31/12 - Epi 2 - A Wedding is Fixed

Tuesday 31st Dec 2013

On the last day of the year, the second episode.

Pace was a little slower than the first, and a few more characters were introduced, starting to flesh out the story. The Bollywood feel stayed, and was reinforced by the grandeur of the scenes, especially the haveli scene and the temple scene. Loved the sweeping shots of the haveli ... I love the grandeur of Rajasthani towns, these were shot most lovingly and beautifully.

So the fire was Paro's dream ... or rather, a recurrent nightmare. One in which the bad guy is a BSD officer with red eyes and a hatred filled heart. She wakes up panting, this is apparently a regular occurrence. So much so that her maamisa sees her fear at a glance ... 'it happened again?'
Her maamisa tries to comfort her, fire can be destructive, but it can also be beautiful ... Paro meekly accepts the comfort ... but that dream was closer than before, too close for comfort, and she is shaken.

Sanaya's accent is already settling into place ... so much so that I want the Rajasthani words to be cut down! Again love her voice modulation ... Paro is a simple, gentle village girl, and Sanaya's voice is soft, her tone and demeanor mild and sweet.
Also loved her clothes ... the white lehnga choli and bright colored dupatta in the first scene, and the purple on in the latter part of the episode.

And as she murmurs to herself, 'those eyes were closer than before, redder than the fire ...' Rudra makes his entry ... or rather, his eyes do.
His battalion scurries to and fro with new information ... five terrorists have entered and killed five jawans. The CO wants Rudra ... Rudra is already out riding his bike across the desert.

Paro and Bindi make their way to the temple where the wedding of a village girl is to be fixed ... to be paid for by the Thakur. A yearly occurrence. Apparently the villagers don't know the wedding is a cover for arms smuggling.

Thakur is busy in his pooja ... the grandeur of the temple and the costumes was impressive. Purple brocade jacket?! And matching purple turban ... kurta and jodhpurs ... the thakur seems to believe in blending tradition and modernity :)
His wife is the Rajmata, Sadiya Siddiqui ... a fine actress, I like her! She's better dressed than her husband.

Thakur has to leave the puja to attend to some pressing matters of treachery in the village ... a trifling matter of executing a guy for becoming informer to the BSD. He is wonderful and the annadaata of the village, doing good for everyone .. if only people would let him get on with his gun smuggling in peace.

While the girls get on with the process of getting their name chosen to be the next bride ... Paro's friend
proclaims that her groom is on the way ... and Rudra's motorbike zooms across the desert.
The temple rituals continue ... and Paro is the chosen bride. The Rajmata is happy ... she can fulfill her promise to Paro's dead mother.
So Paro has grown up surrounded by loving relatives and guardians, all aware of her tragedy, united in their hatred for a common enemy, she is the victim of the same enemy ... she gets all the sympathy and affection she needs. But it doesn't rid her of that recurrent nightmare and fear of the dreaded BSD.

And Rudra, an officer in that BSD, is riding across the desert into her life. 

30/12 - Epi 1 ... Rangrasiya - explosive start!

A bus hurtling through the dark night, a quick refresher stop, fond parents carrying a doll home for their beloved pampered child ... and through the darkness of the night, explosive bursts of sharp gunfire ... the killing fields.

The child Paro awaits her parents ... young, innocent, her face alight with the sheer joy of life and living, chasing butterflies as flighty and pretty as she is. And her life as she knows it, is wiped out in one tragic accident. She cries for the loss, as her loving uncle and aunt and cousin comfort her in their warm embrace. Orphaned, but her life has warmth and love still ... she is not alone. She hides her tears and turns a smiling face to the world, to those who try so hard to comfort her.

In another place, a boy ... a bubbling cauldron of repressed anger and hate ... abandoned by his mother, teased by his fellow mates, abused by harsh uncaring teachers, his bitterness nursed and fomented by an equally bitter father ... his life's lesson, don't trust beautiful women, for they belong to no one, neither parent, husband or their own children, hammered into him by his father. No softness, no comfort, no gentle embrace in his life, father and son both imprisoned in their individual and collective bitterness and hate.

