Sanaya News

Sanaya to return to fiction in a web series, produced by Beyond Dreams ... the PH who was to do Kavya Ki Prarthna. Yippeee ... we still have to wait for her return to TV, but at least we will get to see her in a fiction show again, in a new character. Should be interesting ...

Sanaya has been on the lookout for a web show for some time ... she turned down one to do NB ... she is still not impressed with what's on TV these days ... can't blame her! Hopefully she is getting some offers which she can consider ... she has stuck to her resolve of not doing anything she is not convinced or happy about, so here's hoping she soon finds something she can be both convinced and happy with.

Added icing to the cake - Sanaya is also performing in the Mirchi Awards on 31st Dec on Colors.

Sanaya Irani to star in Beyond Originals' web-series Vodka Shots'

Sanaya Irani will be back with Yash and Mamta Patnaik's next web-series

Popular actress Sanaya Irani will soon be back on the screens soon!! And this time, Sanaya will get into the league of the digital medium to play an avatar never seen before!!

Yes, for all the fans of Sanaya, here is IndianWikiMedia.com giving you exclusive news of Sanaya's next big venture. And this will be her first for the digital space. She will be playing the lead in Beyond Originals' next web-series!!

As we know, Yash Patnaik and Mamta Patnaik's Beyond Dreams has given the TV viewing audience some fascinating stories!! Being Producers who understand the pulse of the youth, Yash and Mamta's foray into the digital medium with Black Coffee' under the banner Beyond Originals, gave them huge appreciation.

Black Coffee, the Beyond Originals web-series starred the popular pair, Param Singh and Harshia Gaur.

Post the success of the first web-series, the team is now working on its next web-series titled Vodka Shots'.

And Sanaya will be playing the lead role, and will be seen in a very glamorous avatar.

A credible source tells us, "Shoot for Vodka Shots is presently on. The first teaser of the same will be out in a week or so.

Wow!! Isn't this good news for all those who have been waiting for Sanaya's comeback?

We buzzed Sanaya Irani, but could not get through to her.

We reached out to Producer Yash Patnaik but did not get revert from him.

Watch this space on IndianWikiMedia.com as we have all the exclusive updates from the TV and the digital world right for you!!

For more details on this web-series and on their future digital projects, subscribe to Beyond Originals.

Sanaya-irani-make-her-come-back-web-series

Sanaya Irani to make her come back with a web series

Sanaya Irani is all to explore the digital world.

Sanaya Irani is one of the most loved and known faces on Television. She has been in the industry for a long time and has earned her place and status in the Television fraternity. She has done several shows including fiction, and reality and has always given fans and viewers a new reason to love her. The actress was last seen in Nach Baliye along with husband Mohit Sehgal and fans cannot wait to see their favourite star back on Television. Let's hope we hear some good news soon.

The actor made her debut with Left Right Left and went on to play an introvert character, Gunjan, in Miley Jab Hum Tum where she was paired opposite now-husband, Mohit Sehgal. Sanaya Irani then won several hearts as Khushi in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. Her chemistry with Barun Sobti was the high point of the show and fans continue to demand to see them back onscreen together. 

Post that, Sanaya was part of several shows including Rangrasiya. She was recently seen dancing with husband Mohit Sehgal in Nach Baliye 8 where the duo impressed everyone with their performances. 

The stunning actress has been appreciated for her excellent screen presence and has received a lot of love for her personality too. Now we hear that Sanaya will be exploring the digital space as well with Beyond Original's upcoming web series, Vodka Shots. 

Sanaya will be playing the lead in the web series and the shoot for the series is currently on. According to the news, the first teaser of the series will be out sometime in the next week. Well, we can't wait to have this beauty back and for the first time on the digital platform.

Sanaya Irani to make web series debut with Vodka Shots?

The shoot for Sanaya Irani's new series is currently on.

Sanaya Irani is one of the most loved television actresses and has been away from the small screen for quite a long time now. However, if latest report is to be believed then Sanaya will soon be seen in the digital space as well.

The actress will be playing the lead role in Beyond Original's upcoming web series titled Vodka Shots, Pink Villa reported. The shoot for the series is currently on and the first teaser will be out sometime in the next week.

Meanwhile, Sanaya, who was last seen on Nach Baliye 8, was in news for a couple of TV shows, which unfortunately never took off. While one was Rab Se Manga Tuje, the other one was Meenu Mausi alongside Harshad Arora.

Sanaya became the audience's favourite with her role in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? opposite Barun Sobti.

The actor made her debut with Left Right Left and went on to play an introvert character, Gunjan, in Miley Jab Hum Tum where she was paired opposite now husband, Mohit Sehgal. The couple dated for more than five years before getting hitched. The wedding was a low-key affair, attended by close friends and family in Goa.

Ever since their marriage last year, the popular real life couple has been in a back-to-back vacation mood. After a trip to Spain, the actors holidayed in Singapore and then Italy.

I'm glad the never ending honeymoon is finally ending, and San is getting back to work!!! Have missed her acting so much!

RKC Week 20 Epi 105 - 109 Dec 18 - 22

Satrupa is digging a big hole for herself. For a woman whom her daughter accused of being all head and no heart, she is letting her heart rule her head completely, in her desire to bring her child closer, to overcome Anami's hatred of her. It will be irony indeed, and a very tragic irony, if her steps backfire, and Anami believes she engineered the kidnapping of Laddoo to win her affection ... which is the way it seems to be going.

In the meantime, it's beautiful to see mother daughter coming closer, and Satrupa's naked longing for her daughter's love.
Laddoo is definitely a brat!!!

Sangeeta Ghosh's acting has usually been overshadowed by Narayani's ... but yesterday and today, she shone as the unhinged, mad with rage, frustrated woman whose plans have gone awry and whose partners in crime are missing, leaving her alone and helpless.

Adhiraj Anami scene was sweet ... they are growing closer and closer, the friendship deepening to something more. Still can't wrap my head around their love story ... Anami is too much of a child for me!

Thursday - Satrupa bach gayi! Anami just saw Purushottam holding gun to her head, not that she already had Laddoo with her. And what Satrupa had told Laddoo came true ... the kidnapper did come back and try to hurt Anami ... But will Purushottam spill the beans? or will he get shot?
Was rather funny the way everyone congregated at Royal Steel ... as a hiding place cum secret rendezvous, it failed rather spectacularly! At least count, only Vikram Singh, Gayatri and Baldev were NOT there ... everyone else was!
One thing is for sure ... Purushottam's intent of killing Anami is clear to Anami ... whether Sudha manages to bamboozle her way out of this back into Anami's good books, remains to be seen. Looking forward to Friday episode! 

Friday ... Satrupa saved ... but only by the skin of her teeth!
Sudha ... ditto ... but she had to kill her own brother, her biggest support and co-conspirator, to save her own skin ... Sangeeta in the last scene, as Sudha remembers firing at her brother, and tries to wash her hands of the stain, was awesome! She will become even more dangerous now.

Narottam keeps silent ... he had already warned Sudha that if she had a hand in Laddoo's kidnapping, he would expose her ... so he is not with her on this, and she knows it. Plus he knows his Choti maa, and knows she would not have kept quiet ... he probably even understands his own kidnapping was security for laddoo's life, and won't hold it against Satrupa, especially as she made it clear he was not to be harmed.

Adhiraj is a fool ... does he really think Satrupa had a hand in the original kidnapping of Laddoo? And if so, for what reason? Would she connive with a criminal like Purushottam? PT more or less admitted he kidnapped Laddoo in the first place ... it was only how Laddoo landed up at RS that needs to be investigated ... and it is obvious that Laddoo is scared of Sudha and PT, and not of Satrupa.

Satrupa really shot herself in the foot by keeping Laddoo hidden those extra few days just to steal some extra time with Anami ... if she had returned Laddoo to LM when she first found him, he was been talking and able to point out both Sudha and PT as the villains. And then Sudha would have been ousted ... probably that's why the cv's needed to make him dumb so he couldn't give away Sudha so soon.

Sudha is treading a dangerous path by scaring Laddoo just because he can't speak ... he will show his fear and dislike of her clearly enough for Anami to distrust her.
But now Baldev has stepped in to ensure Sudha stays on in LM ... Sudha  lost Anami's trust, but gained Baldev's support ...

I do want to see both Adhiraj and Anami witness Laddoo's faith and trust in Satrupa ... and his fear of Sudha ... but the main premise of the show is the mother-daughter conflict ... so I guess there will be some more reason to drive a wedge between them soon. 

RKC Week 19 Epi 100 - 104 Dec 11-15

Celebrations as RKC reaches the 100 episode mark ... not the 100th, but the 101st episode was a landmark, as Anami for the first time, accepted a spoonful of food from her birth mother's hands, cried and slept in her lap, and called her 'Ma'.

What a consummate actress Narayani Shastri is! Her expressions as she caressed the sleeping Anami's face and hair, her incredulous joy and tears as Anami in her sleep murmured that precious word ... and the way she put back her head and closed her eyes ... the expression on her face showed Satrupa's joy, her bittersweet happiness ... in her daughter's biggest sorrow, she found her own joy and a form of closure, as the daughter she had given away at birth, the daughter who hated her for her abandonment, finally accepted an olive branch, finally acknowledged that her mother too might have been unhappy at the separation, that she was fighting her own battles as she battled with Anami's hatred ... for the first time, Anami acknowledged and accepted her mother's overtures.

The other scene I loved was Narottam and Sudha ... as Narottam makes it clear he will not fight an unjust war. That he will not be party to Laddoo's kidnapping ... that he is even willing to expose his own mother, if Laddoo is harmed. Sudha can fight the world,she can fight the LMvasis, but how will she fight her own son, for whom ostensibly she is fighting this war?
If only the LMvasis had acknowledged Narottam's feelings, had understood that whatever Sudha was, Narottam was just an innocent child ... he did not ask to be born .. he did not ask to be treated as a pawn in his mother's revenge ... all he really wanted was some love and affection. And when Anami gave him that, he is becoming her brother in the true sense. Satrupa's quiet manipulation, her support, although belated,  might also have had its desired effect ... if only Satrupa had understood this much earlier, maybe Sudha's poison would have been nullified years ago.

15th Dec - Kidnap drama continues the entire week - as usual, CBI, Adhiraj and his band of officers are nowhere to be seen, and Satrupa and Anami are taking the law into their own hands, with varied results. Friday's episode will show what trouble Anami gets into, and if Adhiraj finally is of some use ... till Thursday, Satrupa very much held the upper hand - she traced Purushottam, confronted him, rescued Laddoo ... Purushottam's fate is unclear, but doubt he will be killed off.

