Rishton Ka Chakravyuh - week 3, Ep 13-18, 21st -26th August

Monday, 21st August

Narottam-Avdhoot. Vatsalya was compassionate and affectionate towards his half-brother. Avdhoot is disdainful and already ready to change equations to master and servant, even before becoming master.

Getting ready for the pagri rasam ... Avdhoot's mother is in a hurry, Guruji is not. Whispers already circulating about Baldev's adoption of Avdhoot ... good  idea but whose idea was it?

Vikram and his wife Gayatri - remembering Vatsalya. Are they doing the right thing? Their family is finished, but at least Royal Steel can be saved by this step.

Guruji waiting for Satrupa. Wet wood and bones for the havan kund ... apshagun! Narottam did his bit ... now Guruji is happy to stall the havan. But Pujan is ready to bribe the pandit ... the havan will proceed.
Vikram doesn't want to stall ... he doesn't want to delay any further. Vatsalya is gone,  he will not return. At least the company can be saved.

Narottam is annoyed ... has his plan failed?

Baldev ... is a very interesting character. He has agreed for the adoption, but under duress ... and he has no qualms about showing his displeasure. He will not be part of the drama ... he may have had to adopt an idiot, but he won't even pretend to be happy ... regardless of what the investors and  shareholders say.
His character is very layered ... fascinating.
Satrupa is many layered too ... the entire Mahal knows she keeps her cards very close to her chest always. Has she run away? No, she is coming back from Benaras.

The pagri arrives ... to the glee of Pujan and family ... and to the distress of the rest.

Narottam still has his eyes on the pagri.

Damo in constant touch with the Mahal ... wait, we are coming.

Another face off between Satrupa and Anami ... Satrupa extends a curt olive branch ... Anami rejects it.

Adhiraj filler scene ... he finds himself an informer to keep him informed about the goings on at the Mahal.

Narottam's breakdown as the puja goes under way, was the most powerful scene of the day. His memories... always insults, always abuse ... for something not his fault, but that of his father ... his grandfather ridiculed his desire to take over his brother's place ... his cousin, now to be his master, abused and ridiculed him, forced him to dance like a eunuch ...
Who was the mysterious lady in green who forced Narottam to dance? Was it his own mother who turned him into a eunuch to ensure he could stay at the Laal Mahal, as he posed no threat to the rightful heir? Or was it someone else?

And Satrupa arrives just in time to stop the pagri being placed on the wrong head.

Precap is interesting - Satrupa proclaims in front of the entire assembly that Anami is her daughter and Vikram's grand-daughter.

22nd August, Tuesday
Announcement from Satrupa ... Anami is the heir of the family.
Vikram disbelieving ...
Gayatri angry
Baldev equally angry ... for a different reason ... he has a daughter and he was never told? Anami reacts to that one ... her father wasn't complicit in the decision to throw her away? Hate for mother intensified further.
Pujan tries to stir up trouble ... he doesn't have to work too hard.  Vikram declares only Avdhoot will be heir.
Satrupa declares equally firmly she will not adopt Avdhoot, she is fighting for the rights of her daughter.
Vikram says again ... only Avdhoot gets to wear the turban.
Satrupa again says ... Anami.

Anami puts an end ... temporarily ... to the fight ...  by dumping the turban into the fire ... na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri.  Fight is over the turban ... let's put an end to the turban.
Family shocked ...
Anami warns an impassive Satrupa in the presence of the shocked family ... get used to this ... this drama is going to happen every day now. You did tamasha in my house ... now I will do tamasha every day in yours.

Sudha is told by loyal servant Naina of Anami's arrival. Psycho Sudha is not pleased.
What is hers, will be hers one day.

23rd August, Wednesday
Baldev-Satrupa ... powerful confrontation! Both such good actors ... the tension in the air was palpable! Baldev doesn't believe Anami is his daughter ... Satrupa thought he would fight over her concealing the girl ... not about her identity ...

Vikram Gayatri ...Gayatri does not trust Satrupa ... and Satrupa has the power.
Again Mahabharat reference ... what should Vikram do? Fight Satrupa? Gayatri wants him to do so ... but he is afraid this will become a battleground and the destruction will spread far and wide.

Anami is not impressed with her gilded cage.
Small encounter with her father ... Anami has a very small! soft spot for him ... after all, he only seemed upset he hadn't been told about her existence ... she hasn't heard the fight between him and Satrupa, of course ...

Vikram does not like Anami at all ... she will not be his heir!

Adhiraj chases a transformed Narottam on a bike ...

Precap - Vikram ready ... on Pujan's goading ... to kill Anami?!

24th August Thursday
Pujan is getting more and more frustrated and angry ...  wonder whether he will start making mistakes, or will Dadaji start to see through him?