The first meeting across the two buses ... brilliantly done! Both kids were brilliant ... the angry young Rudra, his hate barely contained inside, threatening to erupt at any moment ... and the sweet, smiling Paro, so quick to see another's pain, and offer comfort ... she presents him with a sweet smile, and with a quick throw, her smiling doll. Is that the first softness, the first smile that Rudra has seen since his mother left him?

The foundation of the story, of both the characters, was very beautifully laid in the initial episode itself ... the explanation of why they are the way they are. Both the kids were very good, both completely laid the base of the adult characters beautifully. The little Rudra was brilliant, his eyes showed the anger simmering inside, just waiting for an outlet. The sweetness of Paro's character was showcased beautifully by the little girl. Rudra's breakdown in the bus, Paro seeing his tears, her instinctive offer of comfort ... I thought he would throw her doll away, refute it, but he didn't ... he accepted the comfort. Will that doll be the medium through which they recognise each other?

And then fifteen years later, the grown up Paro ... love the title song as Paro runs swiftly over the hot sand, her pallu held between her teeth, her face lit with a soft smile, her cousin chasing after her ... then the girls run to the injured camel, Paro dispatches her cousin to fetch some healing herb and tries to comfort the camel with some mantras ... calls for help to a strange camel rider in the distance ... and watches with horror as he approaches her ... she backs, only to fall, and stare in stupefied horror as he encircles her with a ring of gasoline poured from his canteen, and with a single shot sets fire to it ... leaving her inside a glowing circle of fire .
And she screams ... as the silhouette stands towering over her.

SN - Sanaya's complaints that she had to run over the hot sand, and they showed it only in slow motion ... Sanaya, they did show it at normal speed too, and you ran very fast! I was impressed at how quickly she did manage to run across the shifting sand.
Her scene with the camel ... reminded me about the story of Sanaya befriending the camel :)
The circle of fire ... reminded me of the article about how Sanaya had to sit inside the ring of fire over four hours for that scene.
Am thoroughly impressed again by Sanaya's voice modulation ... her voice is completely different again, soft, and with the Rajasthani lilt in her words. She is looking gorgeous too ... so young and innocent and pretty!!!  

Sanaya, and more Sanaya

Raining Sanaya today, not that I'm complaining!

Wishing her all the best for Rangrasiya, hope it brings laurels and accolades to Sanaya and the entire team of Rangrasiya! On the eve of the launch, a few more people join in to wish her well, including tweets from Karan Tacker (sweet of him!), Daljeet and Saurabh Tewari.





^^ From today's TOI - Mumbai Times

Sanaya in Bigg Boss and in GPA

Bigg Boss 7
Sanaya and Ashish performed in the grand finale of Bigg Boss ... the performance was breath-taking, especially the part where Ashish twirled Sanaya holding ONLY onto her jaw ... how did they ever do it?! My heart was in my mouth watching that part!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3fSrPNGDgY

A facebook link ... very good HD
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=592666574131813

The dance gave a brief glimpse of what the Paro-Rudra interaction is going to be like ... intense!!!!

Followed by some hilarious Sanaya- Salman Khan interactions ... she told him she talks a lot, he promptly replied, "I can believe it!" She also repeated her now favorite line, 'Ashish speaks only 50 words a day, I've booked 40 of them.'

If anyone can get a better quality link, please post!

Colors Golden Petal Awards 
Dance with three other Colors heroines on Nagada sang dhol baaje ... Sanaya danced beautifully and looked gorgeous in white ... very fast dance, all the girls were good, though my eyes were fixed on Sanaya! Her smile just lights up the screen!

Good News - Congratulations!

Been wanting to share this here since I got the email ... most of you will remember Sandy aka HAA ... she had a baby boy on the 6th of December. Please share your good wishes here ... am sure she will visit the blog soon, and I will send her the link to this post too.

Congratulations, Sandy ... and all the best to you for your new little bundle of joy! 

New Sanaya Interview in HT

New HT article. LOVED her answers! <3 em="">

'I've Told Mohit, I'm Going To Take Him Down'

Jokes Sanaya Irani about competing with her boyfriend; talks about her successes and failures.

