Posting after almost 6 months ... thanks to Corona and the lockdown, all shows were on hold, and I pretty much switched on the online platforms for my entertainment, as did most of the world, I guess. Shows resumes about a month ago ... bravely, I think ... as we now get sporadic reports of TV actors coming in positive for the virus. This scourge seems to be slated to be with us for some time to come.
In the meantime, Indian TV seems to be struggling with fierce competition online ... there is barely anything to watch. I continue watching Mere Dad Ki Dulhan and also started watching Shaadi Mubarak ... looks like the veteran actors hold my interest far more than the newbies. Interestingly, the top draws in the two shows I watch are a husband wife duo ... Varun Badola in Mere Dad ki Dulhan, and his wife Rajeshwari Sachdev, who, though not the main lead, is simply brilliant in Shaadi Mubarak. Have to say, the young girl, Niya in MDKD is also doing well ... she is holding her own with the two veterans Varun and Shweta, and has come a long way from the start of the show. Also helps that there are no outright over the top villains in MDKD, all the characters are pretty normal and real for the most part, so it continues to be watchable.
Shaadi Mubarak is a more typical show ... Manav Govil as hero is over the top ... partly his character, and partly some overacting ... not very impressed with him so far. Rajshree Thakur as the heroine is very pretty ... looks younger than her age in the show ... while Manav looks older ... she is a more typical bechari abla nari, conservative and docile, but with some spark. Rajeshwari Sachdev as her samdhan is brilliant ... a lady who is on the surface the typical sharp tongued vamp of most shows, but when you scratch the surface, she has the most amazing liberal views ... not least of which is welcoming her bahu's mother as her friend, rather than her samdhan ... and trying to drill some sense into her mamta-for-her-useless-son clouded mind. Hope they keep her this way ...
Watched a number of shows online during the lockdown ... I liked most of the Hotstar shows, well produced and directed, and with much less maa-behen gaalis than what has become the standard rural India gangster shows on the other online platforms. Also watched a couple of shows on Voot ... not bad either.
Started watching Indian Matchmaking ... first episode is a hoot ... will continue when I can.
