Thursday 11th July
Damn ... the week really goes by quickly ... Thursday already?! Three more days to wait for CC again!
Cv's seem to have realised the ChhanMan jodi has caught on very quickly ... so we get very cute ChhanMan scenes in almost every episode ... as well as being lovey dovey, they also showcase why ChhanMan are pretty unique on telly, they actually COMMUNICATE!!! Manav is disappointed that CC is more worried about PuchPuch than about him, sulks a bit, and tells CC what Umaben told him ... Chhanchhan is horrified and reassures him that she feels no such way about his mom ... and manages to coax him out of his sulks pretty darn quick ... she's figured out that her hubby, like most men, needs loads of pampering and assuring that he is the lodestone of her life ... which she's happy to do.
But that leaves Umaben free to carry out her dastardly plans ... which involve freeing PuchPuch from his doghouse. Unfortunately for her, PuchPuch is in no hurry to leave ... she has to physically pick him up, much to her disgust and throw him outside the gate ... poor baby!!!
Next morning, Mukut leaves to pick up Dadaji, and we get a glimpse of some more of Dadaji's endearing qualities ... like his refusal to travel in cars or trains ...
The women of the house get busy cleaning everything in sight ... shape of things to come, Chhanchhan drops PuchPuch's milk all over the table, and gets busy cleaning it up, while Mansi offers to feed PP. Good to see Mansi back on screen! Of course PuchPuch is nowhere to be found ... which sparks off The Great Dog Hunt ... just in time for the arrival of the feared Dadaji ...
Chhanchhan's first encounter with the dreaded man doesn't go quite as well as it could have gone
more disturbed about the loss of her beloved PuchPuch than about any punishments she could get, Chhanchhan bumps into Dadaji, almost knocks down Dadaji's precious kalash, manages to save it just in time ... ducks down in a brief 'payee lagoo' and disappears before Dadaji can utter a word
Dadaji is not amused.
Rest of the episode was a hilarious line up of the family, all quaking in their shoes, paying obeisance to Dadiji's ashes, Dadaji learning more and more about his modern bahu, and Umaben fanning the flames as best she could. Manav tries to redeem his absent biwi, but doesn't get very far ... and he is in line for the first punishment of the season.
One thing I did like about Dadaji ... the line about the daughters of the house not touching the feet of the elders ... that was the custom in my home as well.
Precap - Chhanchhan is banished to the verandah to live with her dog. Now what will Chhanchhan do?
Damn ... the week really goes by quickly ... Thursday already?! Three more days to wait for CC again!
Cv's seem to have realised the ChhanMan jodi has caught on very quickly ... so we get very cute ChhanMan scenes in almost every episode ... as well as being lovey dovey, they also showcase why ChhanMan are pretty unique on telly, they actually COMMUNICATE!!! Manav is disappointed that CC is more worried about PuchPuch than about him, sulks a bit, and tells CC what Umaben told him ... Chhanchhan is horrified and reassures him that she feels no such way about his mom ... and manages to coax him out of his sulks pretty darn quick ... she's figured out that her hubby, like most men, needs loads of pampering and assuring that he is the lodestone of her life ... which she's happy to do.
But that leaves Umaben free to carry out her dastardly plans ... which involve freeing PuchPuch from his doghouse. Unfortunately for her, PuchPuch is in no hurry to leave ... she has to physically pick him up, much to her disgust and throw him outside the gate ... poor baby!!!
Next morning, Mukut leaves to pick up Dadaji, and we get a glimpse of some more of Dadaji's endearing qualities ... like his refusal to travel in cars or trains ...
The women of the house get busy cleaning everything in sight ... shape of things to come, Chhanchhan drops PuchPuch's milk all over the table, and gets busy cleaning it up, while Mansi offers to feed PP. Good to see Mansi back on screen! Of course PuchPuch is nowhere to be found ... which sparks off The Great Dog Hunt ... just in time for the arrival of the feared Dadaji ...
Chhanchhan's first encounter with the dreaded man doesn't go quite as well as it could have gone
more disturbed about the loss of her beloved PuchPuch than about any punishments she could get, Chhanchhan bumps into Dadaji, almost knocks down Dadaji's precious kalash, manages to save it just in time ... ducks down in a brief 'payee lagoo' and disappears before Dadaji can utter a word Dadaji is not amused.