Popular actor Sanaya Irani will soon be back on TV, essaying a new role in her upcoming serial, Rangrasiya. Having put her last flop TV outing Chhanchhan behind her, she says she's learnt lessons from success and failure. Confident of her new show, she is about competing with boyfriend Mohit Sehgal as his show Qubool Hai will clash with hers in the same time slot.

Is it true that Rangrasiya has been inspired by Shakespeare's Othello?

It depicts the destructive nature of love. When Ashish (Sharma, co-star) was briefed about his character, he was given the reference of Othello to help him relate to the intensity of the character.

So it's Ashish's character which is based on Othello, not the entire show. Okay, that makes more sense to me ... the story of the show does not seem inspired from Othello, from the promos and the previews. 

Do you sense competition with Mohit as your shows will air at the same time?

Well, I've told him that I am going to take him down. (laughs).

Not just Mohit, I hope she takes ALL other shows down too!!! 

Post Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon (IPKKND), people seem to expect a reprised version of your popular character Khushi. What's your take on that expectation?

I'm happy that people love me that way. I accept love in whichever form it comes, even if it is as Khushi. Obviously people have loved me as Khushi as perhaps IPKKND is my biggest show. But people also recall my other roles Gunjan and Chhanchhan to.

Love this answer ... it's definitely true, and I like the way she gives respect to all her shows and all her characters, while acknowledging that IPKKND is her biggest hit. But she has a lot of fans from MJHT - including myself ... and there are people who liked Chhanchhan too - despite the failure of Chhanchhan as a show, she doesn't shake it off and refuse to acknowledge it. Which I'm glad about, because I liked Chhanchhan and really wish that it had been better written. There was a lot I could relate to in it, and wished had been better emphasized. 

Have you put the failure of Chhanchhan behind you?

If my shows don't do well, it doesn't mean I say, "Oh my God, that was a disaster." You learn a lot from every show, and I had my share of learning with Chhanchhan. I don't consider it a bad patch in my life. Whatever happened on Chhanchhan happened for a reason and it had to end because I had to do Rangrasiya.

Loved this answer too ... as I said above, she acknowledges all her shows, success or failure ... and I love the way she takes the positives out of every situation. I'm glad Chhanchhan happened for two reasons -  it put a distance between Sanaya and Khushi, and we got to see Sanaya on screen for six months in the interim. 

Two actors sharing a bond of friendship is rare and it was lovely to see you supportingDrashti Dhami on a reality show. How did the two of you become friends?

Both of us find it wierd to talk about our friendship. We're like any two ordinary human beings who are friends. We are normal people and we do things that normal friends do. We met during our college days and we've been friends since.

Two college friends, who chose the same field and have both been doing well ... she puts in straight into the lowest common denominator ... really, what's the big deal? 

What do you think of Mohit's role in Qubool Hai?

I have watched the show but it was misreported somewhere that I hadn't. I really liked him on the show. A lot of people called to tell him that he's doing a really good job and I'm very happy that he is finally doing something that he likes.

Clarification again - straight and to the point. 

Quick Five

A show you like on TV currently?

Big Boss (BB) is the only show I currently watch, other than some English series. This is the first season of BB that I'm watching and I feel people selected this time are much more well-known that the other seasons.

An actor you feel is popular?

I really don't know as I don't watch a lot of television shows. But I guess actors of Diya Aur Baati Hum are popular as it is the biggest show on TV.

Hehe ... really?  The actors are popular?! She should have gotten her answer during SPL in Birmingham, when they were almost being trampled over in the rush to reach her and Barun! 

Anyway, nice of her to say this.  

A habit you want to get rid of?

I was very short-tempered but I think I have changed now. But, I think I'm very loud and impatient. I would like to change that.

That's Sanaya again ... she's quick to point out her own shortcomings ... secure and confident about what she is. Her fans think she's pretty much flawless - she knows she isn't.  

What kind of shows do you want to see on TV?

TV is about being creative so everybody should make what they believe in. People shouldn't overthink.