Satrupa - Narayani Shastri is awesome as the lady don ... the way she switches between soft, loving, vulnerable mother and powerful tycoon with strong grey shades, is simply awesome. Sheer pleasure watching her on screen. Her walk as she entered Purushottam's den ... the barest flicker on her face as his two henchmen are shot and dragged away ... we usually see this swag and attitude in men on screen - it's a welcome change to see it in a woman, and Narayani carries off the attitude and the power beautifully.
Side note - I love her style - the plain sarees with broad gold borders, and the understated, very elegant jewelry.  The stylist of this show deserves special mention. Narayani, Anju Mahendru and Sangeeta Ghosh are styled beautifully, completely in keeping with their characters. So are the men, and Anami too ... but these three ladies rule the style roost in this show!

15th Dec - Satrupa's grey surfaces ... her one insecurity is her daughter and the hatred from her ... Laddoo's kidnapping has brought Anami closer to her, and Satrupa is not ready to risk the distance increasing again. So the decision to hide Laddoo from Anami for a little while longer ... Damo, her conscience, is not happy but Satrupa uses the excuse of outing Sudha to justify herself.

Wonder whether this was a blooper - Satrupa knew Anami had come there, but she didn't wait to make sure Anami left the place safely before leaving herself? Or did she instruct her henchmen to keep an eye on Anami and therefore knew that Adhiraj had rescued her?

Anami blames Adhiraj for coming there ... because of him she didn't find Laddo. Is Anami really so stupid as to believe the kidnapper would have tamely handed Laddoo over to her, no questions asked?

Satrupa spins a yearn similar enough to Anami's story that Anami believes her completely ... after all, the same thing happened to her ... kidnapper called her, asked her to come there  alone ... Adhiraj not quite convinced ... but Anami is on Satrupa's side on this one.

Satrupa scolding Anami ... NS again brilliant in the scene ... how her voice breaks as she scolds Anami ... 'what if something had happened to you? You don't care about us, what about Pandit and Panditayin?' And Anami for the first time responds to the mother in Satrupa ... and cries in her arms. Satrupa is happy ... her daughter's closeness is increasing. She ignores Anami's pain in her own joy. (Besides she knows Laddoo is safe ... yes, I'm making excuses for Satrupa ... I love her!)

Satrupa-Sudha confrontation ... Satrupa turns the tables on Sudha ... her brother missing, her son missing ... Sudha is alone. Sudha lashes out, why involve Narottam, he's not involved, he's innocent ... did Sudha forget she involved Laddoo, a complete innocent? 

Wonder what Satrupa has planned for Purushottam ... Narottam, like Laddoo, is safe. 

RKC Week 18 Epi 95 - 99 Dec 4-8

Hectic week, so only just got around to making post for the week.

The week was pretty much a build up to the Laddoo kidnapping ... Laddoo getting more and more influenced by Satrupa, much to Anami's fury ... while she is battling her own ambivalent feelings towards Sudha, Laddoo's allegiance to Satrupa only serves to confuse her further. Is Sudha really all that she claims to be? Or, as Adhiraj advises, does she need to check that injustice has actually been done to Sudha before she goes on her morcha to win her justice?

Some of the cutest scenes this week were between Satrupa and Laddoo ... Anami has been combative and belligerant towards Satrupa from day one ... not entirely her fault, as Satrupa didn't exactly go out of her way to make Anami feel loved ... it was all about duty and haq. But Laddoo has no such issues. He was doubtful about Satrupa at the beginning ... was she the wicked black crow who stole Anami from her family, or was she a good fairy? By the end of the week, Laddoo has made up his mind ... Satrupa is kind, affectionate, understanding, helpful ... she counsels him when he is upset, shows him how to overcome his difficulties, enrols him in a winter camp so that he can learn English ... and she is starting to show her affection more openly. The warm affectionate loving Satrupa who had died with Vatsalya, is slowly coming back to life with Laddoo's open affection and admiration. 

Anami also got a taste of her own medicine this week ... as rude as she is towards most LMvasis, Laddoo gave a glimpse of that rudeness towards her. Unlike Anami, he seems to have imbibed more of his parents' parvarish, as he is never openly rude to the inhabitants of Lal mahal ... he calls Gayatri Dadiji ... but he's enjoying his new found English skills and trying to use them ... Anami is scared that he is becoming more an LM vasi, and losing his Benaras roots .. so she chides him at every step ... leading to their final fight.
Like Satrupa is unable to handle the petulant rebellious Anami, after her sweet biddable loving Vatsalya ... Anami is unable to handle the truculent rebellious Laddoo after the sweet loving follower brother she had in Benaras. And like Satrupa, she goes about dealing with him all the wrong way. 

RKC Week 17 Epi 90 - 94 Nov 27 - Dec 1

Anami becomes detective ... will Sudha be too smart for her?
The real tussle is between Satrupa and Sudha ... Sudha using Anami as her pawn ... Satrupa using Laddoo. Both fighting for the right of their child ... their confrontation scenes are always a great watch.

Laddoo is bringing sunshine and laughter into the stiff formality of Lal Mahal ... don't much care for the way the Benarsi duo speak to their elders ... being rude to Avdhoot is fine, as he is equally rude back, and usually starts it first. Loved the way he spoke back to Anami about liking Satrupa, and thinking she is a good person ... probably the only person who can influence Anami regarding Satrupa.

On a side note, loved Satrupa's orange sari with zari border and her multi stringed pearl necklace ... she looked queenly.

Thursday
Anami is getting more and more suspicious of Sudha ... finally! And Narottam comes under her radar too.
Narottam is actually concerned for Anami ... his nightmare showed his genuine concern. But will he be able to muster the courage to go against his mother if the need arises? He was lying to Anami about Vatsalya's things ... was he also lying about his dreams and the file?

Laddoo is enjoying Satrupa's attention and the perks arising from it ... Satrupa might have brought him here to help open Anami's eyes ... but whatever she is doing, is also for Laddoo's good ... he is learning to accept new foods, new customs, a new language ... his mind is not closed against Satrupa's the way Anami's is, so he is taking advantage of the benefits she offers. I actually enjoyed the way he was rude to Anami ... it was a reflection of how rude Anami is with the people of Lal Mahal ... and I hope she realises that.

Purushottam makes an appearance finally! And fools Adhiraj ... yet again! Adhiraj is quite a waste ... hope the real CBI is not so clueless!

Was happy Baldev stood up for Satrupa when Sudha insulted her ... will Sudha succeed in bringing Baldev and Satrupa closer? Or will she drive them further apart?

RKC week 16 Epi 85-89 Nov 20-24

RKC is picking up pace this week ... good thing is, Anami's  dimaag ki batti is slowly flickering.

Gayatri has played a clever game ... but what will happen if Anami finds out her deceit? Trust betrayed will be difficult to regain. Of course, the bigger deceit by far is Sudha's ... but that will take much longer for Anami  to figure out.

Satrupa plays a clever game again ... starting to match Sudha in cunning and manipulation. Unfortunately, the blindfold that Sudha has placed over Anami's eyes will take some doing to remove. So these games are necessary ... just telling Anami that Sudha is deceitful, was not enough ... nowhere near. her deceit has to be countered with bigger deceit.

I am glad Satrupa finally pointed out to Anami that since she had brought Laddoo here, it was her responsibility to look after him. Anami with her constant, 'you're brainwashing my brother, stay away from him' rants, was getting on my nerves. She just doesn't see that what she accuses Satrupa of doing with Laddoo, is exactly what Sudha is doing with her. Pride comes before a fall ... her fall will be big.

It will be good to see Anami banishing Sudha to the outhouse ... but what games will Sudha play to get back in?

Satrupa told Anami that they took in Narottam to save him from Sudha. More and more I feel it was Sudha who tortured Narottam and made him wear effeminate clothes and learn dance ... not Dadi. Though Dadi is clever too ... it could have easily been her. But what did Sudha do that makes them all hate her so much? 

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 15 Epi 80-84 Nov 13-17

Mon Nov 13

Satrupa is ruthless. Hated the way she spoke to Panditayin ... there was a better way to persuade her surely?!
Anami-Dadi scene was cute.
Sudha trying to put the moves on Baldev was eww ... but Baldev is such a spineless slime ball, he might even rekindle their affair. as Satrupa said to Panditayin, she is fighting for her astitva, her identity. Right now, despite all she has done for Lal Mahal and Royal Steel, she is still the bahu of Lal Mahal ... not the owner.
Pujan trying to send Bheema to a safe hiding place ... will Adhiraj manage to catch him? 

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 14, epi 75-79 - Nov 6-10

Mon 6th Nov 

Satrupa-Narottam ... what is Satrupa up to? Is she trying to do with Narottam what Sudha is doing with Anami? Her dialogues to Narottam were telling and pointed ... she seemed genuinely shocked that a mother could want her child to be in pain ... as she told him, untended wounds get septic and rot the flesh. Will Narottam respond to the not so hidden message? Will Satrupa realise that love and affection will win him over far easier and faster than harsh words? I still feel sorry for Narottam ... through no fault of his own, he has suffered all through his life.

Adhiraj-Anami ... Anami ... Mahima can't do bubbly chirpy girl ... she overdoes it. She needs to tone it down. And improve her voice modulation. And Adhiraj falling for Anami still seems too premature ... she is too young and immature, for one. So what has Anami found in the photographs?

Sudha-Vikram Singh ... so she finally tells him what she really wants ... Narottam to be the heir. Vikram Singh of course loses it ... a hotel and house for her and Narottam is not enough for her, her greed goes beyond that. Sudha suddenly realises Anami is overhearing, and does major nautanki damage control ... but was she in time? Or did Anami overhear something? And will she get brainwashed by Sudha again?

Satrupa-Anami ... Satrupa tries to din some sense into Anami's head ... will she succeed?

Narayani Shastri is a really wonderful actress. Sangeeta Ghosh is good too ... but NS is brilliant. Just a small gesture of her eyes is enough to say everything.

Tues-Wed 

Disappointed in Satrupa ... why did she rush to confront Sudha so quickly? Thought her plan would be better thought out. Sudha is emerging the victor in all their skirmishes.

Sudha's brother, Purushottam, is to enter ...

Thursday 9th Nov

I'm disappointed in Satrupa today ... I thought she would call Laddoo as a way to getting closer to Anami and winning her trust ... but she compared Laddoo to Abhimanyu ... which means she is perfectly prepared to sacrifice him for her purpose. Not sacrifice as in kill ... I don't think she will ever hurt a child ... but he is being brought for her purpose, regardless of his welfare. 