Rest of the episode was a hilarious line up of the family, all quaking in their shoes, paying obeisance to Dadiji's ashes, Dadaji learning more and more about his modern bahu, and Umaben fanning the flames as best she could. Manav tries to redeem his absent biwi, but doesn't get very far ... and he is in line for the first punishment of the season.
One thing I did like about Dadaji ... the line about the daughters of the house not touching the feet of the elders ... that was the custom in my home as well.
Precap - Chhanchhan is banished to the verandah to live with her dog. Now what will Chhanchhan do?
I am liking the flow of the show now, episodes are much better and all actors are getting good space. This show definitely has a good star cast and Sanaya is looking gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteDadaji looks like an interesting person and very perceptive. He will be a good counterbalance to the storm Sonali will create in Chhanchhan's life.
Manav is still not aware of his mother's subterfuge, he just feels her way of showing love is different. Even yesterday he looked towards UB to calm down Dadaji and of course UB used the opportunity to make things worse for Chhanchhan.
Looking forward to see the twists and turns which will unfold with new entrants. The creatives are keeping the show lighthearted which is good, even UB's antics look humorous nowadays!
The show has all good actors, including Dadaji, so it is up to the writers now to come up with interesting scenarios.
Dia, now that three months are up, what do you think of the show and Sanaya's choice?
For me the show has started becoming more entertaining over the past one month with better direction and execution. The writing is better but it can go a notch up. Till now they have not shown anything in the show which is superbly unique, but they are getting better in entertaining.
The one thing I want them to do is to start giving Chhanchhan agency. Till now whatever battles she has won are by sheer luck or chance, she has not really stood her ground on anything after marriage. Of course it maybe too soon for a newly wed, but in small ways I want the makers to start giving Chhanchhan that spark.
Coming to Sanaya's choice, I never questioned it, because as an actor she should experiment with diffrent genres and production houses. Being trapped due to fear of losing popularity and without taking risks she will not grow as an actor or be versatile. In this process she will win some and lose some, it happens to best of performers.
Whichever way Chhanchhan fares, I think, she will continue to be in demand and popular. Though I still feel CC can be a decent with the way the episodes are shaping up lately. Still keeping fingers crossed for the tarot prediction!
My wish is that the next project she picks is something intense and intriguing, now that she has attempted a lighthearted saas-bahu/ family drama.
So more romance and humour coming our way in Chhanchhan, looking forward to that. Hope TRP goes up as the show and ChanMan jodi is creating buzz again. Next TRP bulletin will be up in August.
-Uma
Missed a word there...meant to say I still feel Chhanchhan can be a decent hit with the way episodes are shaping up nowadays and keeping fingers crossed for it.
Delete-U
Uma,
DeleteI am a biased observer, so don't know if my opinions count! :)))
Honestly, after the first 2-3 weeks of IPK, I had almost given up on it - the time of the very mediocre office track and some of Khushi's more juvenile antics. I never expected it would become such a huge hit. I became hooked only after the guesthouse sequence, I thought that was BRILLIANTLY done ... that was when I liked ASR for the first time, till then I detested the character and thought he was stupid and badly written! And guesthouse was the Khushi I completely adored - Sanaya was a revelation to me there with her fiery acting, the writing of the show settled down by then ... and there was no looking back!
After MJHT I felt that Sanaya needed a better co-star and a mature story and she would do wonders ... with IPK that definitely came true.
After IPK I wanted an author backed role for her, one that would win her the accolades that eluded her during IPK - awards go to the 'ideal bahus' on TV, not the klutzy ones, and Chhanchhan is being an ideal bahu in her own way, in a way that can be appreciated by young and old. So I am hoping that will happen.
I also felt that this was Sony's answer to DABH ... and that seems to be happening to some extent.
So I have a good feeling about the show now ... the last couple of weeks after the marriage seem to be the show that Sanaya and Supriya signed on for. I'm sure Supriya would not have taken on a completely vampish role - this is grey, not in the DABH way, where Bhabho's regressive thinking is justified on the grounds that she is old so entitled to think that way ... but grey in the sense that it has comic undertones. And it has enough humor and modern thinking to attract the younger audience, who can connect with Chhanchhan - Sony's audience is more urban, hence they will definitely cater to that segment, more than to the DABH segment. My mom is an urban educated lady of the MIL generation - she cannot stand Bhabho, and does not connect to her at all, she switches off the TV the moment she sees Bhabho or Sandhya ... while she dislikes Umaben, she agrees that there are many women like her, especially now that she has been scaled back from black to grey. And she finds Umaben's manipulations very realistic.
