News of Sanaya

Making this post for the next three weeks, in case any news of Sanaya comes in ... news, rumours, gossip ... anything! I am travelling the next two and a half weeks, in case any news comes in, please add the links here. :)

So far no news ... rumors are strong that she is being pursued by three channels ... Star, Zee and Colors. But this time it seems confirmation will be late in coming ... everything is being kept very much under wraps.

https://t.co/OCrnJqYb2N 
Link of new interview with Sanaya at Raqesh's art exhibition. Seems like she hasn't decided anything yet, so the wait will be longer this time. Scroll down for Zoom segment. 

Link of part 1 of Sanaya's birthday segment. 
http://t.co/CuQfKMLrz9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLS1z7ymEds&list=UUW-7nV1aZu0PKqj4c8SGP4A

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xYE1Ucfsw&list=UUW-7nV1aZu0PKqj4c8SGP4A

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzcP1OuEeWU&list=UUW-7nV1aZu0PKqj4c8SGP4A

Other Shows We're Watching

Humsafars ... the new Gul Khan show started yesterday, I watched the first episode. Complete rinse and repeat of IPK, set in a Muslim milieu, with a less quirky heroine ... she seems more like a typical soap heroine. Leads nowhere near as good looking as IPK leads. I like Harshad Chopra ... if only one could see him under all that hair. The girl is very average ... both in looks and in acting. Okay for a newbie though ... but I didn't find any spark in her. Regular tv actress. I am spoiled after Sanaya!

Will watch it sporadically .. it gives such a strong deja vu of IPK, that I may or may not keep up with it.

Yeh Hain Mohabbatein ... Divyanka is BAD in romance ... or maybe, after Sanaya, I am just spoiled for any other actress. Otherwise the show is still watchable ... except when Shagun and Ashok etc come on the scene. I like the nok jhoks between the leads, and the interactions between the Bhallas, Iyers, Bala, Mihir, Mihika ... in fact almost everyone ... the entire show and cast is watchable.

Laut Aao Trisha ... watching off and on. 

Rangrasiya ... Farewell

My heart was ridiculously heavy as I sat down to pen the last episode take on Rangrasiya .. a show that started with great promise nine months ago, and continued to enthrall for the first few months, with its tale of love between a rough, tough BSD officer, a man battling his own demons as much as his enemies on the border ...and a delicate desert rose with a spine of steel. And then unfortunately it scattered in direction and focus, in pursuit of those elusive TRPs, which are themselves a measure only of supreme mediocrity. I will always feel sad that we never got to see the story we were promised ... 

But I am very  happy that we got to see what we did ... which included an opening set of sequences close to a movie experience, beautiful authentic locations, 3-4 months of a slowly unfolding gripping story line  ... an immensely talented ensemble cast, all of whom did complete justice to their roles ... 

And last but not least, this show gave us an incredibly talented lead pair with crackling chemistry, and enormous dedication and capacity for sheer hard work. Sanaya and Ashish have scorched the screen as PaRud for the last seven months. And they actually managed to achieve the feat again in the last two months in  a hastily conceived and shoddily executed second love story ... which is no mean feat and says a lot for their amazing talent. Standing ovation to this amazing pair ...

 I have followed Sanaya through four shows now, and was always aware of her amazing talent ... so her performance did not come as a surprise ... even so, it was impressive how beautifully she played a barely educated, simple village girl with no ambitions and very small dreams ... a persona completely opposite to Sanaya in real life. 

She took a few days, maybe a couple of weeks to settle into the character of Paro ... this is something I have noticed Sanaya does with all her roles. She takes her time to settle in, because she actually gets into the skin of her character ... she absorbs each and every nuance of the character as she plays it. She is not a method actor in the sense that Ashish (for example) is ... she is more a thinking actor ... and an emotional one. In a recent interview, she was asked whether she thinks sad thought while doing a crying scene, because it is noticeable that she actually cries in many of her crying scenes, one can see her nose going all red :). Her reply was that she doesn't think of extraneous sad thought to cry ... she just FEELS the scene, and the tears come. That answer demonstrated her method of acting ... while she is on camera, she IS the character, she FEELS the character's thoughts and emotions ... and that's why she portrays them so brilliantly ... because she is not ACTING, she is LIVING the character. 

That's probably why it took her a little while to get into Paro's skin, because she is so much the opposite of Paro. But once she did, she never looked back. The traits that differ between the two, are the acquired ones of education, language and the like. Many of the traits she shares with Paro are actually the more important ones, which formed the core strength of Paro's character - her sunny nature, her optimism, her ability to look on the bright side, her ability to deal with the bouquets and brickbats life throws her ... accept the bouquets, deal with and learn from the brickbats ... and move forward.

I marvelled again at Sanaya's talent as she transformed overnight into Myrah, a sketchily written unplanned character, and grew her into a real person, adding layers and depth to her, till she was someone I could feel, understand, empathise with. 

Ashish ... he was a fantastic costar, equally matched with Sanaya not only in talent, but even more importantly in his  hard work, dedication and professionalism ... all these things put together, went into making their pairing one of the most sizzling jodis seen on the television screen in a long while. He had an author backed role, a complex role, a very layered role ... and he did justice to it. He portrayed the many shades of Rudra ... his angst, his anger, his vulnerability, his passion, his fire ... and brought Rudra to roaring life. After the bad experience with FK in Chhanchhan, I am always wary of Sanaya's costars ... it was good to see her matched with someone worthy of her talent. And he benefitted a lot from this show ... he was probably always a good actor ... haven't seen him earlier, so can't say ... but he became a star with Rangrasiya. Something he has taken pains to acknowledge repeatedly. 

 

I felt he grew as an actor through the course of this show ... he was prone to hamming and going over the top in his emotional scenes ... something I can say only here ;) In many scenes during the first few months, I lost patience with his unending tears and his OTT acting in the all too frequent breakdowns. He seems to have learned from Sanaya, the art of underplaying emotions, making them more subtle, and actually trying to feel them rather than act  them ... he was more effective in the last couple of weeks in the emotional scenes than in the ones in the earlier part of the show. 

Both actors are completely professional, their chemistry was sizzling ... and the last couple of weeks with MyRud was testament to that ... in a love story I wasn't even rooting for, they made me feel their pain, their angst ... if only the makers had done this with Paro, and gone in for a proper separation track, rather than killing her off, the show might have done better. 

What I'm most happy about ... after Rangrasiya, Sanaya has finally laid to rest for once and for all, the question as to who is responsible for the sizzling chemistry in her shows. No question about it all now. She has had three successful jodis in three love stories ... while all the co-actors in question have had their most successful jodis only with her, and haven't re-created the magic with anyone else. Naysayers can bleat and whine all they like about how good her co-actors were ... Mohit is a mediocre actor at best, Barun is good, Ashish is very good ... but Sanaya is the common factor for all three - she has given them all their biggest hits of their respective careers. 

Of the ensemble cast, special mention to two more surprises ... Udit Shukla and Geetanjali Mishra ... one a loveable rogue, whom you could not hate, even when he was at his worst ... the other, a beautiful character, who evolved even more beautifully through the show, from a timid browbeaten housewife to a woman of substance. 

Ananya Khare was good all through ... she was playing something she has done before, so no surprises there. I liked the reformed Mohini in the last week, she retained the acid tongue, but tempered it with good intentions.  

Signing off from Rangrasiya with a hope and a prayer ... hope Sanaya comes back soon in a rocking new show ... from her interview, she is not yet ready to slip into the regular saas bahu crap, she will try to find something different again, regardless of TRPs. And a prayer that her next show hits the bulls eye in terms of popularity and those damned elusive TRPs both ... at least gets decent enough TRPs for the makers to stick to their story, without worrying about the show going off air ... and gets her the long overdue critical acclaim and awards she so richly deserves. 

19/9 - Epi 189 ... Happy Ending

Friday 19th September

Action packed episode ... so much happened ... almost all of it inspired from some movie or the other! And despite the story going completely haywire, am still feeling bad at the ending of the show ... a show that had so much promise, but went haywire due to the stupid TRP system.

So Myrah gazes at the letter and the gift Rudra left behind ... a small chain and pendant ... and she can't believe it ... he just left her? He didn't even try to fight for her? And as Maithili comes in and sees her crying, she lets out all her anguish, her anger, her pain ... how could he leave her like that? Why didn't he wake her up, say bye, try to talk to her, try to fight for her ... fight for their love ...

Maithili points out that Myrah was the one who left him, who said no ... but Myrah doesn't care ... he could have done something, he could have fought, for them ...

But Rudra doesn't know how to. Rudra never fought for his love, he got it without trying ... Paro loved him unconditionally, and even when he said no, refused her, she never left him ... she fought for her love ... and she won it ...