Again - no criticising or pointing fingers - but a pragmatic acceptance of the bigger picture. There are lots of channels, lots of shows ... people can make what they like ...  people also can watch what they like ... and ignore the rest! 

What do you think of reality shows on TV?

I like dance reality shows and feel various talents should be promoted on them.

Really loved this interview - her answers were straight forward and to the point. No beating around the bush, no waffling. She says it like it is ... I especially liked her answers about Chhanchhan and moving on from it, without ignoring it just because it didn't work. She takes it on the chin, and learns some lessons from it ...

There is a saying to the effect that one learns more from one's failures than from one's successes ... and that is the mark of a truly successful person. 

Rangrasiya Sneak Preview

I would have added this in the previous post, but this really deserves a post of its own.

Fabulous, fabulous preview ... what a show!!! It looks like a movie trailer ... it looks like the TV version of Ramleela ... what a scale it has been shot on! Sanaya is lucky to be a part of this show ...i f all goes well, and it is as well written as it is well presented, then this will definitely be another gamechanger on Indian tv.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Xkc39ixXQ&feature=youtu.be 

Rangrasiya launch

Launch of Rangrasiya in Jaipur .. fitting, as the shooting of the show has mainly been in Rajasthan till now. So many articles today ... will take a while to update!

First of all, the Rangrasiya poster ... fabulous! Love the colors ... elemental, earthy, raw, dramatic ... the explosion of fire and smoke behind the lead couple over a background of harsh pitiless desert terrain ... Rudra - cold, ruthless, unyielding ... Paro - delicate beauty, a hint of steel behind a vulnerable outer facade.



Photo of Sanaya and Ashish at the launch



A vm with all the pics of the launch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10tq40r4G9U


Will add all the articles in this post ... there are a zillion of them!

TV This Fortnight - 15th - 31st Dec 2013

TV for the last week of the year

Still watching ...

Ek Boond Ishq ... the screenplay and execution is slipping, but the story has picked up pace, so am still watching. Can't understand why, if the entire Shekhawat khandaan is apparently privy to the story of Radha's mrder, and MJ's arrest for the same, why they are withholding the details of the murder story from Tara ... can understand that RPS and Nirmala know about Aditya's guilt (if he is the guilty one) and don't want to share it with Jairaj ... but the whole story about Radha's murder must be common knowledge as there was a court case which decided on MJ's guilt and convicted him. Why can't they tell Tara? And why can't Tara research old newspapers etc. to find out what is in the realm of common knowledge, rather than these khufiya James Bond tactics?
Is the girl in the small house Radha? And is she blind/handicapped after the murder attempt?

Gustakh Dil ... simple, light hearted, not much angst ... Barkha and Nani are not outright evil, just annoying stupid socialite women ... they actually do have a point about Lajjo being a misfit in Nikhil's society, but since Lajjo is the heroine, that part is irrelevant. Nikhil continues to be blissfully clueless to the feelings of either Ishaana or Lajjo, and even to his own. If they would show Lajjo trying her best to better herself, study, learn English, develop a veneer of sophistication to match Nikhil, while still staying true to her own self, that would make things more interesting  ... unfortunately, for most soap makers, Westernisation of an Indian telly heroine still is a big no-no.

Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi ... is going off air in Jan. Pity ... it started off well, but degenerated into saas-bahu saga too quickly. It was supposed to be about the struggles of Ami, a fatherless girl, who was attached to her father, and how she copes with his loss ... it became more about Sanjay and Shruti's love story, which was okay ... and then too much about Sanjay's mom not accepting Shruti, along with evil conniving nanad and bhabhi! Too much ho gaya!

Mahabharata .. I like the promos of Krishna and Arjun ... want to watch, but it comes at 8.30 pm, which is EBI time :( Need to record and watch on repeat. Also the new Poonam Dhillon show on Sony is going to be at the same time. 8.30 is suddenly a tough slot - what to watch!

Veera ... the new kids are good, especially Ranvi and Balwant ... Veera is settling into her character. Still not too happy with Gunjan ... she has changed from the simple, sweet girl she used to be. Ratan is a sbitter about Veera as she used to be ... so many years have not changed her attitude. And Veera still hungers for a mother's love.