Anami-Satrupa ...Anami cannot see beyond her blind hatred of her birth mother ... Satrupa is older and wiser ... and she does understand ... but she has to stay strong, and not let herself be provoked into fighting, as Anami is trying to do. Somewhere I feel she already sees a reflection of herself in her daughter ... and is beginning to respect and like that ... the heir will need to be very strong ... Satrupa was much stronger than Baldev, and it seems Anami will be equally strong ... after anumber of false starts, of course.

So Adhiraj had to abandon his pursuit of Narottam in the last episode ... wonder if Narottam went to meet his mother?
So next he tries to get into Lal Mahal ... apart from the first meeting of hero and heroine, the foray didn't really accomplish much ... unless something more happens tonight. Adhiraj manages to avoid Anami... I guess he doesn't figure out who she really is ... the heir to LM is not likely to be sleeping outside for one thing.

Liked the conversation of Satrupa with Anami's bodyguard (forget the girl's name) ... give her time, she will rebel, that's natural ... but keep an eye on her, and an eye open for any danger.
And liked the way Satrupa settled into a chair for the night to keep a watchful eye over her rebellious daughter ... and the slight smile on her face as she watched her ... yes, Satrupa is beginning to know and like her daughter.

Pujan tries to provoke Dadaji into killing Anami ... of course that's not going to happen ... but Satrupa does see him go towards Anami with a gun ...
Why didn't she call out, rather than run down? Did she think she could outrun a bullet if Dadaji really did shoot Anami?!

Friday & Saturday 25th and 26th August
Quick recap of the essential points only ... of course Dadaji didn't shoot Anami ... but he did make for Guruji, as the perpetrator of this mess ... and Satrupa, after her initial relief at finding Anami safe and sleeping, followed him ... she tells Vikram to shoot her instead ... he can't do that either, but he does threaten Anami ... whereupon the tigress mother protecting her cub emerges from behind the dutiful bahu ... nobody dare do anything to hurt my child.
Second time  I noticed ... Dadaji doesn't say he treated Satrupa like his daughter ... he treated her like a son.

Breakfast drama ... Anami is acting like a spoiled brat ... obviously hoping that if she shocks this family enough, they will send her back home.
But Satrupa is prepared for her. 'Breakfast?'
More shocks by Anami ... she gives away the new clothes Satrupa has brought for her, to the maid ... she refuses to cut her hair ...
Satrupa is giving her a long  rope ... she seems to accept that Anami  will be rebellious at first ... even expects it ... Anami is her daughter after all.
There are these small smiles on Satrupa's face when Anami is being particularly troublesome ... as though remembering her own self, a glimmer of pride ... she wouldn't have expected her daughter to be a pushover, meek or mild ... Anami is living up to what Satrupa expects of her.

In the meantime Pujan continues to instigate Dadaji ... Adhiraj continues to investigate ... and lands up in the Laal mahal to ask questions ...

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh - week 2, Ep 7-12, 14-19th Aug '17

14th August Monday
Filler scenes of Anami ...
Grief for Vatsalya ...
Intrigue and plotting starts ...

15th August Tuesday 
Anami downs gundas with martial arts ... thankfully, no miraculous flying kicks or levitational stunts.
Tension between Baldev and his father, between Baldev and Satrupa, between Satrupa and her in-laws ...
Cop Adhiraj tracks gunda no. 1 of Pujan, but Pujan is one step ahead.
Guruji tells Satrupa, go get your daughter back, she is the rightful heir.

So Satrupa was supposed to send her son, her first-born, away for his own safety ... putra moh made her send her daughter away instead. Now with Vatsalya's death, has the threat to the other child lessened?

16th August Wednesday

17th August Thursday

18th August Friday
Anami-Pandit on the ghats - beautiful scene, reminded me of the bond between Khushi and her babuji. Murari pandit also tells Anami that bonds of love and trust are stronger than bonds of blood. Anami's despair, mingled with hatred for her mother ... overpowered by the overwhelming fear of being torn from the only family she has known and loved ... Mahima was so good in the scene ... her near-hysteria and despair beautifully portrayed. You feel for the girl ... her world being torn apart ... even the reassurance from her beloved Pandit isn't enough to assuage her fears ... rightfully so.

Guruji-Vikram - as Royal Steel goes down in the stock market, Vikram prepones Avdhoot's pagri ceremony - Guruji is not happy. There is dawn after the night, but Vikram is not ready to wait for it.

Guruji-Damo conversation - so Guruji gets on the phone to Damo and tells her, Satrupa needs to step on it ... forget her grief and just get Anami back.

Guruji seems more involved in the family politics and business matters than a religious guru should be ... his own ambitions here? Or does he truly have the good of the family at heart, and is concerned (rightfully ) about the evil machinations of Pujan and Avdhoot?

Shirtless hero Adhiraj :) watched by drooling sidekick! Info - Satrupa has gone to Benaras. But why?