Vikram's 'test' ... Anami failed his principles ... for him and LM, the family comes first and everyone else can be sacrificed. For Anami, society's welfare is bigger than one family's good. Which is good in the abstract ... but what happens when she is wrong in her choice? When society's good as she perceives it, is not really society's good at all?  And her choice of punishment too, was too stark and unforgiving ... she is still living in black or white ...  right or wrong. 

When she denounced Vikram Singh as being wrong about Sudha, she should have been asked ... who decides which point of view is right or wrong? Why is she the one to decide? The one to pronounce judgement? And who decides whether her decision is right or wrong?

Sudha has been betrayed by the LM vasis ... that is for sure. Her vengefulness is justified. But like Anami, the viewers also know only her side of the story ... a bit more than Anami ... as we have also seen her plotting and deceit ... which Anami has not yet seen. Is her vengefulness completely justified? And with it, Anami's choice? 

Anami has a big jhatka coming ... and she really needs one. She is becoming more and more arrogant in her self-righteousness. 

The massage scene - Anami-Satrupa ... Satrupa, Narayani's expressions were brilliant. She is a wonderful actress! One could feel her pain, her loss, her deep grief ... the loss of her beloved son, her comfort, her friend and companion ... Anami is a long way from filling that void.  

Sanaya photoshoot

Have decided not to post any personal pictures of Sanaya any more ... there are too many, and I'm frankly not too interested in her personal life ... she is happily married, settled ... and that's enough for me. However the last pic she posted from Positano, Italy is worth posting ... love the dress ... the locale is gorgeous ... and Sanaya looks like a diva!



Followed by some work pics ... not fiction yet, sadly ... but the pics of the photoshoot she did a couple of months ago. And the pics are breathtaking ... worth a fresh new post! Photoshoot for a saree ad ... the sarees are gorgeous ... and San makes them even more so :)

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 13, epi 70-74 - Oct 30-Nov 3

Monday 30th Oct

Sudha makes herself at home ... does her morning pooja, and goes to each room in turn, remembering her betrayal by each member of the family ... Satrupa ... don't know why she considers Satrupa as her enemy, as strictly speaking both women were betrayed by the same man and his family ... but then Satrupa took the place she considers rightfully hers. There has to be some other reason why Satrupa hates Sudha so much, as again Satrupa also suffered betrayal by Baldev and his family, and should sympathise with Sudha to some extent, maybe even feel guilty about the whole affair. But she doesn't ... she hates Sudha ... as does the rest of the family ... where they should also feel guilty, if anything.
Sudha also visits Gayatri and Vikram ... she considered Gayatri her mother, but Gayatri also betrayed her. Baldev too ... she loved him, but he never supported her, was never true to his love.
Pujan ... could have been her Lakshman, but instead he played Duryodhan ...  he coveted wealth that was not rightfully his ...
So Sudha has an axe to grind with each member of the family.

Satrupa is furious to see her doing the morning aarti ... warns her not to make herself at home ... and knocks the aarti thali out of her hands.
Interestingly ... symbolic? ... the diya stays alight even when knocked to the floor. So whatever Satrupa does, she will not harm the house and family.
And Sudha does repeat nautanki as soon as she sees Anami approach ... along with crocodile tears ... which Anami falls for completely ... as of course her matlabi mataji has upset Sudha in some way.
Satrupa once said that she never attacks anyone behind their back, she attacks from the front. That is true ... she cannot play sweet when she is sour ... she cannot pretend to like Sudha when she hates her ... while Sudha can easily do so ... especially in front of Anami.

Also interesting ... when Sudha drops the thali knowingly, it sets off a small fire ... which Anami rushes to contain. Symbolic again? Sudha will bring harm to the house and family ... but the harm will be contained by Anami.

Adhiraj sends Munna to the Barelly mental asylum to dig up the dirt on Sudha.
He ignores Anami's phone call.
Dadi doesn't come to do Anami's hair.
And Anami wonders ... the whole family is angry with her for bringing Sudha ... she is alone.

Sudha's arrival has started doing some good ... mending bridges ... first between Baldev and Vikram ... as Vikram acknowledges he needs his son ...
And between Gayatri and Satrupa ... as Gayatri comes to calms the distraught Satrupa, who is upset that her daughter hates her ... and Gayatri warns her ... this battle must be won by brains, not brawn ... expose Sudha in front of Anami. Gayatri will be Satrupa's guide in this journey ... as relations between them strengthen and deepen against their common enemy.
Vatsalya-Satrupa scene was beautiful as always.

Tuesday 31st Oct

Slower episode ... Sudha cementing her position in the house, cooking breakfast ... which everyone rejects, of course. And more crocodile tears to win Anami's sympathy.
Surprisingly Narottam didn't look quite so overjoyed at his mother's deceit this time.

Before that ...Dadi comes in to do Anami's hair, and gives her a gentle rebuke along with the hair brushing ... when you don't know the start of the story, how can you presume to understand the end ... true, but why doesn't anyone sit Anami down and explain to her ... and to the audience ... exactly what Sudha did? We know she's the villain ... but on the surface she is the woman wronged ... that's what Anami has seen. We audience have seen more, but even we have not seen the whole story.

Before that ... Gayatri also explains to Satrupa that she needs to fight this war with cunning ... because she has to win. Good thing Satrupa has the wisdom of Gayatri on her side ... as the mother in her is getting strongly affected by seeing Sudha win Anami's affections while she gets only her hatred.

Satrupa asks Gayatri to give Sudha the guest room key ... she doesn't want her anywhere near Anami as far as possible. Sudha takes the key ... after some drama. Though she does drop the sweet sugary facade to some extent since Anami isn't around.

Anami is missing Adhiraj ... so after 40 missed calls, which he doesn't pick up, she goes to meet him.
Good for Adhiraj ... stay that way ... this girl needs taking down a few pegs.
Golguppas from Benaras for Adhiraj ... he can't stay angry for too long with her ... but it was good that he was quite curt and not as effusive and friendly as usual. So Anami needs to start thinking about why everyone is so angry with her for bringing Sudha ... especially as she doesn't  know the whole story.

Wed 1st Nov

Interesting developments today - So Sudha absconded from the mental asylum 6 years ago, and has been living with Naina in some quiet corner, after planting a namesake(maybe a lookalike?) in her place. Has she been plotting and planning her re-entry into Lal Mahal for six years? Has she been poisoning her son Narottam for six years, or for his entire life?

Sudha does have some right to be angry and vengeful against the Lal Mahal family ... the idle rich good for nothing young son Baldev fell for her, made promises ...  and left her pregnant and alone. Judging from Gayatri's flashbacks, Baldev was not the only one who made false promises to Sudha. But how and why they took custody of Narottam, when they all dislike him so much ... how was he raised as an eunuch ... and why the extreme hatred towards Sudha, is not yet explained.

Today her mysterious brother made a re-entry too ... or rather, his mention did. Gayatri had mentioned him to Anami ... that Sudha and her brother had 'phasaoed' Baldev. Today we learnt that Sudha is the daughter of a pandit ... hence the same platitudes as Pagli Panditayin ... don't touch your feet to the ground without doing pranam to Mother earth. And her brother Puroshottam seems to be a criminal. So there just might be some truth to Gayatri's story ... that Sudha and her brother manipulated Baldev.

Adhiraj-Ila-Anami ... found Anami's barging into Adhiraj's office very childish and immature. This is a CBI officer's place of work ... not her friend's casual hangout joint. But obviously Anami doesn't like the current status quo between herself and Adhiraj, and wants to get back to their old friendly footing.

Anami's story for the children about the man wearing dark glasses in the daytime ... as of now, Anami is the one blinded by dark glasses ... the dark glasses of deceit and lies that Sudha has placed over her eyes. While Satrupa can see clearly from behind her dark glasses ... the lying and manipulation of Sudha.

Naina spying on Anami ... Anami senses someone ... will Anami start getting suspicious? Or not yet?

Satrupa cannot be the mother to Anami that she was to Vatsalya ... neither can she be the mother that Anami has always known ...Pagli Panditayin. Her mamta to Anami will take a different shape and form ... although later it might evolve into a similar friendship that she shared with Vatsalya. For Satrupa doesn't smother her children with maternal love ... she treated Vatsalya as a friend and equal, except when she tried to bind him to Lal Mahal ... and she will treat Anami with affection, care and concern ... and mentor her. Anami is not ready for more yet. And neither is Satrupa. While Anami misses the only mother she has ever known, Satrupa misses the only child she was fortunate enough to raise, out of the four she bore. Neither is Anami ready to give Satrupa Madhu Pandit's place, neither is Satrupa ready to give Anami Vatsalya's place ... yet. Though of the two, Satrupa is more ready to give Anami another place, almost equally important ... beside Vatsalya ... next to him, not supplanting him.  While Anami has not yet lost the bitter feeling of abandonment to allow Satrupa any place at all in her heart.

Gayatri tells Baldev to try to get rid of Sudha. Foolish Baldev ... tries to buy her off. Really?! Did he really think she could be so easily removed?

Let's see where Adhiraj goes tomorrow with his questioning. I feel he jumps in too quickly ... he needed to do all his fact finding before rushing to question Sudha. Sudha is a smart cookie ... she would have all eventualities covered before she moved in. She had all the time in the world to prepare.

Thurs-Fri 2-3 Nov

As I thought, Adhiraj jumped in too quickly to question Sudha, and then seemed satisfied with her explanation about being moved to rehab ... or was he?

Anyway, he left the family fuming as to why and how they hadn't been informed ... Satrupa calls the mental asylum but receives the same answer ...

I thought the informer Munna said that someone was posing as Sudha in the asylum while she was absconding ... Adhiraj has forgotten about that ... and Satrupa was not informed... so Sudha escapes for now.

Anami - Adhiraj scenes are boring ... Anami is too childish ...  making Adhiraj write her essay for her ... really?! Mahima needs to improve her voice modulation and her acting ... she is up against stalwarts ... and so far Narayani Shastri and Sangeeta Ghosh are walking away with the honours. Even Sudha can make me empathise with her at times ... but Anami is just annoying. Dunno whether it's the actress or the way the character is written these days.

So the family decide to find out what Sudha did ... but Vikram Singh leaves it to Pujan ... and Pujan's method is to beat Narottam ... while Baldev looks on.
Baldev is coming across as very weak and spineless, he actually allows his own son to be beaten for no fault of his own ... but keeps his own hands clean and allows Pujan and Avdhootto do the dirty work for him.
Satrupa intervenes ... because if word gets back to Anami, it will widen the chasm between her and her daughter ... as she tells Sudha ... she has already lost a son ... she doesn't want to lose another child ... and she knows the pain of losing a child.
Wonder if Narottam will turn ... one one hand, Sudha wants to keep his wounds fresh, for the pain is what keeps her revenge alive ... on the other hands, Satrupa wants his wounds to heal ... to be ready for new ones ... no wonder the poor guy is confused. Between the devil and the deep sea ... 
But in all this, Anami is the only one who protects him as much as she can ... now that she is back at college, and Sudha is no longer in her room, it is difficult for her to do much.