So the urban viewers will connect to CC. It may not get the high TRPs of SP shows, but the last couple of weeks showed an upward trend, and apart from ChhanMan, this coincided with three more things - a definite improvement in the writing and the scenes, the start of the real story as stated by both Sanaya and Supriya, and also the scaling back of Umaben to more comic undertones.
And of course the fact that ChhanMan have been accepted and have taken off well is undeniable - their scenes are very well written, show the ChhanMan bond growing stronger and stronger, yet also showcase the small tiffs and squabbles between a new husband wife as they get used to living with each other - again very relatable for young urban couples who get married after knowing each other for a few months.
So I'm also keeping fingers crossed for the tarot lady's predictions! And I have a gut feel they will come true :)))
I also agree with you about adding some more spark to Chhanchhan's character ... till now, she has been succeeding in thwarting Umaben's plans out of sheer goodness of heart and her upfront way of dealing with things, which is actually more realistic than out and out rebellion by a new bride. But her blind faith in Umaben's goodness when she has seen her worst side, is unrealistic, especially now that she has seen more of Umaben's manipulative ways. I want to see her becoming more aware of Umaben's real nature and taking steps to counter it more knowingly. Maybe in the same direct truthful way, but more consciously.
DeleteThe new track with Dadaji should prove interesting for this, because Dadaji knows Umaben's nature, he might open CC's eyes to it. Again because of the light way they are dealing with this, it promises to be interesting and a fun watch!
For Sanaya's next show ... I remember Gia Manek took up Jeanie and Juju (however you spell it!) because she was tired of crying all the time.
DeleteSanaya did very intense scenes in IPK, she had a lot of heavy duty emotional stuff as well as very intense romance. Plus she had to put a lot of effort into being so crazy and OTT.
For her, Chhanchhan must be a welcome break - she has hardly any acting to do as she has to be most natural. And now that she has Anuj, a good actor, to work with, the last link is also taken care of ... a friendly experienced co-actor to do the close scenes with - she already liked the rest of the cast anyway. So this is a break for her - doing light easy stuff after the effort and hard work she had put into Khushi.
After this, I will be interested in seeing what she takes up next. I would like a mature story about relationships between couples, on the lines of Saans, Astitva, there were a very good show on relationships with Renuka Sahane ... something like that.
Let's see ... for now, I am very happy with Chhanchhan, it is light and enjoyable and has great doses of romance to keep me happy. I wouldn't mind some tension between Manav and Chhanchhan at some point, just to spic up their love story ... maybe once CC has won Dadaji's support and Sonali enters the picture.
Dia, Su and Ash,
ReplyDeleteRead all your comments about IPK 2. I think you all have valid points about the difficulty of pulling it off, be it getting the cast and crew together, or bad management of 4L or channel politics. IPK 2 is a difficult proposition now but by December' 14, when the rerun will end, things could be quite different, I suppose we will get a clearer picture only then.
-U
The thing is, if it's not 4 Lions and Sarun, it cannot be IPK. All the other shows which have come back with second seasons have had the same cast, the only exception being Punar Vivah which went off for the same reason. Since Barun is not coming back, as of now ... there cannot be an IPK2.
DeleteIf Sanaya does come back with 4 lions with SP, they should NOT call it IPK2 - it won't be accepted as that. It should just be sold as a new love story from the makers of IPK - bas!
If 4 Lions comes back with a new love story without Sanaya ... frankly, will have to wait and watch. For me, love stories/emotional conflicts are synonymous with Sanaya now. Unless another actress catches my interest the way Sanaya has done, I don't see myself getting too involved in any. I might watch, but not with the same level of involvement ... unless the actress is really good. I like some other actresses on tv today, but no one is as good as Sanaya so far, not for love stories - some are very good in their own genres, of course.
Dia, Uma,
DeleteIPK running in Life OK- I am not sure if it is a big deal, considering how poorly made the other shows on Life OK are...I don't even tune in to the channel for anything at all now. IPK finished its rerun in Star Utsav few months back.
Obviously, this is for the international audience, because like Dia said, nothing else has clicked for SP.
Going by the way Zee is promoting QH, I am not even sure if 4L will want their next dream venture with SP...