Myrah wants that kind of love from Rudra ... she wanted Rudra to fight ... why did he leave her and go away? He was only bothered about his pain, not about hers ... didn't he understand what she would be going through, marrying someone she doesn't love, only because of a promise ... she couldn't break her promise, but Rudra could do something ... why didn't he?!
Sanaya was brilliant in the scene, a mix of petulance, hurt and sheer anguished heartbreak ... wanting her man to fight for her, show her he loves her ...  not ready to listen to any reason from Maithili as to her own fault in the matter ... all Myrah knew was that she loved Rudra, he loved her, he should have fought for her, to win her ... why didn't he?! Why didn't he do something?!

Maithili tells her, okay, now you do something, go after him ... but she refuses ... (mainly because the cvs wanted her to be dressed like a bride at the end, I think ...) ... why should she fight ... when he didn't even tell her before leaving ... he doesn't care about her ...

Rudra driving away looks at Paro's rudraksha ... sorry, Paro, I couldn't do what you wanted ... I did what you said to do, I told her what I felt, made her understand what she felt for me ... yet she chose him ... I'm sorry.

Rohit busy on his laptop, even on his wedding day ... finally Paro gets fed up and blows another gust of wind, and he finally sees the pictures of Paro and Rudra ... and watches the video message Myrah sent him about falling in love with someone, and not wanting to marry him.

Myrah, all dressed as bride, and looking exactly like Paro, touched her maang tika, and remembers Rudra filling her maang ... wipes her tears ... and it's Rudra's hanky ... she picks up his chain and remembers his confession of love ... and his words ... 'will you be able to live without me? Will you be able to leave me and go away? You will remember me every time you look in the mirror, you'll see me looking at you ...'
No ... it's too late ... he's gone away and left her in tears ... he didn't stay to fight for her, for them ...

Rohit watches the video message at last ... Myrah doesn't want to marry him ...

Rudra drives .. and remembers Paro telling him ... let me go, Major saab .. you have to find love again ...
Myrah smiling at him on the stairs ...
Paro tells him ... that love is Myrah ... 
Myrah smiling in anticipation when she dressed like Paro ... Myrah in tears when he hurt her ...  Myrah with the blood filled maang, and Rohit asking her, who filled this sindoor?
Paro says ... you can love again, don't stop yourself ...
He remembers all his close encounters with Myrah, from the first ...
Paro says ... she stayed with you so many days, brought your smile back ... and you're running away from her? Go to her ...
Myrah saving him from the falling chandelier ...

Rudra brings the car to a screeching stop ... he has to go back, he has to try again ... for Paro's sake. Paro told him to stop running away, to fight for his love ...
Even in death, Paro knows Rudra ... she saw Rudra running away from his feelings all the time. Paro was the one who fought for them ... now she urges Rudra to do the same ... to stop running, to fight, to try again ...
And Rudra turns and speeds back ...

Myrah comes downstairs, looking every inch the beautiful bride ... and a spitting image of Paro ...

Mohini decides to give it one last try ... she dispatches everyone away on different jobs and tackles Myrah alone ...
This is one transformed Mohini!

Rohit has flashbacks of all the Myrah Rudra encounters he saw ... and Myrah saving Rudra from the light, and her reaction after that, the way she hugged Rudra, her panic at the thought of Rudra getting hurt ...
And Rohit's tubelight flickers bravely into life ...

Mohini gives Myrah a brisk pep talk ... we have a car and driver (that's Sumer) on standby ... leave your videshi namoona, and go after your desi oonth ... I mean, Rudra ... I know you love him, and he loves you ... I've done a lot of harm to him all his life ... his parents, Parvati ... but I can do one good thing ... I can give him you. So go ... go to him ... I'll manage everything here. Rudra was a fool to leave, but you are smarter ... go get him back ...'

She calls the waiting Sumer ...
Maithili tells Myrah to come to the mandap ..
Myrah stares at Mohini incredulously ... another person telling her to go after Rudra and get him back ... they all seem to think that Rudra will never come back on his own ...
Yes, they do ... they've all seen the PaRud love story ...
Danveer tells her to come to the mandap ...

And finally Myrah realises she can't do this ... she can't go through with this ...
Mohini smiles ... yes!
But Myrah turns and runs in the opposite direction ... up the stairs ... not out through the door ... where is she going?

She's going to Rohit ... to tell him before she leaves ... after all, he is her best friend, she can't leave him without a word ...
So she tells him ... but he already knows ...
She can't marry him because ...
She loves someone else. So go, Myrah! He's not stopping her ... he doesn't want her to lose her love, he knows how painful it is ...

She gives him a hug, whispers her thanks ... and runs ... back down the stairs, past the confused Ranawat family ... and out ... almost under Rudra's car ...
And one last war of words ... she gets angry with Rudra for leaving, just like that, with one weird letter ..
He gets angry, he came back, didn't he ...
Great, so she should be thankful?!
And why is she even outside the house?
Why does he think she's outside Running like a mad woman? Just to come under his car?!
Don't talk nonsense ! ... he grips her shoulders ...
She shrugs his hands off ... she's hopping mad, she can say what she likes ... and she's going to ask the questions now. Why did he come back? To see if she was married? She's not going to get married ... and if he wants to ask why ...
That's all he wanted to know ... the moment she says she's not married, and not planning to be ... he relaxes ... he closes in ... Shhh
She's in no mood to shhh ... she's still mad ... and she's going to say what she has to ...
He knows what she wants to say ...
She's going to say it anyway ... I love you ...

And all the fight, the anger, the fear of loss, the pain ... all disappears ...
'I love you, Rudra ...'
He bends to kiss her ... that says it all ...

Dhruv comes running out ... who called his Papa back? Myrah?
'Not Myrah ... Mummy. Is that ok?'
Dhruv ties Paro's rudraksha on Myrah's wrist ... yep, that's fine.
Rudra, Dhruv and Myrah hug ...
And we get one last selfie of the entire family ...



The End

It was pretty much a train wreck by the end ... but still sad to see RR end. And sadder that from tomorrow, no Sanaya on screen ... TV suddenly became uninteresting. Let's hope we can find something to watch till she's back.

18/9 - Epi 188 ... The Beginning of the End

Thursday 18th September

Despite all the nonsense we've been watching, seeing the precap today brought it home that tomorrow is actually the last episode of Rangrasiya ... after tomorrow, no watching our daily dose of Sanaya on screen. Not for the next few months anyway   Already feeling depressed. 

Episodes starts from the last scene of yesterday ... Myrah tries to protest about jumping the wedding ahead ... the next day? She hasn't got her clothes, her stuff ... Rohit tells her he's ready to marry her in what she's currently wearing, it doesn't matter to him. (she does look gorgeous in the flame orange top ... not quibbling on that one  ). Wedding tomorrow evening, and back on the flight to New York tomorrow night.
Myrah looks at Rudra ... He did propose finally ... but too late ...and she turned him down ... she can't change her mind now.
Maithili is upset ... Rudra gets up, but only to congratulate Rohit ... and leave.

Rohit-Rudra ... Rohit comes to talk to Rudra ... he offers another drink, Rudra refuses ... and apologises for the previous night. He was out of line.
Rohit understands ... its difficult for Rudra to watch the girl he loves, marry someone else. Yep, he knows Rudra is in love with Myrah ... but Myrah has chosen him. He won. Myrah is his.

Rudra doesn't deny it. Yes, he does love Myrah. And yes, Rohit won.
He leaves the room. Rohit has a strange expression on his face. It looked like anger, but since the actor is so bad, not sure what he's supposed to be feeling. Did Rohit expect Rudra to deny it? Is Rohit still trying to call Myrah's bluff?

Myrah Rudra ... Myrah carrying a heavy lehnga, drops it ... Rudra picks it up for her. She apologises, it's heavy, she couldn't manage it. Thanks for helping.
Rudra asks her if she will be able to manage later. He won't be around to help her.

The family gets busy decorating the hall for the wedding.
Why only the family? Couldn't they get in some workers as well? Rohit and Myrah are rich enough to pay. It seems the PH has completely given up ... hats off to the actors for continuing to give their best till the last.
Samrat, Maithili, Sumer Shatabdi, Rudra ... even Rohit ... all at work. Myrah sees a crooked picture of Maithili and Paro and stops to straighten it ... in the reflection, she sees a chandelier come crashing down right where Rudra is standing ... and runs to push him out of the way.
And gives herself away completely in her worry over Rudra ... are you all right? What if something had happened to you? 
And hugs Rudra ... he slowly hugs her back ... he's fine ...
Everybody watches in shock ... the cat is very firmly out of the bag.

Rohit is not happy at all.
'Myrah?' 

So the whole family knows ... Rudra loves Myrah, Myrah loves Rudra ...
So what the heck is Rohit doing in the middle? 

Rohit doesn't know, doesn't care ... All he knows is that despite that very touching scene in the hall, he and Myrah are getting married the next day. She is his, and will always be. As he tells Myrah very firmly, holding her tight by the arms.
She agrees. He's hurting her.