Adhiraj is actually mooning over Anami ... she's a kid!!! And Anami has a crush on him too ... but she's also trying to solve Vatsalya's mystery ... good thing one of them remembers what they're supposed to be doing! 

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 12, epi 65-69 - Oct 23-27

Monday Oct 23rd 

Durga Ma episode ... liked Anami fighting Harry with the background score of the mantras ... Satrupa supporting Anami in front of the guests ... and Kamini's fury ... Kamini deserved it for supporting Harry and trying to put the blame on Poonam ... typical and expected, but disappointing. Pujan of course manages to play safe. Satrupa says ... I am proud of Anami ... wonder what Anami would feel at that. The camera didn't linger much on her expression.

Though from the promo, Anami herself is going to damage this new found thaw in her relationship with her mother very soon ... with the advent of Sudha.

Anami saving Durga Ma murti ... I was wondering if she would do a Baahubali ... was glad and relieved to see she didn't ... and Baldev for the first time steps forward to help her ... even as Vikram sees two instances of Anami supporting and helping the poor and the weak ... first Poonam, and then the way Anami bends to remove the  thorn from the foot of the palanquin bearer ... thereby sees the screws falling from the palanquin in time to stop the murti from falling. Symbolism here ... as Anami bends to help the weak, it opens her eyes to the danger to her family and she steps forward to prevent it. And in this, she will be supported by her family ... Baldev and Satrupa on either side ... and Vikram Singh for the first time, steps forward to clear her path.
Loving Narayani's acting ... the woman expresses with her eyes, the slightest twitch of her expressions ... pleasure watching her on screen. Mahima is doing very well too.

Thursday 26th (update Tues/Wed later)

Superb episode ... LOVED Satrupa! Narayani Shastri is a fabulous actress ... the gamut of emotions that ran across her face as  the Sudha drama unfolded ... the hurt when Baldev averted his eyes when Sudha asked him if he didn't make any promises ...

Anami is coming across as very stupid and shallow ... unthinking, and arrogant with it. She thinks she knows best ... regardless of the fact that she doesn't even know the full story ... has heard only one side of it. How can she decide that the entire family is wrong, and only Sudha, whom she doesn't even know properly, is right? Very stupid!
Sudha is smart ... played Anami like a master puppeteer ... and Anami got played.

Satrupa has told Anami to leave ... wonder what will happen tomorrow.

Friday 27th Oct

As I thought, that court order came into play, and Anami, for  all her 'principles' and her righteousness, was not above using good old blackmail to get her way. Sudha wins ... for now.

Baldev is a major douche ... blaming Satrupa for what was essentially his fault ... a weak man through and through.

Dheeru and Gayatri gave identical advice to Adhiraj and Satrupa ... brains, a cool head and iron self control is needed to play Sudha and win ... brawn and anger will get nowhere.
Adhiraj furious as being so deceived by Anami ... he trusted her too much and ignored the signs that she was getting far too close to Narottam. He trusted her ... and thought she trusted him too, enough to tell him everything she was doing.
Satrupa knew how to win the small wars against ... by reverse psychology or Benaras blackmail ... but failed to win the bigger battle ... she did not even try to win Anami's trust and affection ... she tried to control her every thought and deed ... and Anami stumped her completely.

Anami of course is being played by a master hand ... and she is so gullible, not to mention self-righteous and blind in her arrogance, that she is certain she is right. And Sudha, master manipulator, plyes her cleverly ... praising her for the one thing Anami prides herself of being ... the protector of the weak. Pagli panditayin told Anami ... 'sahi ho to daro nahin, galat ho to lado nahin.' But she forgot to teach Anami how to distinguish between right and wrong, and how to understand that those who wear a stern mask are not necessarily the 'galat' ones, and those who smile and charm their way forward, are not necessarily the 'sahi' ones. 
Anami still has a lot to learn ... her journey made more difficult by the fact that she thinks she knows everything, is always right, and has nothing to learn from anyone ... least of all, her 'matlabi mataji'. That 'mataji' has handled the Lal Mahal and Royal Steel for years ... and has more knowledge in her little finger than Anami has in her entire body.

Liked the precap - as Gayatri advises Satrupa to play the game with a cool head ... and to forget the fact that Anami is her daughter. 

Rishton ka Chakravyuh week 11, epi 60-64 Oct 16-20

Monday 16th Oct

Episode slightly disjointed ... where did the court custody of Anami spring from? And why would RS assets be frozen if there was an attack against her? That part was not well explained.

Satrupa trusting Naina so quickly and giving her the job of bodyguard to Anami, without any background check, is a loophole in the script. Where is Naina's daughter, whom she claimed she was protecting by protecting Anami? Has Sudha and Naina fabricated a background for her and a home for her daughter while Naina plays bodyguard?

Dheeru's flashbacks when he enters Laal Mahal were beautifully portrayed ... the black and white past against the colorful present.

Tuesday 17th Oct

Loved the Satrupa - Dheeru scene ... there is an unspoken tangible tension between the two. Both fine actors, their scenes are a pleasure to watch.  Liked the way Gayatri pushes Satrupa to ask Dheeru to be Anami's tutor.
I wonder if Satrupa and Dheeru's friendship was used by Pujan to goad Baldev and make him frame Dheeru for a crime he didn't commit. Dheeru was happily married at the time ... so it couldn't have been anything more than friendship and support from his side ...

Anami is way too gullible regarding Sudha and Narottam ... and worse, she thinks she knows better than everyone else ... including Adhiraj, Gayatri and especially Satrupa. I hope she does learn her lesson soon, and doesn't become the typical SP heroine who manages to reform everyone and prove herself right. So far, despite ... or may be because of ... Satrupa's grey streak, I am liking Satrupa more among the mother-daughter duo.
And Sudha and Narottam are leading Anami a merry dance ... she is dancing completely to their tune. Hope Adhiraj manages to knock some sense into her head ... it looks like Anami is anti everyone who actually wishes her well. 

Sanaya News

Not exactly what I'm waiting for ... but in the interim, something is better than nothing. Sanaya coming on two chat shows ... one with Vahbiz, this is with Drashti ... and a new chat show for TV celebrities, hosted by Ila Dubey, daughter of Lilette Dubey, on Zee international/Zee Cafe, called Table for Two ... this one with Mohit. And Sanaya looks da bomb in the second one ... dressed up to the nines. Mohit looks dapper too.







Showbiz with Vahbiz

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 10 Epi 55-59, 9-13 Oct

Monday 9th October

Back on track with the change in time slot. A good tense episode today, started with a brief recap, and then the story moved full steam ahead!

Anami Satrupa confrontation Satrupa had her reasons for abandoning her daughter, and they were not all unselfish. So she is silent when faced with Anami's accusations, because they ring true.
Still don't like Anami's extreme defiance ... they have mellowed it down, but it's still quite strident.

Baldev-Dheeru ... some major unfinished business here. Simmering undercurrents, outright dislike and envy ... Dheeru gets the position that Baldev covets, feels is rightfully his. Baldev hides his gun when Tanya appears. And just misses Adhiraj as he leaves and Adhiraj arrives. So that connection is not known to him yet.

Pujan and Kamini scene ... light relief ... he is still plotting and planning ... wonder when one of his plans will succeed. He doesn't seem to know that Avdhoot's army has been hijacked.

Anami-Dadi ... this was a shocker. Dadi is also a grey character. Sudha's hatred and thirst for revenge is not unjustified. But like everything and everyone, there will be layers within layers in this story too.

Ila is jealous of Adhiraj's growing friendship and regard for Anami. So she tries to drive a wedge.

10th October Tuesday 

Ila-Anami - Ila continues to try driving a wedge in AdhiMi's friendship ... and does succeed ... for the duration of one episode :)

Satrupa-Baldev ... these two have a very complicated relationship. Good scene, both are such fab actors. Baldev accuses Satrupa of loving RS much more than him ... so why did she give in to Dheeru?
Satrupa explains that she's being careful, picking her battles ... she is ruthless. Let Dheeru save RS today ... then they will deal with him. Baldev still not convinced about Anami.

Ila-Adhiraj - she tells him a sanitised version of the truth, omitting her part, of course ... Adhiraj goes straight to clarify matters with Anami! But of course Anami isn't going to get appeased so easily.
Methinks Anami forgot that she also tried to trick Adhiraj by changing samples ...

Tanya-Adhiraj ... Adhiraj is in foul mood ... fighting with friend/girlfriend has that effect! Tanya advises him ... just say sorry.
That's not going to be easy for Adhiraj ... he's as arrogant and egoistic as the next man :P

Pujan's next plan ... kidnap Anami from college. let's see if this one works better than the previous ones.

Adhiraj -Tanya - Dheeru ... Adhiraj letting loose his frustration on his family, especially his father. Taunts about becoming partner in RS ... Dheeru retorts he's doing all this to protect his family.
Dheeru's dialogues ... in this fight, you can't fight a face to face battle like Lord Ram ... the deviousness of Krishna is required.

Pujan- Kamini ... Pujan's plans are under way ... Kamini is not impressed. Not surprised, as all his plans have flopped till now.
Which makes me feel even more certain that it was Sudha who got Vatsalya killed ... not Pujan.
And this time it's Kamini who comes up with a plan ... Avdhoot - Tanya marriage. Friendship with Oberoi didn't last long ... she has a better idea. Rishta is longer lasting than friendship ...

Adhiraj tries to follow Tanya's advice ... simple apology. Including climbing up her window in the middle of the night. Let's see how that goes.

11th October Wednesday 

Adhi-Mi Anami isn't appeased so easily. Apology not accepted, thank you very much. And she knocks Adhiraj off her balcony for good measure. Adhiraj is sorry he even attempted to say sorry.
So both end up miffed with each other.

Satrupa-Gayatri - both have an interesting relationship.Not cordial, not close ... but two strong women who recognise each others' strength, and are not too proud to ask for help and cooperate on the one matter that matter to them both - Anami.
Satrupa asks for help ... tell Anami that Narottam is not a good friend to have.
More than Narottam, Gayatri is worried about Sudha. Narottam has already been feeding Anami lies and half-truths about the history of LM.
Satrupa is furious ... she wants to throw Narottam out immediately. Fortunately Gayatri has a cooler wiser head on her shoulders ... any action against Narottam will only antagonise Anami against Satrupa further. And make it more difficult in the long run to get Anami back on the right path.
And for once we see the softer mother in Satrupa ... she is worried and concerned about her daughter. Like every mother she worries, she wants Anami to tread the right path ... she is happy to see Anami's strength, even if it is currently pitted against her ... because that strength is what will be required to straighten out the chakravyuh that is the Laal Mahal.
Gayatri wonders at this change in Satrupa ... the ruthless businesswoman who stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband Vikram, is now helpless against a teenager's tantrums. For a mother, her children are at once her biggest strength, and her biggest weakness.