Ye Hai Mohabbatein ... watchable as of now.

Qabool Hai ... has lightened up with the arrival of Haider and his dressing as Heena ... why do so many cv's go the 'boy dressing as a girl is the height of humour' way? For the most part, it's crass and stupid, unless it's a part of the story, like Vishwajeet in EBI. And most actors make it worse. Mohit was obviously quite uncomfortable in the role ... it shows in his acting - most unconvincing! Poor guy! 

Sanaya in GPA

Small snippet on SBB

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

Sanaya in pale cream and gold ghaghra choli, looking gorgeous and ethereal ... white/cream is so her color!!! Also love her baalis ... I want them!






She says that she's wearing a ghaghra choli by Jerry, their top stylist, and it's very beautiful and she loves her look. It's the same look that she has in the show, so she's very happy with it.

SN - Yippeee ... she is wearing ghaghra cholis in the show :)

Also says she's excited about the show, she's always excited about all her new shows, she hopes she will get some more acceptance, and the show will rock.

Hope so too, Sanaya .. fingers crossed and all good wishes for Rangrasiya!

Rangrasiya - 3rd Promo

Third promo 

Direct link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mrs7Szed2U

A wedding ... a tearful bidaai ... a journey across blazing desert sands, carrying a new bride ... the promise of entering a new life, in wedded bliss with a man who belongs to her and her alone ... the ultimate dream of a young orphan girl, the promise of belonging. 

A checkpoint with armed military men, stern and uncompromising in their duty ... 

A search, not sparing the bridal dowry chest ... the discovery of arms, proof of smuggling attempts ... proof of guilt .. or so the panicked elder seems to think, as he withdraws his gun hastily ...

But too late, the captain of the military group is faster on the draw ... and even as the young bride looks on in horror and shocked disbelief, the happiest day of her life changes to the most tragic ... two quick shots, and the elder, and her new husband sprawl lifeless on the golden sand. 

Her new life over before it even started ... her dreams shattered before they could take shape. 

But worse is to come ... a choked scream escapes her throat as the military commander moves towards her ... the nightmare hasn't ended yet. 

And the promo ends with a captive desolate Paro, her hands bound to the jeep, being taken away by an uncompromising ruthless Rudra. 

Sanaya's expressions in the few seconds of the promo ... faboulous!! She doesn't need words ... shock, dawning horror and anguish mixed with disbelief at the turn of events ... 

the shock as she opens her eyes after the noise of the shots 

the dawning horror and disbelief as she realises what has happened 

looks at the ground, at the sprawled broken body, embodying her shattered dreams ... she cannot believe this ... it can't be true ... no!


The ruthless commander, intent only on his task, his duty, no thought to spare for anything or anyone else.


Now the grief comes in, as the enormity of what has happened starts to sink in


and she looks with shock and fear at the man who is the cause of her grief ... and who will cause her more of both.


He stands unmoved, even contemptuous ... he is merely doing his duty.


And she finally breaks her shocked silence to scream ...a choked bitten off scream as her fear grows to panic ... she is alone and defenseless ... what will he do to her?


There is her answer ... not a reassuring one. Captivity looms at the hands of a merciless stranger ... what will become of her?

Credit Sunara for caps



HD link
http://desitvforum.net/tv-shows/rang-rasiya-promo-720p-start-30th-december-2013-video-watch-online-hd/

Yahan doli guzarati hai toh saanata hai sangeet , dulhan ki bidaai main hatyaron ki taskari yahan ki reet ...

Rann ki rait per rakth se rachi prem ki dastaan ...rang rasiya . 

Probably the best promo of the three ... while not giving any new information, the characters and base of the story spelled out more clearly ... where will they go from here? 

Sanaya and Stardom

From HT Cafe ... if anyone has the link, please post. Date is 8th or 9th Dec,

Sanaya Again

Posting because it's a very cute picture of Sanaya, and I like the writeup



Sanaya was 6th on the Sexy List 2013 this year.

TV heaven
The popular soap star has the kind of fan following established pop stars would be proud of. Although her smile has enough wattage to light up an entire city, Sanaya offers plenty more including acting talent and a personality warm enough to make you forget about the cold winter. 