I am still wondering what Rohit is up to. Is he really ready to marry Myrah despite knowing she loves Rudra and he loves her? Or is he trying to push her to make the right decision? Or rather, change her decision? 

Later at night, Myrah cries ... Dhruv thinks she's crying because she's going to leave him, and he will forget her ... he promises he will never forget her and will video chat with her every day.
How simple and uncomplicated children are!
For Myrah, things are so much more complicated ... Dhruv, Rudra ... and over them, the shadow of Paro ...

Rudra doesn't seem to notice the shadow of Paro since Paro has given him permission to go ahead with Myrah ... but Myrah is a tougher nut to crack than Paro ever was. He left things too late, didn't listen to his heart ... and she's going away from him.
So he decides to do what he does always ... run away. He told Maithili very bravely that he will watch Myrah's marriage ... but when it comes to the crunch, he finds he can't do it.
So he comes in at night, watches Myrah sleeping cuddled close to Dhruv ... touches her hair gently ... and leaves. Leaving a letter behind for her.

Next morning ... the family gets ready for haldi. Mohini, back in her sarcastic avatar ... she can't be too sweet for too long ... besides, she's more fun to watch when she's slightly vinegary ... and Shatabdi can handle her. So a light hearted squabble between them over tea ... till they notice that Maithili's face is clouded. Shatabdi tells Mohini that Myrah and Rudra love each other ... I thought everyone knew that after the previous day  Mohini decides to play matchmaker, since Maithili obviously failed.

Maithili goes to call Myrah for haldi. Koel and Dhruv are upset that Myrah is leaving ... Myrah tries to cheer them up. She isn't in the mood for any rasams ... Maithili suggests cancel the wedding. But that's the only thing Myrah is firm on ... nope, she's going to marry Rohit.
Chalo phir ... Haldi ki rasam kar lo.

Haldi rasam starts ... Myrah asks for Rudra, but he's missing.
Mohini does her bit, and tries to convince Myrah to call off the wedding. And tells her she will be very happy here in the haveli if she marries Rudra, because she will get a lot of love.
It was bit difficult to digest so much sweetness from Mohini all of a sudden ... especially when she actually meant it. 
Myrah is still depressed, but in cheering up the kids, she forgets her sadness temporarily and smiles with them.
Sumer adds his bit ... he tells Rohit to go back to New York and enjoy the girls there ... Rohit refuses ... he wants Myrah.

And later when Myrah returns to her room to wash off the haldi ... she sees Rudra's letter. He's left a gift for her ... and a message. Never change yourself, stay the way you are.  

So the beginning of the end ... everything is out in the open now ... Rudra loves Myrah and has said so, Myrah loves Rudra and has shown it ... Rohit knows Rudra loves Myrah and Myrah loves Rudra ... so he or Myrah will back out at the last minute ... and Myrah, looking a lot like Paro in her wedding dress, will confess her love to Rudra tomorrow. Happy Ending ... or so the cvs would have us believe.

Sad ending of what could have been an epic story.

17/9 - Epi 187 ... Main Tenu Samjhaawan Ki, Na Tere Bin Lagda Jee

Wednesday 17th September

I did say that Rohit is not as dumb as he appears. So he pursues his question to Rudra ... whom do you love?
Myrah is uncomfortable ... why? She can figure out that Rudra has started to change his mind ... she can sense his feelings ... but it's too late. She just said yes to Rohit finally. Besides, even if Rudra has forgotten, she remembers his impassioned declarations of undying love for Paro ...
And I completely agree with Myrah, that would be the sensible course of action. Especially knowing that she has Paro's face. 

But drunk Rudra isn't ready to let go so easily. Drunk Rudra 1.0 forced Paro around a wedding fire with eight hate vows ... drunk Rudra 2.0 wants music. And plays a song they heard together after her kidnapping, the first time Rudra thought about being in her fiance's place.
Kuch na Kaho.

Rohit decides he will dance with Myrah ... she says no. Rudra makes some weird remark, and Myrah realises he is getting unpleasant ... better to give in. So she dances with Rohit ... while Rudra stares with glazed eyes at them.

Character destruction of Rudra ... complete. Dead, buried and sealed. This Rudra looked like a drunken lout ogling a woman ... nothing noble or loving in his looks. 

And when Rohit gets a call and goes off, Rudra wants the dance.
And he answers Myrah's question from that car ride ... what if he had been in her fiance's place? How he wishes he was. 
Myrah can't take it ... she tries to leave ... he pulls her back. And starts answering the remaining questions ... why did he drink?  Because he can't stand it when Rohit gets close to her, touches her ... 
Did he forget that Rohit is Myrah's fiance?

Have to say, the scene between the two was intense ... forget Myrud, Sanaya and Ashish are brilliant actors, and that one scene, despite my distaste for the drunken Rudra, was intense and gut-wrenching ... Rudra's confession ... and Myrah's desperate attempts to silence him, yet unable to tear herself away from him ... her desperate pleas ... Rudra, stop it ... 

Second question ... what hurt is he hiding? The hurt that he left it too late, why didn't he tell her when she said she loved him, why did he hide his feelings ...
Third question ... whom does he love?
She doesn't want to hear it ... she knows now, but she can't listen to this ... Rudra, stop, please stop ... even as she says the words, her hands still cling to him, head bowed against his ...
He loves her. Myrah.

And she allows it to soak in for a brief moment ... before pushing him away violently ... that's enough, Rudra.

She pushes past Rohit as he returns, and leaves without another word.
And Rudra promptly passes out.

Leaving Rohit wondering what is happening.
Actually, he's not as dumb as he looks. He does have a clue.
So being a fairly decent sort of guy, he confronts Myrah ... he did ask Rudra if he was eyeing his fiance, Rudra denied it ... so he goes to check with Myrah.

Myrah in her room, has fbs of Rudra's drunken confession ... and she cries ... too little, too late ...
Again Sanaya's tears just draw you in ... one can't help but feel bad for Myrah's heartbreak and her dilemma ... despite the fact that I totally disliked Rudra's drunken dance and confession ...

Rohit wants answers ... she prevaricates ... but he's not having it ... something is there between you both, what is it?
And he asks directly ... do you still want to marry me? Because there is something between you and him, the way Rudra is so possessive, so overly concerned ... but I want to hear it from you.
This was the time Myrah should have come clean ... moreover, shown Rohit the picture of Paro hanging right behind them ... and explained the genesis of the problem.

Myrah obviously doesn't have any faith in Rudra's drunken confession at all ... no knowing whether it was to Paro or to Myrah ... and this scenario will come up again and again between her and Rudra. Better to nip this hopeless situation in the bud.
So she's sure of one thing ... she and Rohit will get married.
Rohit takes her word for it.
Paro smiles benignly in the background ... as though to say, no chance.
Glad they focussed on Paro's picture ... I thought they had forgotten her completely. 

Morning ... Rudra awakens with a hangover ... Myrah is ready with tough love and an antacid.
Rudra tries to apologise ... Myrah's not in the mood to be forgiving.
Apologise for what? For saying you love me? Unspoken, when you were drunk, obviously you don't mean it. Or you meant it for Paro.

No, he won't apologise for that. He's not sorry for that.
Then say it again ... with a challenge in her voice. He won't ... he can never say the words.

But he does ... I love you, Myrah ... you make me happy. When you smile, it feels like life is smiling again.
Ay lo ... Paro and everlasting love and 'main tu hamesha' till my last breath, all that just went down the tubes. 
Myrah listens in shock, and seems to feel the same ... this is the main who swore undying love to his dead wife ... and now he's swearing undying love to her?
So she tells him, it's too late ... 
Rudra making up for lost time, or trying to ... just say yes, and I'll sort everything out ... you know you love me ...
She doesn't ...
She does ... and she won't be able to live with this lie in her life, she knows it. He'll fix everything ... she just has to say yes.
She almost does ... but then ...
No.
She can't break her word to Rohit ... promise to marry him and then let him down. Let down love, friendship, relationships ... everything
And what about Paro ... I'm not Paro, and I will never be. 
Thank god at least Myrah remembered Paro! 
Rudra says no, he knows she's not Paro, she's Myrah ... and he loves Myrah.
It almost sounded as though he left unsaid ... 'and not Paro.' :(

Myrah wavers ... then wiser sense prevails ... and she says a final 'No ' ... and leaves.
San looked gorgeous in the orange top ... and SanIsh were again brilliant ... despite my not even rooting for the Myrah Rudra story!!!

Maithili is watching all this ... she is omniscient!