My dream is that Sanaya be paired with Karan in Gul's next show...I am sure it will not be an intense drama, considering both Gul and San love rom-coms. There is a lot to explore in that genre also...and I am positive that her chemistry with Karan will be as good or better than Sarun's...these two were destined to act together...will happen at some point in their career.
4L comes with a new show without San- frankly, I was not impressed with QH at all- after IPK, I felt no show would have the same pull, considering Geet never impressed me...but the jodi clicked, despite everyone's (including mine) initial misgivings...so, if San is not available, I guess Gul will still come up with another successful pair...If Sanaya is free, she will not have to look around much. Like Dia sid, I cannot name many actresses who can balance it all- also the reason why I feel Barun will have more problem replicating the chemistry- there are simply not many talented, intelligent actresses around...
Wanted to add...and not many creative teams that can do full justice to that talent.
DeleteDia and Su,
DeleteAgree with both of you, if Sanaya is available 4L will definitely take her for their next dream project, at least that is what gut feeling right now after reading the interviews of directors, technicians, Gul and RC. They all had something positive to say about Sanaya whether they mentioned Barun or not. The fact that Forum 32 gives updates on Chhanchhan once in a while shows 4L definitely are keeping tab on Sanaya and they also like to work with their top stars again.
Sanaya too I feel may be happy to join the team as she had long association with many of them and this current show is turning out to be quite a rollercoaster ride for her emotionally because of all the off screen drama being created by her ex-costar, FK, and fans of IPK etc.
This has been a very surreal weekend for me where I got to find out about forums and clubs which have been formed to expressly criticize Sanaya and her work, and whose sole purpose is to malign her and harass her employers and colleagues. This is all so mind boggling for me because this is the first time I am following a show from beginning and started joining its discussion online. Do people really take these shows SO SERIOUSLY?!!! After all this is merely entertainment and actors are doing their job. I had no idea people take their favorite, these shows and jodis so seriously that they have time in their life to go about actively destroying reputations and careers of others!! CRAZY!!
Su, it such a coincidence you mentioned the last statement as I was thinking something along the same lines...it is as though Sanaya is being victimized for being so talented....very few creatives teams can do justice to it in Indian television and all this criticism she is facing about doing a mediocre show stems from this. There is only that much she can choose from or face long periods of hibernation between shows. Even if she chooses something good (definition of good is subjective) what is the guarantee that it will get the necessary TRP and won't be axed. Happened to BRKD and by most accounts it was one of the better shows launched during recent times.
I have not seen KSG act, but from your accounts he is good and will be a good match for Sanaya, hope that whatever she picks up next she gets to work with an established actor right from get go and with a PH which can manage things better.
Really want Barun's movies to release so his hyper fans can move their attention there and seek whatever chemistry they want and leave Sanaya to her devices. I agree if anyone is comparing its his turn now to show chemistry with Ms. Right.
Sorry for making so many posts on this topic this week, but it has been such a weird one where I got so many messages and PMs about fan madness. I had no idea about this and am blown away by this craziness and delusions for something which should just be ENTERTAINMENT!!
-U
Uma,
DeleteI second you on that last ... I've been caught up in the same mess and am completely boggled that people can take their favorite actors and shows so seriously that they actually go out of their way to malign and pull down other actors.
I really wish Barun's movie would release soon, and be a big hit, so that he is set in BW, and his fans can start drooling over him and his new jodi, and leave Sanaya alone. Most of them are more Barun fans than Sanaya fans, even though they call themselves SaRun fans ... maybe if he does well with another girl, they will shift their attention there and leave her alone! Am completely and utterly fed up with them ... the problem is that he is jobless and out of sight, they are frustrated and are really scared that Sanaya-Anuj pairing will replace the SaRun pairing in people's minds, and no one will want him even if he does return to TV! I really can't explain their shenanigans any other way! All this duplicity about wanting the best for Sanaya is just a hypocritical facade!!!
And then they say that Umaben is an unrealistic character ... they are all Umabens in their own way ... sweet faced and worried about Sanaya on the surface, and trying desperately to boot her and her show off air in reality!!!
Phew ... I needed to vent!!!
Sounds like the CC forum is an off shoot from the IPK forum....
DeleteDon't the mods ban these Barun topics there? What is Barun's business in CC?
The mods are pretty active in QH forum, when Kajen/ KaSh fans start bashing Surbhi, or Karan bashers go over the limit...