I like the write up because it mentions the three things I love best about Sanaya ... her acting talent, her gorgeous smile and her warm personality.

Also loved the Zing magazine quote on her ... The beauty of her heart shines on her face. 

I think these quotes sum up why I like Sanaya so much, and have stayed her fan for so many years now. 

TV This Fortnight - 1st to 15th December

My TV watching has gone down tremendously ... I have barely two shows on my watch list currently. What has happened to Indian TV?

Gustakh Dil ... going okay.

Ek Boond Ishq ... slow with ups and downs.

Jodha Akbar ... haven't been watching since the Jodha pseudo pregnancy track started ... anyone know what happened in that?

Madhubala ... haven't been watching it much, but get glimpses of the promos and occasional scenes ... is Madhu pregnant again? Seems to be getting interesting again.

Balika Vadhu ... this must be the worst acted track going on in BV ... saw the episode where Shiv's mother is told she isn't his mother ... it was horrible! Awful acting from all concerned ... I switched channels in sheer disgust!

Qabool Hai ... watched for Mohit's entry ... that guy seriously needs to learn acting. And he needs to leave Samrat behind ... he is so stereotyped! KSG even with ponytail is much better to watch! Speaking of ponytails ... WHY in the name of God does KSG have that thing?!

Veera ... watched for the new kids on the block ... I like Ranvi, and the actor is trying his best to act like Bhavesh ... found that cute. Not impressed with the new Veera at all.

Just realised from this list, there are no decent sitcoms after SGP :( 

IPKKND ... one year on

It's been a year since IPKKND ended ... in some ways, I have moved on. I don't miss it too much, I am over the anger and bitterness about the way it ended, and am very happy for Sanaya and the way she has moved on in her career and put it behind her. Out of everything that upset me about the ending, the worst was the abrupt way it was pulled off air at four days notice ... it was meant by SP to be a slap in the face of the hysterical fans who were shouting themselves blue in the face for "No Barun, No IPKKND" but it was an indirect insult to the hard work Sanaya and the rest of the cast and crew had put in ... and were still willing to put in to continue the show, knowing that TRPs would dip after BS left. Sanaya's tears on that day still haunt me, and I have not had the guts to watch that SBS again, or even the last episode.

But the bitterness is less, so I can now watch old episodes and Arhi scenes and lose myself in the magic again ... despite the way the show unravelled, the Arhi chemistry remained intact till the re-marriage and the couple is still magical. I wonder if Rangrasiya and Sansh will be able to replicate even a fraction of that ... I fervently hope so, because I think Ashish might be an even better actor than BS, from the few clips that I've seen ... and he is definitely more committed to his craft. If Rangrasiya is as well-written as IPKKND was, then I hope it reaches even greater heights than IPK did.

So in that hope, and as a farewell of sorts to IPKKND ... a well written article from Telly Tadka
http://www.tellytadka.net/telly-tadka-spice/iss-pyaar-ko-kya-naam-doon-anniversary-special/

A fond farewell to one of my most favorite shows. Thanks to Gul Khan and 4 Lions, and to the entire cast, Sanaya, Barun, Abhaas, Daljeet, Akshay, Deepali, Utkarshaji, Jayshree ji ... to Mamaji, Shashi babu, Garima, Buaji ... to all the Prakash's who kept appearing and disappearing with unfailing regularity ... to Lakshmi the goat ... to Rocky, Lallan and co ... to the magical poolside ... the green recliner ... to Devi Maiiya, Haye Re Nand Kishore and What the ... to Hello hi bye bye ... to tent like anarkalis and shiny polyester three piece suits ... to mangled Hindi and Nannav mere bhai ...

Here's hoping Rangrasiya fills the void IPKKND left ... and more! All the best to Sanaya for Rangrasiya!!!

Also hoping MAMR finally finds release ... and 22 Yards actually gets made ... otherwise that idiotic two months of ASR's kidnapping, the ruining of the IPK story to accommodate the ambitions of one actor, and the final drama of the IPK ending will all 'meant nothing ho gaya'.