Have said it before, will say it again ... one of the biggest strengths of this show is the actors ... each and every scene has good actors pitted against each other, and they lift the scenes to another level entirely. As do the dialogues ... hats off to the dialogue writers as well.
Gayatri continues to worry about Sudha ... as she remembers how she threw her out and got her locked up in the mental asylum ... through deceit and treachery, sweet words and hard actions.
And Sudha has the capacity to be very revengeful ... even as she was being drugged and taken away, she didn't try to free herself ... instead her hands reached out to throttle the one who had betrayed her - Gayatri.
And a pregnant Satrupa looked on, horrified at the scene below. Was that the first time she got to know the truth... that Baldev, her husband, had an illegitimate child already?

Anami-Tanya-chemistry lab ... fairly predictable scenes, as Anami is trapped in the chemistry lab by Avdhoot's minions.
Avdhoot and Pujan start celebrations ... again a bit too early!  Though why they feel that people will think she ran away, beats me ... Anami is quite settled in LM after the DNA test.
Adhiraj-Tanya ... brother picks up sister ... and Anami is left alone in college ... passing out in the locked chemistry lab.

12th October Thursday 

Avdhoot-Pujan-Kamini ... start the celebrations ... kidnapper is on the way.
Anami tries to call Adhiraj ... Anami beta, he's miffed with you, remember?

Anami is passing out in the lab ... struggling ... phone breaks ...

Satrupa is worried about Anami ... the driver is still waiting at college.
Satrupa gets worried instantly. And corners Narottam ... is he responsible?
But Narottam swears he doesn't know either.
She warns him ... if he has anything to do with Anami's disappearance ...

If only she knew ... Narottam is as worried about Anami's absence as she is. And so is Sudha ... trace Anami, get her back ... and whoever is responsible, get rid of them. Anami is essential to Sudha's plans.
Again, dialogues are fab!!!

Some dramatic lab scenes ... which were as usual edited out in the TV telecast ... Grrr, UK!!!!

Adhiraj drops sister off, and drops his pretense of being unconcerned. Call to Ila ... trace Anami's phone ... now!
Anami manages to get out of the lab, bleeding foot and all ... collapses outside ... kidnapper reaches her ... Adhiraj reaches the college ... kidnapper ties up Anami neatly as though he's tying Boy Scout knots ... and starts pulling a sack over her as though he has all the time in the world ...

Satrupa is worried sick about Anami by now ...Baldev passes some taunts, Satrupa taunts him right back ... Damo wants to inform the police.
Adhiraj finds Anami and kidnapper with sack ... good filmi fight scene ... isn't Adhiraj taught never to take eyes off hostage when he has a gun pointed at him? even when he's making a phone call? And why did he leave the guy to go to Anami instead?
Probably to make sure she was alive, and if she needed urgent medical help ... okay.
Kidnapper runs away after one more attempt ... Adhiraj takes Anami off in his jeep ... just in time for Narottam to see she's safe ...

Satrupa is very grateful to see Anami back safe ... though she wonders how Adhiraj reached there.

Adhiraj questions Anami ... she remembers she is miffed with him ... but eventually wiser sense prevails and she tells the whole story ...

Narottam finds the guy ... contract killer ... who doesn't know the contractor. Sudha tells Narottam ... the guy tried to finger their future ... finish his past, present and future everything ...
But on second thoughts ... let Satrupa do the dirty work.

13th October Friday

Adhi-Mi ... friends again? Maybe, maybe not.
Poonam's vivid imagination :) Can't wrap my head around the fact that Anami is just 17 ... romance doesn't seem too plausible yet. A crush, maybe.

Baldev and Pujan - Adhiraj ... Pujan of course is furious that his grand kidnapping plan went awry ... why is Baldev being such a  douche?

Satrupa-Anami ... Narayani is such a good actress ... in front of her Satrupa, Anami always comes across as a spoilt petulant brat ... even though one knows she has every reason to be angry with her mother. But then, Satrupa didn't throw her out in the streets, she placed her with a loving foster family, and Anami has that to be thankful for. The bigger loss for Anami, however, was the loss of her twin brother ...
Satrupa tries to come closer to Anami ... even tells her she is a reflection of herself at the same age ... interrupted by Damo ...

Naina tells Satrupa she can lead her to the would-be kidnapper ... Satrupa deals with kidnapper efficiently and ruthlessly ... and one sees the head of Royal Steel in this confident ruthless lady ... Narottam is satisfied.
Naina asks for a job with Satrupa. Now where is this leading?

Laddo calls Anami, crying ... again he had the same dream that he had the night Vatsalya was attacked ... that someone was trying to take Anami away.
That was the night Vatsalya was attacked .. today Anami was attacked.
Anami might begin to see some sense now.

Adhiraj wants court custody for Anami for her safety.

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 9, Ep 49-54 2nd- 7th Oct

Monday 2nd October

Time pass episode ... Anami's behaviour is getting more brattish ... she is heading for a fall. The stunt with the tutor was simply annoying and childish. To get back at Satrupa, she is forgetting, or ignoring her own interests. Not very smart of her at all. I guess these are time pass episodes till the slot change to prime time next week. The Satrupa-Damo scene was nice ... Satrupa struggling to control a daughter who is her reflection ... pride warring with frustration.

Dheeru has the 26% trustee all tied up ... literally! So he's going to take over 26% shares. And from the precap, he's on his way back  into Royal Steel ... and from there, into Lal Mahal? Time will tell.

More time pass - another of Kamini's nightmares, and a Pujan family scene.

Adhiraj questions Pujan about his phone calls with Oberoi ... Pujan wriggles out of a tight situation. Adhiraj is not convinced, but for the moment, he can't do much.
The guy playing Adhiraj is getting better and better ... I like his acting now. He was stiff when he started off, but has grown tremendously into his role.

Anami gets the better of Dadaji in chess. Hope she is not going to be typical SP heroine ... always right ... even when she is so obviously wrong.
She won in two moves ... bettering the 6 moves over Narottam.
And another forecast of the shape of things to come - Men fashioned the game of chess, hence it's black and white. If it was left to us women, it would be filled with color. 
A woman coming to change the tides in Lal Mahal ... as Guruji had foretold.
Bina emotions ke koi game bana hi nahin. Auratein dil aur dimaag dono se khelti hain. 
So far Anami is playing the game with emotions, while Satrupa is the more calculating one. But Satrupa's emotions are what brought Anami here in the first place ... and Anami may have to use her head as well as her heart. Or does that mean Anami's heart will win over all the heads in Lal Mahal? Including the not so wise old man entrenched in tradition and parampara ... make him realise that yes, capability is as important, if not more than, lineage.
But for that, Anami has a long way to go. In her current state, she is not fit to take over a kindergarten, forget Lal Mahal and Royal Steel. In fact she's barely fit to be in a kindergarten, considering the stunt she pulled with the tutor.
Yep, am annoyed with Anami today ... she's coming across as very brattish and arrogant.

Precap is interesting ... Dheeru reveals himself to Vikram Singh.

Tuesday 3rd October

Anami goes to college!
Thank god wiser sense ... and Dadi's wisdom ... prevailed. Though Anami still hasn't forgiven Satrupa for her blackmailing tactics.

Dheeru starts the journey back to Lal Mahal ...  a deal with Vikram Singh. 26% shares are yours ... and 50% partnership in RS is mine. Apparently Vikram Singh doesn't have any choice left ... as the trustees have swung some magical foul play overnight.
Again, the small attention to detail ... the driver is addressed by name, not the universal 'driver' ... and is asked wordlessly to leave while the negotiations are going on.

Pujan is happy that Anami is going to college ... it will be so much easier to arrange an attack on her outside the Lal Mahal. Avdhoot is to do this job.
But Adhiraj now drops his sister to college every day ... of course it's the same college that Anami will attend.

Anami is being pretty obnoxious to Satrupa ... not that Satrupa is trying very hard to win her affection. Both are cut from the same cloth ... proud, almost arrogant ... confident, almost over-confident ... sharp intelligent women. Although's Anami's intelligence is somewhat obscured these days by her rebellion against Satrupa ... and she is slowly becoming Satrupa's weak spot.


Wednesday - Saturday 
Can't keep up with daily updates, too busy! So I will do a quick synopsis of what happens in the week.

Adhiraj-Dheeru - A number of father-son clashes this week. Dheeru used the information from Adhiraj to set into motion his own plans ... revenge? Adhiraj is angry with his father ... for using him.  But as Dheeru points out - what do you want? First you accused me of running away, now you're unhappy I've come back to fight?
The father-son clashes were good - the father is a very good actor, and Ankit - Adhiraj is holding his own despite this being his first show. He has really developed well, from being quite stiff at the start of the show, he is now on par with most of the other actors.

Anami continues to clash with Satrupa ... and Satrupa is worried ... in her bid to show Satrupa that she means nothing to her, Anami might land up endangering herself. And Satrupa is right to worry ... Anami fancies herself to be a very good judge of character, and is falling headlong into the trap being laid for her by Sudha and Narottam. Maybe Satrupa should go back to reverse psychology, as she knows Anami will do the opposite of what she wants.

Adhiraj discovers that Anami is the rightful heir - the result of the second DNA test is conclusive. Surprisingly, he doesn't lose his shit over it ... I think he had already started realising the truth when Anami spoke about staying back for her brother. So he probably understands her position ... she wanted to leave because she hates her birth mother, not because she was a fraudster being blackmailed into staying at Lal Mahal.
Adhiraj and Anami are developing a nice friendship ... Anami is too young for a serious love story to start yet, but she definitely has a crush on Adhiraj. Adhiraj 'likes' her, he has even started treating her as a friend and confidante ... despite her young age, Anami is wiser than her years ... except when she is fighting Satrupa! Then all her maturity goes out of the window!

Anami settles into college ... Avdhoot tried to get some kids to rag her, she ragged them back, so his plan has flopped ... for now. In the bargain she has struck up a friendship with Tanya, Adhirah's sister ... she doesn't know Tanya's relationship with Adhiraj ... but Tanya should know she is the Lal Mahal heir. Let's see if this comes up soon. 