Maithili tries to talk to Myrah ... or rather, persuade her to say yes to Rudra ... Myrah is firm. She can't let Rohit down, he's her best friend. Rudra can live with Paro and her memories.
Hum bhi toh kab se yehi keh rahe hain! We are saying this only ... since like, forever!!! 
Maithili thinks otherwise ... this was pre-ordained, this was kismat ... your coming here. Dump Rohit, marry Rudra. 
Arey baba, Paro coming there was kismat ... not Myrah. Maithili is confused. 
And Maithili is sure, Rudra loves Myrah without the shadow of Paro between them ...
Myrah remembers Rudra's confession ... the sober one ... Maithili might be right on that.

Rudra and kids playing Snakes and Ladders ... kids ask Myrah to join them ... Rohit enters ... makes a loaded remark about how Rudra threw the dice, and he won.
And makes the grand announcement that he's spoken to their parents ... and he and Myrah are getting married the next day ...
I have a feeling he is calling Myrah's bluff.

Precap ... Myrah saves Rudra from a falling light ... and lets the cat out of the bag ... so will she refuse Roht, or will he call it off?

Happy Birthday, Sanaya!!!

17th September 

Happy Birthday, Sanaya!!!

To the girl who's a fantastic actress, and an even more fantastic person. 

To the girl who is cheerful and sunny, who keeps her spirits up through all ups and downs.

To the girl who takes life seriously ... her work, equally seriously ... her stardom, less so. 

To the girl who is honest and straight forward ... no hidden agendas ... she says it like it is ... whether you like it or not. 

To the fabulous actress who doesn't just act ... she lives her characters, and makes you feel them and their emotions, with her.

To the girl who's kind to everyone, even the stray animals on the sets ... that says so much about the person she is. 

To the girl who can be crazy and best friends with her junior colleagues, and caring like a daughter with her senior colleagues. 

To the girl who is a workaholic ... which is so lucky for her fans, as we get to see her on screen regularly. 

To the girl we call Sunshine ... because she spreads warmth, light and happiness with her smile. 

To the girl who is the main reason for this blog, and for my meeting so many wonderful friends here.

Happy Birthday, Sanaya ... hope you have a wonderful day, and a very happy and blessed life. Have a wonderful birthday, have a blast and enjoy your day and your year! 

16/9 - Epi 186 ... Tangling, Untangling ...

Wednesday 16th September

Was busy with Sanaya's birthday thread in the main forum, so got late ... quick update, will add more tomorrow if needed.

Myrah-Maithili ... Maithili tells Myrah to think again, Myrah is firm. Rudra can only love once, he can only love Paro.

Maithili almost lets slip that Rudra might have changed his mind, and Myrah is hopeful for a minute. But Maithili keeps quiet, after all, it's not her place to say it ... and Myrah lets her hopes fall again ... after all, the Rudra she feel in love with, was Paro's Rudra, a man capable of deep, passionate, all-encompassing love ... but love for only one woman in his life.

Myrah, you have no idea! Rudra changes women every eight years ... so there's hope for you ... just be prepared for what might happen eight years down the line.

Myrah goes downstairs and trips ... Rudra is there to hold her ... but of course. Yeh sab kar lega, lekin tell him to say something sensible, and cat gets his tongue. All he can do is stare soulfully at Myrah ... even when Dhruv remarks that Myrah is wearing Rudra's favorite color of saree.
Rudra banna, did you forget, she confessed she loved you, you turned her down. She's not going to say anything now ... the ball is in your court.

One difference from Paro ... Paro loved unconditionally, and without expectation of her love being returned. Rudra said no to her, turned her down, threw her out of the house ... nothing made a difference. She loved him, they were destined to be together. He would accept that sooner or later.
Of course, Rudra did accept it ... later rather than sooner.
But Myrah is different. She fell in love with a mirage ... the man turned her down .. and she left. Or wanted to leave. And now she's not going to say anything to him.

Pooja happens ... panditji of course thinks Myra Rudra are the happy couple. Quite natural, as they come hand in hand for the pooja, and there is no other man around. Rudra is the only jobless guy ... Oh, I forgot, he is still Myrah's bodyguard, so his job is to hang around her.

Another difference from Paro ... Myrah knows nothing of rituals and poojas. But she's a quick learner ... she took the flower with the wrong hand ... but switched to the right hand for the aarti without being reminded.

Myrah breaks a coconut, and somehow manages to injure her head ... Rudra as always, reaches her first, to tend to her injury ... and manages to rub the blood into her parting.
Another rinse repeat of a PaRud scene ...

This time watched by Rohit, who returns just in time to see this ... and this does pierce the rosy world he's been living in, dreaming about Myrah and happily ever after ... how come someone else put sindoor in Myrah's maang? And he very firmly takes over from Rudra ... thanks, buddy, but this is my girl, I'll handle it now.

Rudra has no choice but to leave ... another moony look at Myrah, returned by an equally moony look back ...

It would really have made more sense if they ended with Myrah walking away. Rohit is a perfectly decent guy, he likes Myrah as well as loves her ... Myrah is doing wrong by deceiving him like this. She should have come clean with him, told him she doesn't care for him except as a friend, and let him make the choice. It's not as though her mission in life is only marriage.
But if Rohit had agreed to marry her regardless, then he would have been elevated above Rudra ... and Rudra is the hero of this show. Supposedly. So Myrah deceives Rohit and keeps giving longing looks to Rudra all the time ... basically she's telling Rudra, look, man, make up your mind, I'm not going to hang around forever, I have options.

Family gathering in the evening ... now that Mohini is also reformed, the Ranawats are one big happy family.
Sanaya looked very sweet in this scene, face scrubbed of the heavy make up of the last scene ... fresh and young.
Rohit says he missed the pooja, but came back in time to tend to Myrah's injury, so he came at the right time after all. Danveer tells him the secret of a happy married life ... listen to your wife, peace at any cost. Asks Rohit where they're going to live after marriage.
Rohit says, New York.
Myrah says, India.
Both are surprised at Myrah's words ... Myrah backtracks immediately. No, she didn't mean that. Rohit says their lives, work, friends, everything is in New York, despite that, if Myrah wants to live in India, they can discuss it.
Again I repeat ... Rohit is quite a decent guy. He may be a bit dim about his fiance/best friend's feelings ... but he is a nice guy.
Myrah refuses ... she did not mean that. Nothing to discuss. 
Maithili and Rudra give her searching looks ... or rather, Maithili gives her searching looks ... Rudra gives searching looks to the camera ... it was his BD during the scene.
Rudra has had enough of discussing Myrah's married life ... and he can't take Rohit holding Myrah's hand ... no matter that Rohit is Myrah's fiance and is perfectly within his rights to do so ... Rudra leaves.

Rudra banna, make up your mind. If you love the girl, tell her so. Stop acting like a dog in the manger ...sulking when her fiance holds her hand is really quite churlish behaviour. Do remember you turned her down.

Rudra has flashbacks of moments with Myrah ... and remembers Maithili telling him that he has fallen in love with her. And he throws a vase in frustration.
Fortunately the vase was wooden. The PH is now saving costs. 

Myrah comes back to her room to find a rose and a written message ... follow the arrows to reach my heart. 
Rohit has picked up on the competition ... nothing like a little jealousy to galvanise a man into action.
Two men in this case ... Rudra is the slower of the two, but he will get there soon enough. And as they say, slow and steady wins the race.

So Rohit sets up the works for a romantic proposal ... rose petals, candle light ... the works.
Myrah's first thought is ... could this be Rudra's doing? She's still hoping those moony looks might be leading to something.
Unfortunately, not yet ... right now they lead her to an equally puzzled Rudra ... till Rohit appears and clarifies, all this was his doing.

Rudra beats a quick retreat ... but stays near a convenient wall to eavesdrop ... on a private proposal? Really, Rudra?!

Rohit goes all out ... yes, he knows they're getting married, but since he's just discovered his grand love for Myrah, he's going to do it the right way ... on bended knees, a diamond ring, a declaration of love ... the works.
Seems that Rudra is trying to pick up some tips here ... there is no other reason he should still be hanging around.

Myrah is still waiting for Rudra to say something ... since he doesn't, she says yes to Rohit. A bird in hand and all that.
Moony looks between Rudra and Myah continue ... oblivious to them, Rohit swings Myrah in his arms apparently not noticing that she isn't exactly the picture of an overjoyed bride.

Rudra injures his hand on a nail in the wall ... in this respect, he and Myrah are well matched ... they manage to injure themselves regularly in the strangest of ways. After marriage, one standard essential in the family - a well equipped first aid box. 

Shattered Rudra does what he does best ... gets drunk.
Hey, I didn't say this ... Ashish did. 

And in drunk state, this time he doesn't go out and drag Myrah into a forced wedding ... instead he plays 20 questions with Rohit. Why am I drinking? Whom do I love? Why am I angry with myself? 
Myrah is shocked and annoyed ... and tries to stop Rudra from drinking.
Myrah, let Rudra drink ... he might progress beyond moony looks. 

Rohit's tubelight flickers feebly into life again ... Rudra, whom do you love? 

