameen asmaan

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uazJzPseRiU

    not the best Yt version but the only one i could manage....hope u guys enjoy!!

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    1. i had fallen in love with this song when it first aired.. thanks for the nostalgia!

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  10. Finally caught up with khamoshiyan and after the parallel lead, Manit joura's entry yesterday, felt a little bad unwittingly for Mohit. This guy has the better characterisation compared to the NRI. I went and googled the character sketch and it was actually good, much better than the simplistic NRI character.

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    1. I didn't like the parallel lead, Manit at first look ... may be he will improve. Characterization, I think Mohit will play simple, decent sweet guy ... he is that in real life, and I think that is what he is best at playing.

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