The family scenes of Tanya-Adhiraj-Dheeru are very well done ... a small, close knit family, casual conversations, teasing, affection, and the inevitable clashes between two strong minded people.

Dheeru strikes a deal with Vikram Singh ... and the board meeting goes off as he planned ... not without a few anxious moments. Pujan does a volte face at the last minute .. opportunistic as always.

Sudha is creepy as always ... now she is planning to enter the Lal Mahal. 

Next week the makers will up the pace as the show moves to prime time 8 pm. So far it's going really well, and I'm happy to see that they have tamed Anami down a little. Her brattish behaviour was becoming a major turn off ... the stunt with the tutor was totally not funny, and the only excuse I can find for the makers is that it must have been a last minute time filler addition, to slow down the main story before the slot change.

R.I.P Tom Alter

Tom Alter passed away on Friday at the age of 67 after battling a long illness with skin cancer.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tom-alter-padma-shri-actor-and-writer-dies-aged-67/articleshow/60889109.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOI&utm_content=om-bm

Tom Alter, Padma Shri actor and writer, dies aged 67

MUMBAI: Veteran film, television and theatre actor and Padma Shri Tom Alter has died aged 67. The renowned actor and one-time sports writer and author had been battling stage four skin cancer.

Alter acted in over 300 movies apart from numerous TV shows, most famously as the gangster Keshav Kalsi in the hit soap opera Junoon which ran for a record five years during the 1990s. In addition to acting, Alter also ventured into direction and was a sports journalist in the 80s and 90s. He was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India. Alter has written three books, one non-fiction and two fiction, and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri by the Indian government in recognition for his services to the field of arts and cinema.

A statement released on behalf of his family said: "It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father. Tom passed away Friday night at home with his family and close family members in attendance. We ask for their privacy to be respected at this time."

Born in the hill station of Mussoorie in 1950, Alter was a third-generation American in India who studied at Woodstock School in the Himalayas and then briefly at Yale University in the USA, before returning to India in the early 70s. In 1972, he was one of three men - the others being Benjamin Gilani and Phunsok Ladakhi - chosen from over 800 applicants across north India to be enrolled in at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, where two years later he graduated with a gold medal diploma in acting.

Alter's first release was Ramanand Sagar's Charas in 1976, in which he played the role of superstar Dharmendra's boss, a CID official. Among his notable roles during the first decade of his acting career were Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Shyam Benega's Junoon (1979), Manoj Kumar's magnum opus Kranti (1981) and Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). Other notable directors he worked with during the 70s and 80s were V Shantaram, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai, Subhash Ghai, Chetan Anand - who gave him his first break in the Dev Anand-starrer Saheb Bahadur - and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who gave him the pivotal role of the gangster Musa in the critically acclaimed hit Parinda.

In the 90s, Alter was seen in many films, prominent among them Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui, Junoon and Gumrah, Ketan Mehta's Sardar and Priyadarshan's Kala Pani. During this time, he also acted in regional cinema - Bengali, Assamese, Telegu, Tamil and Kumaoni films. Among his foreign films are Richard Attenborough's Gandhi and One Night with the King, in which he acted opposite his idol, the legendary Peter O'Toole.

On TV, Alter's leading work came in Junoon, Zabaan Sambhalke, Jugalbandi, Bharat EK Khoj, Ghutan, Shaktimaan, Captain Vyom, Mere Ghar Aana Zindagi and Yahaan Ke Hum Sikandar. Most recently, he was seen in a pivotal role in the ongoing serial Rishton Ka Chakravyuh on Star Plus. At the time of his death, Alter had approximately 16 unreleased films lined up as well as a web series by Eros Now titled Smoke.

Throughout his cinematic and television career, Alter remained busy with theatre, having co-founded Motley Productions with Naseeruddin Shah and Gilani in 1979. His prominent stage work includes the two-and-a-half-hour-long solo play in Urdu, 'Maulana', 'Babur ke Aulaad', 'Lal Qile ka Aakhri Mushaira', 'Ghalib ke Khat', 'Trisanga', 'Teesveen Shatabdi', Copenhagen' and the theatrical reproduction of William Dalrymple's 'City of Djinns'.

In early 2017, Alter enacted a festival of his various plays in Hindi, English, Hindustani and Urdu titled titled 'Jashn-e-Maazi: The Play of History' which featured 19 of his portrayals and adaptations of leading historical figures such as Maulana Azad, Mirza Ghalib, Manto, Saahir Ludhianvi, Rabindranath Tagore, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Alfred Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi.

He is survived by his wife Carol, son Jamie, and daughter Afshaan.

Rishton ka Chakravyuh week 8, Ep 43-48, 25th- 30th Sept

Monday 25th Sept

Sudha's nautanki fools Anami completely ... Anami still has a lot of growing up to do.
Sangeeta Ghosh is playing Sudha really well ... the crazy psychotic woman with a thread of sanity ... or is she the sane revenge filled woman with a streak of madness? The scene where she dons her red saree again, her jewelry ... to the strain of 'naina barse rimjhim rimjhim ...' and muses ... Anami is like a sword ... a sword is made of steel, and steel can rust ... I will rust her steel with the power of my emotions.

Adhiraj warns Anami ... against everyone in Laal Mahal. Everyone ... means everyone. Including Narottam. And he gives her another cellphone.
I like the way their relationship is building ... although he doesn't trust her to be the real heir, he does trust her somewhat to help him truthfully and fairly. And Anami knows he doesn't believe her truth, yet she trusts him to be fair in his work. Since his work is her aim ... uncovering the truth of Vatsalya's murder ... she is well prepared to help him.
The question is ... with Adhiraj's own vested interests in the case and Laal Mahal, will he remain fair towards his work? If he does, he will automatically be fair towards Anami.

Gayatri and Satrupa ... their conversation reveals Vikram's thinking ... son is heir, heir has to be son ... even Satrupa who has handled Royal Steel for so many years is, and was, just the caretaker. Slowly Satrupa's motives for sending Anami away are becoming clearer ... though I'm still not sure why she's treating Anami so curtly.
But Gayatri is prepared for change. Change has to come ...  change is the only constant.

I always like Anami-Vatsalya scenes ... am so glad they have retained him to connect to Anami through his diary. So he warns Anami that Pujan has a strong streak of cruelty in him.
Anami puts her new cellphone to good use ... taking pictures of Pujan with shady characters, receiving a shady file.


Tuesday 26th Sept 

Dadaji will not accept Anami as the heir. First he cast doubt on her lineage ... now that is proved, he falls back on the real reason - heir has to be a son. Not a daughter.
And he even goes against the revered guruji on this ...
Idiot Avdhoot gets the khandaani necklace ... but it's Anami's blood which is used for the 'tilak' ... so blood is thicker than water after all.

And Anami is very annoyed ... not because she's not declared heir ... but because Dadaji insulted her, her upbringing ... who is he to say all that? She didn't come here willingly, she was brought here. And her parting shot - after dadiji and Satrupa ask her to keep quiet ... diya vahi jalta hai, jisme jalne ki kshamta hoti hai. varna hava kisi par rehem nahin karti. Aisa hamari pagli panditayin kehti hai.
Who is the more capable of the two? That is the one who should be heir ... regardless of blood, gender, or anything else.

And Avdhoot whimpering at the thought of shedding his blood for the teeka, while Anami, impatient at his cowardice steps forward to complete the ritual ... indicates who is the stronger and more fearless, for starters.
As Satrupa is quick to point out. But Dadaji is still unbowed ... till his shawl catches fire ... and it's the daughter of the house, not the son ... who rushes to put it out.

Guruji warns Satrupa ... barse to os, bigde to toofan ... she's just like you. Those who brought her up, have transformed the raw child into pure gold ... now you need to mold that gold into your shape. From Benaras ki Anami to Satrupa's Anami ...

Pujan and Avdhoot exult ... they have got the heirdom in the form of the necklace. Done deal. From Royal Steel to LM ...
Avdhoot isn't fully convinced though ... Pujan's plans have a habit of flopping.

Satrupa ponders ... how to make Anami Satrupa's Anami. How to make her worthy of being heir.
Answer is simple ... educate her. Satrupa took a long time realise that a jobless Anami's empty mind is the devil's workshop.

Poonam's theatrics ... Adhiraj's arrival ... as usual a clash with Anami ... this time she soaks him.

Wednesday 27th Sept 

Adhiraj wants more information on the file ... so they go investigating in Pujan's room. Leading to near discovery as chachi returns unexpectedly and Anami gets an allergic attack from the mosquito repellent.
Liked the attention to details ... chachi had gone shopping, and returned with shopping bags.
And the first hug of sorts, as Adhiraj shelters Anami and leads her out of the room ... not before getting pics of the incriminating file.

Satrupa starts the work of getting Anami's admission to college.

Dheeru sees the file Adhiraj is making on the Laal Mahal case.

Sudha is delighted ...Anami has fallen completely into Sudha's trap. Sudha sold her pain, Anami bought it hook, line and sinker. Now next step ... sell her Narottam's pain. And her counter will sink to the bottom of the ladder.

Satrupa ... oh dear, why is so dictatorial with Anami?! Doesn't she know Anami responds worst when she is challenged ... that too, by Satrupa?
And Anami ... what do you plan to do for the next one year? Sit around at home? Just to spite Satrupa, she won't listen to something for her own betterment. And her blind hatred for Satrupa prevents her to even try to understand Satrupa's motives. Like seriously ... Anami's education is for Satrupa's benefit alone?! Anami is becoming a brat ... and an arrogant one, at that.

Dheeru warns Baldev ... disaster is coming to Royal Steel ... not that it's Baldev's hard work that has gone into it, but he's going to lose everything anyway. Baldev didn't recognise the voice? But he's worried nonetheless.

Pujan starts some drama ... what now?

Thursday 28th Sept 

Lol .. Pujan starts drama in courtyard, so Anami can't practice martial arts with her child brigade ... so she invades Chachi's room ... so chachi yells at Pujan ... end of his drama.

Update later

Few thoughts on Thursday-Saturday episodes:

Dheeru - seems to have the future of Royal Steel close to his heart. Whether he is bent on saving it or destroying it, time will tell. But his actions seem to  indicate the former - first he made an anonymous phone call to Baldev to warn him, then he explained in detail to Adhiraj what was happening, the takeover bid ... and encouraged him to go to warn the Lal Mahal inhabitants. So what is his final game plan?
Interestingly Satrupa was absent during the discussion between Vikram, Gayatri, Baldev and Adhiraj ... she is busy trying to tame Anami. So how much time is she giving Royal Steel these days? Or is it that with Avdhoot being declared heir, she has given up on dealing with the company for now?