Precap .. Rudra finally confesses his love to Myrah. And begs her, just say once you love me too, I'll put everything right.
I would love for Myrah to tell him it's too late ... but oh well.

The cvs have managed to do something with Rangrasiya which I would have thought unimaginable ... they have made me long for the show to end. 

15/9 - Epi 185 ... Letting Go

Monday 15th September

Rudra gazing at his phone, his Paro ...

Maithili- Rudra ... Move on, accept your love for Myrah ... she is no longer Paro to you, she is Myrah, she is different, and you love her too. 
Rudra ... no, I can't ... I don't love her ... besides, she's getting married to someone else. 

Maithili - Myrah ... you still love Rudra, how can you marry Rohit, isn't that wrong?
Myrah ... Love brings heartbreak and sorrow, I loved him and where did it get me? No, I will marry Rohit, that's the right thing to do. 

In the right circumstances, as a story in its own right, this could have been a good story ... both the actors are so good and the story has its own pathos and beauty. But following the PaRud soulmates story, Myrah Rudra don't stand a chance.

Paro-Rudra ... and a re-telling of the Shiv Parvati story ... so now Paro is Sati, and Myrah is Parvati. And Paro tells Rudra to move on, because she sent Myrah to him. Ask Myrah what brought her to the haveli after their first meeting?
It was Rukmini, Paro's old friend, who showed Myrah Rudra's dropped wallet ...

Loved the PaRud scene ... PaRud are the essence of Rangrasiya ... it was so good to see Paro again.

And hats off to Sanaya for essaying the two roles so beautifully, and showcasing the difference between Myrah and Paro so starkly, that it was difficult to believe within the span of a single episode, that the same actress was playing both the roles. The gentleness, the softness, the almost ethereal glow on Paro's face, as she softly comforted Rudra, and urged him to move on, to let her go, to find happiness again with Myrah ... the way she encouraged Rudra to tell her about Myrah, the barely concealed sadness as she saw Rudra had indeed moved on, but was holding on to her out of sheer loyalty ... mixed with soft encouragement for him to live his life again ... Paro's gentle, soft beauty and her calm reassurance and encouragement to Rudra was a complete contrast to the happy, laughing, vibrantly alive Myrah playing with the kids in just the previous scene.

Rudra is dreaming a lot today ... during the catching catch game between Myrah, Rohit, Dhruv and Koel, he imagines Myrah falling into his arms, and playing Happy Families with her and Dhruv ... and later at night, he imagines Paro sitting close and giving him permission to move on ... and to let her go.
Jaane do manne, Major Saab ... those words made me feel like crying. Sanaya was beautiful in that scene as Paro ... the gentleness, the love, the warmth spilling out of her and bathing Rudra in her glow ...

Mohini has undergone a complete change ... suddenly she is a doting grandmother, she refuses Samrat's offer to change his share of the haveli back to her name, and instead wants it in the name of the three grandchildren.
She organises a pooja for Myrah and Rohit ... which Rohit refuses to attend, he doesn't believe in such things, besides, he has work to do ...
She even tells Maithili to take some time off and help Myrah get ready ... and Shatabdi do the work instead.

Myrah Rohit ... distances continue to grow between them, as Rohit wants to take off to a quiet place for work, is not interested in attending poojas for his benefit ... to Myrah's dismay.

Myrah gets ready for the pooja in the saree of Rudra's choice ... and Maithili tries to play Cupid again and show Myrah the mirror to her feelings ... but Myrah is not having it. She confessed her love once, what did it get her? Nothing but heartbreak. Not again.

Precap - another repeated PaRud scene ... sindoor in Myrah's maang. Khoon bhari maang again.

Am feeling the sadness of Rangrasiya ending, hitting me today ... I think it was reinforced by what we know is the last Paro and PaRud scene. The beauty of the couple was re-emphasized today, as was the beauty of Paro, easily one of Sanaya's best roles in her career.

Other Shows We're Watching

Restarting this series ... as we're all going to be jobless next week after RR ends.

I have been watching very few shows, so please add any that you find interesting.

I'm probably going to catch the new Sonali Bendre show on Life OK ... looks interesting.

Also caught a few scenes of the new show on Sony Pal, don't remember the name, the one with Barkha Bisht and the girl from NBT ... it has a very NBT feel, a story about a widow with a child, and her parents/inlaws wanting her to re-marry ... the kid wants to play badminton. Even the sets look similar! The setting is a Muslim milieu, otherwise the resemblance to NBT is very strong. Good actors all ... worth giving a shot.

Still watching LAT and YHM ... but there is nothing much to discuss in the stories as of now ... or maybe I'm not sufficiently involved in the shows to discuss them. They're both pleasant to watch as of now. YHM is typical Ekta with perfect heroine, surly hero with heart of gold, plenty of villains and vamps to up the drama, and pleasant supporting characters.

Also still watching KBC. I enjoy the Thursday episodes, when AB brings in film stars to either promote their new movies or to earn money for their favorite charity. Very good attempt by Sony ... and as usual, a good show that doesn't get top TRPs. 

Also watching Anupam Kher's Sunday talk show ... he brings in interesting people.

After saying I'm not watching too many shows, this is quite a long list!

Watched Mary Kom last night ... enjoyed it. Hats off to PC for the sheer hard work she put into portraying the character ... she basically learned an entire new sport over a few months, and did the training and body building for it as well. 

12/9 - Epi 184 ... The Reformation of The Shrew

Friday 12th September

The shrew turned out to be woman with a heart after all ... total turnaround ... after one lecture from Myrah, and eavesdropping on one Myrah-Maithili conversation, where Maithili extolled Mohini's virtues ... enough to melt Mohini.

Okay, she had shown some signs of being disturbed about Maithili leaving and the effect on the house ... and we don't have enough time for a more gradual melting ...

Quick update ... am trying to get some other work done as well 

Episode was decent, tying up of more loose ends - this was a big one  

Myrah is determined to make Mohini realise her mistakes before she leaves ... she proceeds to upset all the 18th century customs the Ranawats have been following for years. Okay, I didn't mind this ... in this day and age for the women to be serving the food while the men sit and eat, is ridiculous. It was nice to see that all the men supported Myrah and were okay to changing this silly custom. Bringing the Ranawats into the 21st century  

Mohini saw that Samrat and Maithili still feel bad for her. Probably the only two who did. That paved the way for her transformation ... and the M-M conversation did the rest. 

Myrah - Maithili conversation was nice ... I actually felt bad for Mohini, and agreed that she had struggled a lot to keep the house and family together. Maithili is sweet to not hold any grudges at all. Agreed with Myrah - what planet is Maithili from? The same planet as Paro, I think ... both hold no grudges, although Paro was stronger than Maithili. 

Although I did feel that Maithili glossed over a lot of stuff ... including the murder attempts on Dilsher, Rudra and Paro .. the attempt to get Samrat married again without his consent ... the connivance with Tejawat ... Mohini got away with a lot.

Felt that Mohini's sudden tears were a bit contrived ... that eavesdropping scene, and Mohini's instantaneous turnaround was not very convincing at all. 

However, we don't have time for more. 

 Loved the way Myrah was playing with the baby ... both were adorable! It was more Sanaya than Myrah   

I liked the family drama and the way Mohini swept in and took over ... that was more the Mohini we know ... soppiness is not Mohini's style, even in remorse and reparation. Ashish's BD was an eyesore in that scene ... tried my best to ignore him completely.  

Liked the way Sahatbdi asked for her share of thanks, and Mohini told her to come back tomorrow.  Again, typical Mohini ... and Sumer's laugh was typical Sumer ... he is a good actor! No wonder he is getting new offers already. 

Liked also the way Mohini thanked Myrah for bringing her a new grand-daughter, and for bringing Samrat and Maithili back ... agree with Mohini that Myrah was responsible for both those events. 

Loved the way Myrah backed away from the family scene and left quietly ... loved her expressions at that point. 

And loved the Myrah Rudra scene ... again, Ashish and Sanaya just have amazing chemistry, be it PaRud or Myrah Rudra ... and both are fantastic actors ... 

When did Rudra want to see his family together and united? That was Paro's dream, not his. 

Forgot, this is Rudra 2.0 ... he is Paro's Rudra, so her dreams are his. 

The last bit of the scene, when Rudra cradles Myrah's face and wipes away her tears ... the voice modulation from both, when Myrah whispers ... 'pyaar, sachha pyaar, bina koi expectations ...' as though describing her own feelings ... and Rudra's single, whispered, anguished, helpless 'Myrah ...' as though he wants to say much more, but doesn't know how to find the words ...  a wealth of emotion in that one word ...

Myrah holds his hand ... then suddenly remembers she was to keep her distance, and backs away ... the play of expressions on her face as she looks anywhere but at him ... and then leaves ... and Rudra stares after her ... 