Sometimes I feel the mods themselves are too sensitive, and some of those basher posts are funny- the funniest thing for me, is how silly people can be when they ignore the log in their eye in their hurry to look for the speck in the others'.
Dia,
Even if MAMR becomes a huge hit, the chemistry is not going to be, and any way, people look towards TV as their primary source of entertainment- so the situation is really not going to change...until these fools realise that Sarun may never happen again. Or even Barun may never come back to television...
Oh! I'd love to see Sanaya with KSG, not just for the chemistry, also for the fan wars...:D
KSG fans will give back in the same measure.
Uma, they don't have to be put together even for a look test, for me to say with 100 pc conviction that this pair will rock. Surbhi is very hard working and still growing, Sanaya is a better match to Karan in terms of experience, currently. And I am 99 pc sure this pair will be put together by Gul within the next 5 years.
Can U give me a link to the F32 posts on CC? I thought they discuss only their shows there.
Su,
DeleteFollowing is a link to an article in Forum32 which mentions Chhanchhan along with few other shows, then in their description of Sanaya's interview with Gul they concluded by asking the readers to watch out for more news on Sanaya in the Forum. So, I am guessing they look out for their favorites.
http://forum32.com/2013/06/17/flavor-of-the-month-june-brides-on-television/
-U
Su,
DeleteThese so called well-wishers of Sanaya don't mention Barun specifically except they lament about show not utilizing Sanaya's talent fully or exploiting her beauty only, there being too much romance which is vulgar or uncomfortable to watch, the show not sticking to the saas bahu genre and having too much romance...yada...yada...
Of course they will also say Khushi was epic and it cannot be topped by other roles...the same people who wrote last year that Khushi's character was being butchered by writers and was irritating them!
Hypocrisy much!!! Want to see how they will react when Barun is romancing other girls on-screen.
-U
Su,
DeleteI agree, Sanaya-KSG will rock as a pair. They are both excellent actors, great in emotional scenes as well as in comedy, they both have a very wide range and are very versatile. I was completely put off by KSG as a person after his marriage shenanigans, but as an actor, I have to admit he is excellent. KSG is a more complete actor than Barun, though Barun is the better looking of the two - KSG is too beefy for my taste.
If Gul does put them together in a show, it's almost certain to be another huge hit, and KSG-San have a strong possibility of being a bigger hit pair than Sarun ... probably the only actor for which I can say this.
Dia,
DeleteKSG - the thing I like about him is the fact that he accepts he has made mistakes- to the extent, when Surbhi is asked about Karan's casanova style, she is confident to reply that he himself has regrets about it. In one of the recent SBS too, Karan was asked about love- and he said it is very important you say teh right thing to the right person at the right time...and his explanation following that was, many a time you make the mistake of rushing things and proposing at the wrong time- and once that has been done, it can have disastrous consequences, if it was a spur of the moment decision. Pretty obvious what he was talking about.
I take it as, people making mistakes. Some jump the gun taking the decision to make. so it breaks too- different kinds of people... It was very unfortunate that he made some rash decisions that would have really broken someone's heart..I guess he has either paid or will pay for it. Karan says there is a lot of pain in love. I take it as a sincere statement from a man who has gone through it- given and received pain, I guess.
I hope he has found his true love now...they are a cute couple and look made for each other.
KSG is too beefy for my taste too. Some suits make his muscles bulge all the more and I go urgh...but expressions...he is the king!
Barun is the ultimate cutie on TV....he looks like a baby. But like you said, he is not a complete actor...slighly limited range compared to KSG...but then, he is very young too- he has to grow...
Uma,
Thanx 4 the link. I had read that ...I read it like a post on wedding season on television...it was, then.
The interview was soon after IPK ended, when they were planning that Life OK show, probably. I have not heard anything specific about San hence from 4L. Does not matter. I guess they would talk about actors currently doing their shows. Gurmeet got a special mention with the PV merger...I feel San or Barun would too, if they appeared in any one of their shows.
Any way, Gul was the one who insisted on taking Sanaya on as Khushi...many others had felt she wouldn't suit the role. I am pretty sure Gul knows how valuable and rare a good actress like Sanaya is.
Can someone please tell the Barun fans to get their darling Barun to give it in writing or at least mention that he would stay committed to a show for at least 2 years...is there any point in them dreaming on like this? Poor lost souls! :D