Anami - is blackmailed into going for the college interview. Although she gets the better of the principal and teacher, a la Slumdog millionaire, she doesn't get admission ... or refuses admission ... much to Satrupa's annoyance. As Satrupa makes no bones about telling her.
I was glad Satrupa ticked Anami off about her arrogance ... thinking one knows everything and doesn't need to learn more, is the biggest sign of ignorance.
Also Anami is arrogant about one more thing, again incorrectly - her ability to recognise people. Despite both Satrupa and Adhiraj warning her about Narottam, she persists in thinking she knows better. Of course, if Narottam does turn over a new leaf, her thinking will be justified ... his life has been quite hellish till date, all due to his own family - father and mother both. And it might well happen that Anami's support gives him the courage to change. The way he described his upbringing was really sad ... handed over to kinnars to be brought up as one of them ... if that is true, it was cruel and unforgiveable of those responsible for doing that.
But for the moment, Narottam is very firmly Sudha's pawn ... and Anami is treading a dangerous path ... it looks like she is heading for a fall.

Baldev-Vikram - the scene showed the reason for the distrust between them. Vikram always wanted the perfect son - Baldev could never be that. What was more, it appears Baldev was the typical bigda hua raees baap ka beta, who never worked a day in his life, and expected all the benefits of belonging to the family he did. It was Dheeru who worked hard for Royal Steel ... Dheeru and then Satrupa. Baldev merely enjoyed the spoils. And he still blames his father for forcing him to marry Satrupa ... was he really in love with Sudha? Could not have been ... judging by the way he treats Narottam. or does he treat Narottam that way because he was the cause of Baldev being disinherited? Baldev is a weak man.

Dheeru again - Pujan in of course hand in glove with the investors/trustees to bring down Royal Steel, buy out the majority shares while the market is down, and gain control. So the trustees between them have managed to corner 25% of the shares, and one more trustee has another 26%. But that trustee is kidnapped on his way to the meeting ... by Dheeru.

Anami-Vatsalya - Vatsalya's diary warns Anami that Narottam has had a very tough life, in ambiguous terms speaks about pain being his mother ... or was that his mother is his pain? Vatsalya was a very intelligent and perceptive boy ...  he saw everything happening in Lal Mahal, understood it ... but was too young and too sweet to counter it strongly. That fire is in Anami ... the ability and the courage to challenge,  to fight, to counter. Together they would have been an amazing team... sadly, that was not to be.
I'm so glad the makers have decided to retain the actor and keep bringing him in flashbacks ... it strengthens the Anami-Vatsalya bond, to see them physically on screen together, even though we know Vatsalya is only there in spirit.


One good thing with RKC moving to 8 pm ... we will have only 5 episodes a week. Time for the writers and crew to take a break and maintain the intensity of the episodes.
I am very happy that the pigeonpoop chicken shit show is going off air! And even happier that RKC is taking its place - this show deserves to be prime time. Although I really hope the makers get to tell their story the way they have been doing till now, and don't fall prey to the TRP race.

Narayani Shastri talks about a love angle to her story ... wonder if that will be Baldev or Dheeru. I hope it will be Dheeru ... I am disappointed with Baldev's character so far.

http://www.indianwikimedia.com/television/celebrities/every-generation-has-its-own-set-of-good-and-bad-actors-narayani-shastri/2017/09/24/amp

Talented actor Narayani Shastri is quite happy with the growth of her Star Plus show Rishton Ka Chakravyuh.

“There is  good content,  no wonder it is picking up steam and we have got promoted to a prime time slot (8PM).  Having said that, the new time slot does not mean much to me. As an actor it is important  for me to do the role to the best of my ability irrespective of time. That is more the job of the channel and production house,” says the talented lady to IndianWikiMedia.

So how does she approach her ‘royal’  character? “For me, more than tha aspect of being a queen, what is more important is what & why happens in her life, i.e. the character graph. But yes, social position  does impact what you do and where you come.”

Narayani further states that she does not lament the loss of glamorous role on TV .  “I don’t go by established norms of how a woman must look at a  particular age.  I played the mother to Akaashdeep Saigal (now Skywalker) at 22 years and even now my current character is quite glamorous, there will  also be a love angle to her.”

Talking about working with younger lot of actors, she avers: “Every generation has its own set of good and bad actors. Most of my co stars come from well-bred families and are very courteous and professional.  I know folks  crib that some new lot of actors are rude but for them I will blame their parents for not imbibing the right values in them.”  Besides Rishton, she has also worked with younger lot of actors in Piya Rangrezz.

Narayani,  who has been around for years, attributes her continuing TV stint to luck. “Yes  I do make choices. I  don’t jump at any odd role.  There have been times where I  have not had projects for six months to a year.  Insecurity of an actor does rankle, but then I hold myself knowing  something  better is on the anvil .”

In closing , she shares that she would also be okay taking up digital shows. “But  they need to  pay well  and secondly the role needs  to be kickass for me to leave my comfort zone. The digital space is still  finding  its hold, so quite a lot of bad content is also churning up. The makers need to exercise self censorship much more .”

We wish her all the luck and success.

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh week 7, Ep 37-42, 18th- 23rd Sept

18th Sept Monday

Anami returns to Laal Mahal, determined to seek justice for her brother, and even more consumed with hatred for her birth mother for separating her from her twin brother. So consumed is she with the hatred, that she never stops to think for a moment, whether the hatred is wholly justified, and whether the reason she assumes she was separated from her brother, is truly accurate.

When Anami was accusing Satrupa, I saw guilt mixed with sorrow in Satrupa's eyes. More than ever I want to know the full reason behind Satrupa sending her daughter away rather than her son, despite Guruji advising her to send her first born child. I do feel bad for Anami ... very, very bad ... as she struggles to come to terms with the tragedy which has only just sunk in ... but Anami has a long road to go to reach maturity.
Anami said ... I too have a right to go into Vatsalya's room ... he was my brother! The first time she has acknowledged a relationship with any inhabitant of the Laal Mahal ... even though a deceased one. In life Vatsalya tried to bridge the gap between the residents of Laal Mahal, especially between his parents ... but he was a dreamer, an idealist, a poet ... he never had the strength. Anami, his fire brand sister does. She has the strength to make or break relations. What will she choose?

Episode ends with Adhiraj spewing fire at Anaami ... furious at being hoodwinked (or so he thinks) by her.

Quick updates for Tues-Thurs before I watch Friday's episode :

19th Sept Tuesday 

Adhiraj furious with Anaami for fooling him ... and refuses to believe that Anaami is really Satrupa and Baldev's daughter ... she has managed to fool him somehow.
(side note ... The actor has improved a lot in his acting and dialogue delivery)

Gayatri is very happy with her new granddaughter ... the first girl in the family in seven generations.  And she has no interest in Vikram Singh's grumpiness.
Vikram still thinks this is all Satrupa's manipulation.

Adhiraj returns home, still hopping mad with Anaami. And has a fight with his father ... you were a coward and ran away ... dad says, I told you not to get involved in Laal Mahal, this is a Kurukshetra.
Dad ruminates on the past ... so Baldev got him arrested? And Baldev seemed quite cozy with Pujan at the time.
Hum yeh ladai chhod dete hain lekin yeh ladai humein nahin chodti.

Adhiraj crashes his jeep in anger ... still sulking. This guy is a CBI officer?! His bias is clouding his judgement big time.

Dadi gets ready for a ritual to welcome Anaami. And manages to win her over with Khaike Paan Benarasvala ... interesting to see Anju Mahendru in a new avatar!
Dadiji wants Anaami to bring about a change in the thinking of the Laal Mahal. She is far more progressive than her husband for sure. And more farseeing too.

Adhiraj now drunk! Did he fall for Anaami that hard?
Also, I think with the change in time slot coming up, the makers are slowing down the story for the moment, and bringing in a few light moments. Hope they don't make this a story about angry young man and chirpy young girl, that's all. Fortunately, the girl is not middle class! Ila has improved in her acting too, she is not playing such an airhead now.

Dadji gets ready for the vidhi for the new granddaughter ... much to the annoyance of the male members of the family ... and Pujan and family, of course. None of them are ready to wash her feet.

20th Sept Wednesday

Vidhi of washing Anaami's feet goes ahead ... after some emotional blackmail by Dadiji of Baldev ...  (Pujan drops his head on Kamini's shoulder out of sheer frustration ... lol ... here she goes again!) some stern talking to Pujan, who of course, can't afford to let his mask of good behaviour fall ..

Satrupa washes her daughter's feet ... tells her ... you can say and do what you like, it won't make a difference, you are still my daughter and our future. So you have to learn the ways of the house.
Anaami of course isn't impressed ... what does her matlabi maataji know about relationships?  Satrupa is keeping the feud going, stoking Anaami's anger against her all the time ... her expressions when Anaami is not watching her, are far more fond and maternal ... when she speaks directly to Anaami, her mask of curtness in firmly in place. For some reason, she doesn't want to break Anaami's impression that she abandoned her girl child.
Also she sees that Anaami is not enamoured of Pujan and family ... and is quite happy with that.
Vikram Singh refuses to take part in the vidhi, refuses to accept Anaami ... and is rather rude to Gayatri about it.

One comic scene with Pujan, Kamini and Avdhoot ... they are becoming resident comic relief. Again Pujan repeats ... from Royal Steel to Laal Mahal ... that's the way he will go this time. Kamini is fed up of his plans.

Narottam- Anaami ... he gives her his mother's kangans. After all, he's her brother.
Narottam is very dangerous ... he will win Anaami over with sweet words ... but does he mean any of them? Will her open support make a difference to his thinking?
Narottam has had a very tough life ... he is truly unloved by all. Even for his mother, he has been nothing but a pawn. And his father's family keeps him at the Laal Mahal only on sufferance. He has never ever received genuine love and affection from anyone ... maybe from Vatsalya, but Vatsalya's love was weak. Will Anaami's genuine affection and strong support change him?

Uh oh ... Anaami tells Narottam all about meeting Vatsalya ... the connection between them ... and the attack on him. So Narottam knows now that Anaami saved Vatsalya that time ... and that she knows he was attacked ... she thinks deliberately. Did Pujan organise that attack? Or did Sudha? Narottam was disturbed to hear about the attack ... did he know about it already? Or was it news to him?
Beautiful scene ... but now Narottam knows about Anaami's connection with Vatsalya ... and also that she wants to find his killer. Anaami has chosen the wrong confidante :(

21st Sept Thursday 

Anaami and Narottam steal out to meet Adhiraj ... but Adhiraj, still smarting at 'being fooled' by Anaami, isn't interested in what Anaami has to say. She is a fraud.
Best scene ... Narottam's 'peeche hat' to Adhiraj ... for a moment he forgot his effeminate mask, and was just a protective older brother. The guy is a damn good actor!!! His eyes speak.
Again I wonder ... will Anaami's genuine love and affection change Narottam?
Anaami tells Adhiraj ... I wish that you one day feel what I'm feeling. Kisi ka insaaf adhura reh gaya hai ... aur koi sun nahin raha ...
Will Adhiraj remember these words one day ... with regard to his father?