Fabulous acting again from these two.  I watched this scene quite a few times ... they were both so good. Will really miss this jodi  

And in the precap, as usual Rudra needs someone else to spell out his feelings for him. Paro understood him, understood his change of heart without needing to hear the words ... she put his own feelings into words for him. Now Maithili is doing the same for Myrah  

I'm not going to crib too much ... we're into the last week of the show ... am just going to enjoy the scenes and the amazing characters brought to life by even more amazing actors ... 

Let's bid Rangrasiya farewell with a smile. 

11/9 - Epi 183 ... Tying up Loose Ends

Thursday 11th Sept

So converting the house to Rudra's name alone, was a plan between Myrah and Rudra ... and he didn't take money from her ... conveniently skating over how he managed the money overnight.

Rudra gives half the ownership to Samrat ... no one can throw Samrat out now ... nor Maithili or their baby. End of Mohini's threats.

Mohini is hopping mad ... she doesn't want that baby in the house, She is Queen Bee, and no Myrah is going to change that.

Rudra and Myrah tell Rohit about how and when they planned ... and then get into an argument about how dominating, how much a control freak Rudra is ... That he is. Agree with Myrah on that.
But Myrah is definitely the pushy one ... Rudra is ready to sit back and let things take their own time to cool down. No wonder he hasn't done anything for Samrat Maithili till now ... because Mohini never cools down enough!
Will be an interesting combination ... actually, it would be a disastrous one ... two very strong-minded people ... good thing the show is ending before we see much more.

Rohit wants to know what, when, how, why the plan happened and why he wasn't a part of it. And Rohit discovers he loves Myrah ... much to Myrah's dismay ... this is going to be tougher than she thought.

Myrah's lecture to Mohini ... completely out of place, didn't understand the reason for Myrah to take off on Mohini so abruptly. Shatabdi's lecture was in place ... Myrah's was not.
If this had been Paro, I would have understood. Paro had the spine to stand up to Mohini for her beloved Jija ... and being Rudra's wife, she had the right to do so.

Oh well, the show is ending, and Mohini has to be redeemed. Apparently one lecture from Myrah does the job.

Cute scene of the kids stealing in to see the baby, and Myrah picking up the baby carefully for the first time ... I thought there would be a mention of Paro somewhere ... disappointed the CVs have decided to pretend she never existed. And Myrah had picked up the baby earlier from the social worker to put her in Maithili's lap ... she held her perfectly easily at that time. Cvs are not even trying to remember what they wrote the previous week, forget about two months ago.

Myrah decides to stay away from Rudra ... again.

Agree with Sanaya what she said on SBS today ... that's what I've been saying all along ... Myrah Rudra doesn't make sense. Myrah may be in love with Rudra ... but she has her self-respect  ... and more than that, sheer common sense ... she won't marry a guy when she resembles his first wife, and the guy is so deeply in love with that first wife. Recipe for lifelong unhappiness.

Oh well ... the show is ending. Start the countdown for Sanaya's next show.

10/9 - Epi 182 ... The Heart of a Home

Wednesday 10th September

The heart of a home is the woman ... daughter, wife, mother, sister ... daughter-in-law, sister-in-law. But not every woman has it in her to be the heart of a home ... the one without whom the house will fall apart if she is not there.

Maithili is one such woman.

The heart of a home and a family is a woman ... a wife and mother. Without her, a father and son are just that - father and son. With her, they are a family.

Paro was one such woman. Myrah is one such woman.

Shatabdi can manage her own husband and child ... she can, and she will. But more than that, and without Maithili helping her at each step, she fumbles and falters. She definitely can't manage the entire family. And she doesn't want to. Besides, she and Sumer are both genuinely worried for Samrat and Maithili ...
So she and Sumer frantically try to call Maithili and Samrat ... everyone in the house knows that without Maithili, the house will fall apart. Everyone except Mohini accepts this truth.
Dhruv and Koel also miss Kaaki/Maasi ... and they're hungry. Rudra is cooking for Dhruv.

Myrah and Rudra ...
Myrah stands shellshocked by Rudra's sudden, unprovoked outburst ... does he really hate her so much still? What suddenly happened?
Rudra ... repentant ... he didn't mean it, didn't meant to take out his anger on Myrah ... anger and confusion directed at himself ... so he comes back and apologises ... or tries to. But as usual, he can't quite ... and Myrah has had enough, She never knows what he means, when his anger will erupt, and for what reason.
Reminded me of Paro telling Rudra that he's always angry with her, whatever she does ...

Myrah is beginning to understand more about Rudra slowly ... she understands his silent gesture of leaving the hanky, is his apology ... because he can't get the words out.
And Rudra comes back and thanks her for that ... for understanding him, for forgiving him ... for everything she has done for Maithili, for bringing a smile to her face, and solving a problem which no one could solve for so many years ...
Why could nobody stand up to Mohini for so many years, still puzzles me.

Myrah unburdens her own worry ... did she do the right thing? Maithili got her much longed for child, but lost a family ... everyone is missing her ... god knows how she and Samrat are managing on their own.
Rudra's turn to reassure her .. Samrat is fine, and everything will be fine ... she was right in what she did ... she shouldn't worry.
And another awkward silence ... before she realises his hands are on her shoulders ... and they both move back ...


Shatabdi Mohini -  Shatabdi makes dinner for her husband and daughter ... not for anyone else. Only her own little family. She's not as self-sacrificing and generous as Maithili, nor will she work so much without a word ... or put up with taunts and barbs non-stop, the way Maithili did. She doesn't know how Maithili put up with Mohini all these years. But she won't do the same. She's not Maithili.
Mohini tells her to keep quiet, but Shatabdi isn't done yet ... what did Maithili want all these years, in return for everything she did for the family? The right to adopt a child of her own? And even that was denied her. Just because it wouldn't have been Mohini's bloodline. And what's so great about Mohini's bloodline anyway? Sumer does nothing ... Rudra runs the house.
Nope. Shatabdi is in no mood to respect Mohini or listen to her ... Maithili would have been better off if she hadn't listened either.

Mohini wonders ... why is the house falling apart without Maithili? Is she really so important?

Yes, she is. Maithili is the heart of the house, of the family. 

Myrah still lost, wanders into her room ... Rohit sees her tension, and tries to lighten her mood ... he can't fight on an empty stomach. Myrah has to laugh ...
Rohit plans dinner out ... and since Rudra is her bodyguard, he can come too.
Rohit's expressions are very watchful ... he seems to be observing Myrah's reactions carefully. 
Myrah hesitant at first ... agrees ...

Rudra Dhruv Myrah Rohit ...

Dhruv isn't as tolerant of burnt rotis as his dad had to be ... he's too used to Maasi's good cooking.
Dhruv wants Myrah ... Myrah, looking ravishing in orange (Sanaya looked gorgeous, hair swept to one side, simple dress, simple hoop earrings ... stunner!) ... no wonder Rudra is lost for a moment, gazing at her.
The kaala teeka story doesn't work on Dhruv ... he wants proper food. Dad is not capable ... Dhruv wants Myrah to sort things out. Myrah will put things right. That's what women do always.
A woman is the heart of the family ... and Dhruv has chosen Myrah to be the heart of theirs.

When did Dilsher make Rudra laugh in childhood? I thought he was an embittered man all through, till he met Paro. Or does Rudra have selective memory? 

Myrah offers to cook for Dhruv ... not her parathas ;) Rohit helps her. He really does ... the man is handy in the kitchen.
I like this Rohit more and more :) 
Rudra watches as Rohit helps Myrah, both perfectly at ease and comfortable with each other ... they don't need his help.
Rohit smears Myrah's lip with flour ...

Dhruv doesn't want to stay alone ... so Rohit sits down to eat with him. Dinner plans cancelled.
Rudra comes into the kitchen to wipe the flour off Myrah's lip.
Rudra banna ... make up your mind ... either stay away from her, or tell her you want her. Stop this yo-yoing to and fro. 
What am I saying ... this is Rudra! 

Morning ... Three men in a Bed :) All squashed up too.
And Rudra is tensed to hear that Myrah is missing ... Dhruv got scared alone, so he came here.

One kostin ... after Rudra and Myrah are married, will Dhruv still sleep in the same bed? At age 7?! 

Some renovations to the Ranawat haveli will be required. 

Myrah returns ... and faces barrage of questions from Rudra ... and a couple from Rohit ... answers in the form of Samrat and Maithili and their baby.

Mohini is happy to see them back, but of course she can't show it ... that is defeat.
Again, Ananya's expressions here were spot on. 
So the barbs starts again ... Samrat has to apologise. Or he can't stay, and neither can that adopted baby.
Myrah silences her ... this house is now Rudra's. So he gets to say who stays and who doesn't. And who apologises to whom. The end.

Next track ... Mohini's redemption ... can she really change, as Myrah demands? Has one day without Maithili knocked some sense into her?