Gayatri is very upset with Vikram Singh ... but he's still annoyed about her accepting Anaami. Things cannot change so quickly in this house. Anaami cannot be heir. She is not his granddaughter.
Anaami creates drama because Satrupa has gotten her bedding shifted back into the house.
This time I sympathised with Pujan and the rest ... midnight drama!!! Some of Anaami's shenanigans are really childish!
Satrupa of course puts her foot down ... you're the daughter of the house, you have to sleep inside the house. That's the rule, and you will follow it.
Anaami's condition ... she gets the keys to Vatsalya's room. The only room where she feels comfortable, at home ... where she feels a connection to at least one member of the family.
Dadiji puts her foot down ... Anaami can take the keys ... she has the right. Now can Anaami please go to sleep? Inside the house?!

Anaami can't sleep!

Next morning, new drama ... Satrupa has figured out how to handle Anaami ... just tell her to do the opposite of what she wants ... so have breakfast in your room, means that Anaami wants to eat at the table with everyone.
Satrupa muses to Damo ... it's not about winning or losing ... it's about keeping the game going, and Anaami keeps playing the game the way Satrupa wants her to. Anaami is winning because she's letting her win.
But Anaami's next drama is tough even for her champion Dadiji ... Anaami wants Narottam to eat with the family.
Dadaji's words ... nothing has changed in this family, and nothing will change ...
are completely at odds with Dadi's words to Anaami ... you will bring change into this house. 

Yes, Anaami is the harbinger of change ... some people are prepared for change ... while others will resist it.

22nd Sept Friday

Ah, the arrogance and confidence of youth! Satrupa tries to warn Anami, but of course, Anami will never believe her mother ... that goes against her grain. Anami has a lot of growing up to do ... and Satrupa hasn't helped matters by giving her away at birth, and not telling anyone about it. It will be a long time before Anami trusts Satrupa on anything ... as Satrupa says, that might be to the detriment of the family as a whole before Anami sees sense.

To begin the episode ... Anami and Narottam left the breakfast table ... I thought Anami would make the family leave, but fortunately her brattishness stopped short of that.

Sudha-Narottam - Narottam was definitely affected by Anami's goodness and strength ... but Sudha quickly brings him on track ... he has and should have only one relationship with Anami ... Hate.

Sudha is a mother from hell ... the way she gives Narottam chilli to eat when he says something that annoys her ... and Narottam eats the chilli quietly ... he gets the message all right, but doesn't have the guts to spit out the chilli. Something tells me that's the way he was punished in childhood too, as he was growing up ... among other punishments, of course. His self-flagellation being another one ... the boy has had a hellish life so far ... so Anami's support and affection will win him over eventually. But the road to that is long and hard ... and both he and Anami will face many pitfalls along the way. He has Sudha egging him on the wrong path ... and Anami will fight Satrupa all the way. Ironical ... the one who blindly follows his mother, will probably go against her eventually, and Anami, who can't stand her mother, will eventually follow her path.

Satrupa and Anami in Vatsalya's room ... Satrupa destroyed the relationship between herself and her daughter almost at birth by giving her away ... but here they are, bound by the person they are bonded to. Anami never knew her brother except for a few fleeting moments, yet those moments have given her a bond which she can't seem to break. A soul connection between twins. And Satrupa was so close to her son ... he was her solace, her friend, within the cold walls of Laal Mahal. Will these two women ever find common ground through the person they both love?
Not for a long time yet ... as Satrupa tries to warn Anami against Narottam, forgetting her own words of the morning, when she knew Anami would do the opposite of what she told her to. But this was no childish rebellion she was indulging ... this was much more serious. But Anami, with the arrogance of youth, dismisses her like she dismisses everything Satrupa says ... she is matlabi maataji, so she doesn't know what love is. And Anami will not abandon her new friend because Satrupa says so.

Satrupa gives up for the moment.

Anami explores Vatsalya's room ... why did he call her to LM? Why did he want her to stay back? And she finds his hiding place ... and sees his slides ... tearing up again as she feels the bond.

Narottam at work on his mother's orders ... work on Anami, but never forget she's the enemy. So he spins a sob story of how his mother is ill, but he can't meet her ... because he can't fight.
Anami sets up a martial arts class for him in the corridor ... good going by the cvs, as they showed in the earlier episodes that Anami knew martial arts.
Pujan gets the best dialogues ... Anami ... Badnami ...

Adhiraj gets out of Devdas mode and determines to use Anami as bait to investigate Vatsalya's murder.

And Anami will get a shock while teaching Narottam to defend himself ... will that give her the first check that Narottam may not be all that he seems?

23rd Sept Saturday

No, Anami didn't get any check or suspicion about Narottam ... he is far too clever for her ... for now. Before it sinks in that he is more than capable of defending himself, he dons his weak helpless persona again.
But before that, she is rude to Pujan ... Dadi and Satrupa are not overly concerned about that ... but they are far more concerned about Anami's growing closeness to Narottam.

Did Baldev just call his own son a servant? Whatever it is, he is becoming more and more unpleasant, with his adamant refusal to acknowledge Anami as his daughter.  Maybe he is one of the reasons for Narottam being the way he is after all ... of his three children, it seems Baldev only loved Vatsalya ... maybe because Vatsalya was the perfect child, the chosen heir. Narottam was the cause of his being disinherited ... and Anami is a jungli ... and only a girl.

Dadi cautions Satrupa about Anami and Narottam ... Satrupa blames her for her unconditional support to Anami ... hello, lady, I thought that was what you wanted. Both busy blaming each other ... but neither knows how to handle the rebellious teenager.

Sudha prepares for the next stage of her drama ... the weeping helpless abandoned wife and lonely mother ...
I will sell my pain, and buy my peace ... 

Anami has prepared for Narottam to visit his poor abandoned lonely mother ...
Satrupa forbids her ... really, Satrupa?! Just this morning you said that the best way to get Anami to follow your wishes is to tell her the opposite ... and now she lays down the law in an autocratic manner which couldn't have gotten Anami more determined to rebel than if that had been Satrupa's intention.

Adhiraj seems to have gotten over his Devdas hangover, and is back to business. He needs a khabri from inside Laal Mahal ... who better than Anami herself? She came to him for help ... well, he will help her, but she will have to help him too.

With all the added security that Satrupa has supposedly arranged, how does Munna paanwala get in and out of LM to meet Anami so easily? And with him, how does Adhiraj?

Oh well ... the best of shows has loopholes ...
Anami repeats her story about the attack on Vatsalya in Benaras ... her meeting with him ... she is staying back in LM only to find out about this ... and she has no problem helping Adhiraj ... after all it's for her brother ...

 Which leads Adhiraj to his second objective ... a hair sample for a repeat DNA test ...

Poonam knows a way out of LM that Anami can use to visit narottam's mother ... but why is Anami so keen to help him? Is it only to trouble Satrupa? To hurt her?
Anami understands the pain of separation from one's parents ... that's why.
Of course, Narottam has no such pain ... but for the poor guy, that pain might be more bearable than the pain of being his mother's pawn, and the object of his father's unrelenting contempt.
Of course Anami is even more sorry for Narottam for being separated from his mother as a baby, being reared like a girl ... ah, she does know that ... did Narottam tell her? and for the poor suffering mother ... yeah, right!
But Anami understands the pain of separation from parents, being too weak to oppose the oppressors, the stronger ones ...
Although she can never fall to the depths her birth mother did, of abandoning her child just because it was a girl ... and then bring her back when it suits her ... she will die before she does that ...

I feel Anami is heading for a big fall ... right now she is caught up in the arrogance of youth ... her mother was wrong to give her away, she abandoned her ... hence everything Satrupa does is wrong, and she, Anami is right, she knows better. The typical arrogant over-confidence of a teenager ... one day she will learn the full truth of why Satrupa gave her away ... and I think that will shake Anami to her roots.

Kunti gave Karna away because she was an unmarried girl, scared of the effect on her reputation. Satrupa had no such reason. She had twins, a boy and a girl ... even if a girl was not allowed to be heir, Vatsalya was there to inherit. Satrupa gave Anami away to protect her child/children ... she gave away the wrong child, true ... maybe out of love for the son over the daughter ... maybe because she felt the daughter had a better chance of survival away from LM, maybe because she felt being mother of a son would cement her own position in LM ... maybe a combination of all ... maybe some other reason entirely. But judging by Gayatri's reaction to Anami, it was not only because Anami was a girl that Satrupa gave her away ... it might have been one of the reasons, but only one. Satrupa gave her away because for some reason Guruji felt her children's lives were under threat if both of them stayed in LM.
Did Satrupa's first set of twins die of natural causes? Or were they also put to death in a way that looked like an accident?

But Satrupa's way of dealing with Anami is also so wrong ... she is curt, brief ... never warm or loving, never maternal ... if this part of some strategy, it might misfire ... badly. Anami is at the rebellious teenager stage ... and is more rebellious than most ... she needs to be handled very differently .. starting with maybe telling her the truth, or at least part of it, as to why she was given away.
But then the story will end very quickly ... :)

Adhiraj is still barking up the wrong tree ... trying to disprove that Anami is Satrupa and Baldev's daughter ... only this time he's going about it the right way ... getting the test done without anyone knowing. So now when he gets the proof he wants ... or rather, doesn't want ... what will he do?

Narottam and Sudha start their drama with Anami the wide-eyed gullible audience swallowing every word, every tear, every sob story ... Sudha in white, shorn of her ornaments, and her psycho crafty attitude ...
Sudha is in the same room ... did Anami not notice it's a mental rehabilitation centre?

Precap - Guruji is back! Poor Tom Alter, I believe he is very, very ill. :( Hope he recovers.

Dia's note - With RKC moving to prime time slot, I do feel the makers need to tone down Anami's rudeness somewhat. She is a well brought up girl, her foster parents have given her nothing but love, and have taught her to be fearless and independent, but also to respect her elders. Her current behaviour doesn't show that upbringing ... also for a prime time FL, she's too rude. Now that RKC will be competing in the trp race, the makers need to look at these things.
Also some monologues from Satrupa as to why is she being so curt and cold with Anami, instead of being warm and loving, as she was with Vatsalya ...