9/9 - Epi 181 ... Shifting Equations, Burning Questions

Tuesday 9th September

Shatabdi's turn to win the pickle wars ... MIL and DIL are evenly matched ... this time Shatabdi was one step ahead.

Myrah with Dhruv, taking care of his medicine, his pillows, while Rohit starts to wonder more and more ... till the Maithili drama starts.

More adoption drama .. and the old Mohini is back! Nope, she doesn't want a naajaayaz bachha in the house ... take it away ... and so what if Samrat and Maithili go too? She doesn't care.
But actually she does.
Ananya did that scene well ... the hurt showing through despite the stone face.

Myrah gets angry, tries to persuade her ... much to Rohit's surprise ... Rohit tries to dissuade Myrah, with no success. Myrah is firmly involved and on Maithili's side.
Rudra says a few words, while his BD stands at attention ... Maithili begs and pleads, but to no avail. Finally Samrat takes a stand ... either they all three stay, or all three leave. Mohini is adamant, so they leave.

Myrah gets upset with Mohini all over again, Rohit tries to stop her, but she has her say ... Kaki, you have no heart. You're heartless.

I liked that Rohit is not clueless, and is waking up to the fact that Myrah has changed ... even more, he's asking questions. He asks Myrah, she prevaricates ... there's nothing wrong, everything is fine ... but this time she stops short of telling Rohit that she loves Rudra. She's involved with his family because the man ... because the man saved her life.
Yeah right ... Rohit is actually smarter than to fall for that.

Danveer, upset as heck with Mohini, tries desperately to trace Samrat ... and warns a visibly upset Mohini ... Samrat has left, one day Sumer will also walk out and leave you ... you'll be left all alone.
Mohini says she doesn't care.
Danveer wonders if she even has a heart.
That's the second time in the day that someone said that to Mohini. I think Mohini's reformation is round the corner ... the next loop to be closed.

So Rohit, not at all reassured, goes off to ask Rudra. Why has Myrah changed so much?
Rudra doesn't think she has changed at all ... she's always been like this, always poking her nose into other people's business, trying to help them ...

Rohit observes Rudra seems to know Myrah very well in 20 days ... he's spent 20 years with her.
Rudra says it sometimes needs 20 years to know a person, sometimes 20 days is enough.

Hmmm ...

Rohit asks straight out ... what is the relationship between her and you? Do you love her? 
Rudra says if Myrah was his fiancee, he would be asking this question with his fists.
Rudra hasn't changed much. Still the rough and tough supremely possessive guy ... the suit is just a veneer, the sophistication is barely skin deep.

One big burning question I have ... has Rohit seen Paro's picture on the wall in Rudra's room, or has he not?! 
I liked Rohit today ... in the company of stalwarts like Sanaya and Ashish, the actor is improving ... or maybe I'm just getting used to him! Liked the way he questioned first Myrah, then Rudra ... Myrah with heat, familiarity, as befitting their close relationship ... Rudra very coolly, calmly, politely. 

Rudra goes out of the room, bumps into Myrah ... and chews a strip off her, the way he used to do with Paro after the hate marriage ... watch where you're walking, stay away from me, I don't want to get within touching distance of you!
Myrah, after her first instinctive apology, stops and stares ... what happened to him suddenly?! 
Rudra is doing what he always does ... use anger as a shield to hide his emotions. Is he falling in love with Myrah? No, of course not. He loves Paro, he always will.
But then ... why ... what ... how ...?

Rohit overhears everything. I have a feeling he understands Rudra's anger for what it is.

Precap ... Myrah uses her money and clout for further good work ... the house is now fully Rudra's, so Samrat and Maithili can come back.

8/9 - Epi 180 ... Baby Comes Home

Monday 8th September

Baby comes home ... adoption drama ... Maithili, after signing the documents, gets cold feet, and wants to back out ... Majisa will never accept an adopted baby, and she can't bear to watch an innocent child being insulted and ridiculed for no fault of its own.
Samrat tries to persuade her ... and fails ... so does Myrah. But to no avail.

Rudra asks what's going on and who is responsible. Maithili tells him Myrah arranged the adoption, but now she's scared of what KCM will say. Rudra tries to persuade her, says he will back her, so will Samrat, Maithili shouldn't worry ... she has always shown him the right path, given him the right advice, now it's his turn to support her ... and he will. She just has to take the decision.

Myrah gives up and starts to call the adoption agency to cancel ... and the lady arrives with baby ... apparently Myrah pulled strings to make this adoption go through super quick. And holding the baby in her lap changes Maithili's mind ... her child, her very own child ... her baby, someone to call her Maa.

I have watched many an adoption process happen, watched a mother very much like Maithili take her new baby in her arms and fall in love with her ... watched the new father handle the child awkwardly, his hands gentle, scared as though afraid to break the child ... watched the new grandparents as joy shines on their faces ... I found this scene very touching. Adoption is really a noble deed ... it gives a homeless, innocent child a home, and it makes two people a family.

Rohit also arrives in the middle ... and does a Rudra ... asks Myrah why she's getting involved and tells her to stay out of things ... they are not her concern. Myrah doesn't listen to him any more than Paro listened to Rudra.

That was the main theme for today's episode.

In another fairly pointless scene, where nothing much happened ... Rudra and Rohit sit and drink together like uneasy buddies ... Myrah doesn't want to join them, but Rohit persuades her ... she won't drink, as she doesn't drink too often ... Rohit goes to get her juice, and Myrah exchanges a couple of words with Rudra and falls asleep. Rudra wants to carry her to her bed ... Rohit comes just in time to do the needful.
More jealousy for Rudra? And established that Myrah, despite her being NRI, is a good desi girl ... she doesn't drink ... and she probably hasn't done any hanky panky with Rohit.
Doesn't matter that Rudra has had an 8 year affair, and been married once .... but his new wife must be a 'good girl'.

Meanwhile the pickle chronicles continued ... Sumer managed to trick Shatabdi and get her keys ... and the book for Mohini ... and then had to escort mother and wife for the pickle competition.
Obvious filler scenes ... since the show is winding up and Ashish is still in JDJ, with three performances every week, the CVs are stuck.

5/9 - Epi 179 ... Love, Confusion and Dhokha

Friday 5th September

Updated-

Love - Myrah's love for Dhruv and Koel, Myrah's love for Maithili Jeeja .. sorry, I still can't wrap my head around Myrah's love for Rudra ... she doesn't know Rudra, she fell in love overnight, and now she thinks she has discovered the 'meaning of true love' ... yes, Rudra's love for Paro ... but hers for Rudra? I still can't buy that. So Myrah gazing at Rudra was not very touching. I prefer firebrand Myrah! 

Maithili and Samrat's love for each other ... beautiful ...  Maithili has buried her pain for the sake of her husband and his mother all these years ... thank god finally Samrat took a stand and signed those papers. 

Dhruv and Loel's love for Myrah is sweet ... the kids get along well with her, she speaks to them at their level, yet respects them as individuals ... all kids respond to that. No wonder Dhruv and Koel don't want her to leave.

Confusion ... what does Myrah feel for Rudra? Okay, scratch that, she thinks she loves him ... but she knows he doesn't love her, she first decided to break off with Rohit, then she decided to marry Rohit ... yet she keeps gazing longingly at Rudra ... as though waiting for him to change his mind  Where did the fiery Myrah go, the one who knew her mind and was incurably honest and truthful? And if Rudra changes his mind at the last minute, and decides he wants to marry Myrah after all, she will just give in tamely? Without wondering if he loves her or Paro's reflection? Wait, I forgot, Rudra told her six reasons she was Myrah ... he didn't tell her that they were the same things he found in Paro ... 

More confusion ... What does Rudra feel for Myrah? Again I'm lost ... the Rudra who gave Myrah long lectures on 'true love', on being able to love only once ... on not being able to breathe without Paro ... now shows a distinctly dog in the manger attitude when faced with the probability of losing Myrah? 

I always said Rudra got Paro too easily ... he needs to to the chasing for once. Now I see he's pretty bad at it ... all he can do is glower and fume and try to dictate terms to Myrah the way he did to Paro ... but this time he comes up against some opposition - Rohit.

Rudra -Rohit face off - the first time in a TV show I was rooting for the other guy. Rudra crossed a few lines there ... did he forget he is the employee and not the employer? 

Dhokha ... first Rudra and Maithili kept Myrah in the dark ... now Myrah is keeping Rohit in the dark. Pity ... despite the guy being the original Mr Stone Face, he's not a bad chap ... I quite like him. He was perfectly justified in getting angry with Rudra ... and he was good-natured enough to listen to Myrah, and make up with Rudra ... though Rudra did take the first step. 

The last scene was cute ... Dhruv was miniature Rudra ... wanting his own way ... demanding his own way  ... Rohit was quite sweet with him. 

The blue saree Myrah chose was very similar to Rudra's blue kurta Paro wore when she got rid of her first wedding dress.   

Precap -- am waiting for these scenes next week ... Maithili finally gets a baby 

4/9 - Epi 178 ... Sorting Out

Thursday 4th September

Myrah seems to be on a mission to sort out all the Ranawat troubles before she leaves the haveli.

First, Myrah speaks to Dhruv about not being his mother ... Dhruv throws a major tantrum, but Myrah handles him. Calmly, firmly, answering all his questions, but making it clear that this can't change. And she softens the blow by telling him he can message her any time and she'll be there for him ... even after she gets married and goes away. And he's not alone ... he has an entire family to love him ... and a father who gives him the love of a father and a mother both.

Always said that the only person who can convince Dhruv that she is not his mother, is Myrah. And that too, with straight talking. Rudra and Maithili were going about it all the wrong way.
Rudra listens to the conversation ... probably realising he's been a bit of an ass in the way he dealt with this entire matter. But also realising that Myrah is going to go away very soon. Hence when he sees Myrah again, he's like a bear with a sore head.

Myrah Rudra ... Rudra is angry she's getting married in ten days, she's doing it for revenge ... Myrah can't quite figure out why revenge ... isn't this what he wanted?
Neither can we figure out why Rudra is so angry ... after all his speeches about loving Paro till his dying day, why is he so hassled that Myrah is getting married? And revenge? Rudra really needs to get out of the mindset that the entire world revolves around him
CVs made such a big booboo the way they handled this track.

One more rinse and repeat of a PaRud moment  ... Myrah bandages Rudra's hand with a hanky. And asks him straight out ... why is he angry, and if he doesn't think this is right, what is the right thing for her to do?

Rudra doesn't answer ... I did predict this yesterday. The guy can't take a decision to save his life. He can only grouch and bluster and fume.
And when Myrah gives up on him and stalks off, Rudra stares after her ... 'what should I tell you? I don't even know myself.'  

If they had enough time, and the track had been written better, it could have been a nice track ... there are lots of emotions involved.
It must feel like a betrayal for Rudra ... to acknowledge that he could have developed feelings for another woman. A betrayal of Paro,the girl who loved him so much, the woman he loved so passionately, the mother of his child ... she died because of his mistake ... how can he move on and find happiness with someone else? He doesn't deserve to be happy, he doesn't even deserve to be alive ... when Paro is dead. How can he move on, how can he love again? He owes Paro his love, his undying loyalty ...

But life doesn't work that way ... his love for Paro will never fade, never lessen ... but with time, the sorrow and grief will be recede ... he should look back on Paro and her memories, not with guilt and sorrow and tears, but with smiles. Moving on with Myrah is not a betrayal of his love for Paro ... or it shouldn't be. But it will take him a long while to accept that.

However after the long speeches he gave Myrah on how much he loved Paro, and would love her until his dying day, he's in a bit of a jam ... how to rewind and tell her he really didn't mean all that, and he finds himself falling for Myrah? Will Myrah even believe him? And with the stark resemblance to Paro, she can't be blamed either. He has his job cut out to convince her.
Honestly, Rudra needed this ... he needed a woman to give him the cold shoulder ... he's had it far too easy every time. Time he did the running for once.

Shatabdi, Sumer and Mohini squabble about money, Rohit, rent and such stuff ... Mohini tries to swipe the recipe book, but Shatabdi catches her.

We will get more and more of these filler scenes as the team rushes to complete the shoot.

Myrah -Rohit ... Rohit wonders at the change in Myrah, she was with Dhruv? She doesn't even like kids!
Myrah says, yes, but its Dhruv. As though that explains everything.
And she even defends Rudra ... he's not khadoos, he's been through a lot. 
So has Rohit ... major sinus issues, allergies etc ... Myrah not amused ... everything is not a joke, get serious.
She leaves with her envelope, leaving Rohit wondering ... when did Myrah get so serious?! 
So two major changes in Myrah since she has been here.

Samrat tells Rudra to come with him to Pushkar for a few days. Rudra figures out it's Maithili's way of getting him away and sparing him some pain. Rudra refuses ... Samrat knew he would.
Rudra tells Maithili he can handle the situation ... Maithili was actually more worried about Dhruv. But listening to Rudra, she realises he was talking about himself, Dhruv didn't figure in his thoughts at all.

It won't be too long before Maithili figures out that Myrah's feelings for Rudra are not as one-sided as she and Myrah think they are.

Another filler scene as Sumer wants money from Mohini as Rudra won't allow him to take rent. Mohini bribes him to get her Shatabdi's pickle recipe book.

Myrah confronts Samrat and Maithili ... here is the paperwork ... go ahead and start the process of becoming parents. Adopt a child.
Maithili finally discloses that Parvati tried to do the same thing so many years ago ... support them to adopt a baby. But KCM refused.
Myrah doesn't know what happened so many years ago ... but today Samrat is independent, successful ... he can take his own decisions.
And Samrat decides he will do exactly that.

Sanaya's Interview in Daily Pioneer

Link : http://www.dailypioneer.com/show-time/dont-want-to-play-a-mother-for-now.html

DON'T WANT TO PLAY A MOTHER FOR NOW'

Sunday, 03 August 2014 | SANGEETA YADAV

Rangrasiya has taken a seven-year leap minus Paro. However, disheartened fans breathed a sign of relief when they saw Sanaya Irani in a modern avatar on the show " as a girl who comes to India to plan her wedding. The actress tellsSANGEETA YADAV that the leap meant to add spice to the show and from now on she will take up challenging roles

Paro is dead and you now play Myra in Rangrasiya. How difficult is it to ensure the two characters are not the same?

The biggest challenge for me is to make sure that Paro and Myra come across as two different people. I make sure that Myra's character is not forced. As Myra, I want her to be  natural and not be similar to Paro. After a brief session, I spent a lot of time thinking how I could differentiate Myra from Paro. Now that a few shoots have taken place with me as Myra, I can improve upon the role. Everything happened so fast that I had very little time to get into the character or for that matter even prepare myself to play a different role altogether. With time, I will get into Myra's skin.

Tell us about Myra.

She is an NRI, born and brought up in London. Her family is rich and that is all I want to say about her background. More will be revealed as the show progresses. She has come to India, all alone and for the first time to plan her wedding in Udaipur.

Myra is not a complicated character. She carries no baggage. She has no unhappy past. She is engaged to her best friend Rohit but is yet to explore the real meaning of true love which she may find in India. Post leap (seven years), the story revolves around the journey of Myra in India and her life-changing experiences, especially after meeting Rudra and family.

You play a modern girl after a long time. How does it feel?

Great! The last time I played a modern role was in Left Right Left. But it is not just about Myra's look, her character is very exciting too. As an actor, it's a great opportunity for me to experiment with this kind of role.

How much can you relate to Myra in real life?

We both are very happy-go-lucky and bubbly kind of people. However, Myra gets super excited about everything in life but I'm not like that. Myra is not very philosophical about life's realities. I take life seriously. We have been given a beautiful opportunity as human beings to make a difference and we should make full use of this is what I think.

Did you quit playing Paro because you had inhibitions about playing mother post leap?

I would not want to play a mother's role at this stage of my career. Also, I am only 30. But I did play a mother's role in Rangrasiya howsoever short it might have been, so there is no hesitation now. But this is not the reason why the show is taking a leap. To spice up the plot, Paro had to die and Myra has to become the focus now.

Are you open to doing unglamourous roles?

Definitely. I would love to play a deglamourised character. Even Paro was not an out-an-out glamourous character. Many people create a notion in their minds that if they'll  play a deglam role, the audience may not like it. I accept roles which I can carry off and enjoy doing. The  bitter truth is that TV actors don't have a long professional standing in this industry. So, I take up whatever interesting work comes my way. At the same time, I don't want to leave an opportunity to work.

How is it like working for maha episodes?

It's nice to be a part of a maha sangam but I prefer to do my show. Usually, maha sangams don't have much to add to the show and are not challenging enough. It just makes the shows more interactive and keeps viewer interest in both serials.

There are rumours that Rangrasiya will go off air to make way for Bigg Boss 8...

These are rumours, for now. Though I have heard the same buzz I have not got any confirmation to this effect from the production house or the channel, Colors. So, till the time we are on, we'll be bringing in a lot of interesting twists and turns that will keep the viewers interested. But once Rangrasiya goes off air (whenever that happens), I will go on a long vacation and choose my next project carefully. It will be something that will be worth working on as an actor.

You have achieved a lot of success in a short span...

I love acting and that has helped me take risks and challenging roles. As an actor, I have lots to offer and have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best people and teams in the industry.

Acting is not easy. A lot of hard work goes in. There are people who may give wrong advice which may make an actor's journey difficult but one has to be mentally strong to face these challenges that this industry throws at you. Everything happens for a reason and there is something better ahead. So, never give up.