Baldev- Vikram - Vikram is ruthless, Baldev is bitter ... he truly loved his son ... but his wife, Satrupa? And how will he react when he hears that she hid his own child from him for so many years? Loved the little flashback ... the love between father and son was so endearing.
Bitterness against his father too... Satrupa was always more important ... his sins could never be forgiven, but she is flawless. So how will the old man react when he hears that Satrupa is not so flawless after all?

Satrupa- Damo and the Bhagvad Geeta ... Satrupa truly, deeply conflicted ... her pain is no less, she gave away her child knowingly, and now faces the hatred of that child. Should she give that child more pain by tearing her away from the only family she knows and loves? Would that not be selfish? She's hurt her once as a mother by giving her away ... can she hurt her again? Will Anami ever forgive her?
But Damo continues the lines from the Geeta ... this is a fight between right and wrong ... Satrupa has to fight for her children's rights, she owes it to them, and that is her duty.
Another beautiful scene showcasing Satrupa's conflict ... she has an unpleasant road ahead, but tread it she must.

The Pandit family spend a restless night ... Murari Pandit worried despite his reassurance to Anami that she can never be separated from them, he too knows that may not be true.
Anami seeks comfort in her mother's lap ... but for how long? Both mother and daughter spend the night fearful about the storm ahead. In fact,the entire family is sleepless, their night darkened by a deep sense of foreboding that hangs over them all, from Murari Pandit to little Laddoo.
(Loved the song used here ... from Parineeta ... raat hamari toh ... chaand ki saheli hai)

And rightfully so ... for in the morning, the storm breaks. Satrupa has no time to mollify her daughter ... she has to take her back the very next day. So saam daam dand bhed ... false kidnapping case ... which will do the job, but at the cost of alienating her daughter even further ... as hate flashes deeper in Anami's eyes. Daughter is a chip off the old block all right ... mother and daughter are cut from the same cloth ... both equally self willed and strong.
In the meantime, Baldev orders his henchman ... Satrupa has to be found and brought back toLal Mahal ... she has to sign the adoption papers.

19th August Saturday
Face off between mother and daughter - Anami angry, furious ...  how can you do this, what kind of woman are you, can you stoop so low for money? First you threw me away, and now you come to pick me up when it suits you?
Not by a flicker does Satrupa reveal how those accusations wound her ... if they do at all. She didn't want to do this ...but Anami left her no choice.
Anami isn't done yet ...she will stay where she wants.
Satrupa's trump card ... Anami is still a minor. The kidnapping case will hold. She has the power to decide where Anami will stay.

Laal Mahal
Avdhoot gets ready for pagri rasam ...grumbling to mummy about cold and hot  water. That's going to be the least of his worries.

Benaras - face off continues ... Anami not giving up, but neither is Satrupa ... neither is Panditayan, Anami is her daughter. Veiled and not so veiled threats from Satrupa about the fate of Murari Pandit, his wife, and his little son ...  they worry Anami, but she's not ready to give in ..
But then she sees the police taking off her parents.

So yes ... Anami capitulates ... umar dhokha de gayi. But it's vanvaas of one year only ... she will be back as soon as she turns 18. And another barb towards her mother - if only you were as good a mother as you are a conspirator.
Pandits are ready togo to jail ... Anami doesn't have to go with anyone.
But Anami loves them too much ... and the fire in her belly has been burning for 17 years.
Saturpa threatens her ...come quietly, and nothing will happen to these people.
Anami threatens her back ... anything happens to them and I will turn your mahal to ruins.

Mother nehla, toh daughter dehla.

So Anami goes with Satrupa ... as the streets of Benaras flash by, so do her memories ... but as she promised Murari Pandit and herself ... not a tear in her eye.

Avdhoot-Pujan ... waiting for Satrupa to surrender ... they also know the real power lies with her. Avdhoot getting ready to enjoy his new life ... doesn't bode well for his future.

Laddo-Panditayan ... 'She' took Anami away.
And Anami went?
Heart broken mother and son ... 'I want her back.'
They both do.

Anami in the car with an impassive Satrupa ... Memories again ... the truth of her adoption. Laddoo's naamkaran, where Pandits asserted she was part of their family. Memories with Laddoo.
And Anami vows silently to the birth mother she hates already... you are taking me away from everything I held dear ... I promise you, I will make you live to regret what you are doing.

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh Week 1, Ep 1-6

Start date - 7th Aug

Narayani Shastri, mysterious Satrupa. Is she perfectly happy with the decision to abandon her daughter?
Mahima - Anami, the abandoned daughter. Angry, bitter with the birth mother who abandoned her, she abandons her every year on her birthday.
A benevolent grandfather ... or not so benevolent?
Anju Mahendru, grandmother ... complicit? or unwilling participant in the abandonment?
Vatsalya ... the twin brother, brought up in the lap of luxury, and now heir to the steel business.

The standard villains - uncle (the actor who played Shakuni in Mahabharat), his vampish smart, attractive wife, and equally standard spoilt, demanding son ... who wants his rightful (?) share.

The father - Baldev ... who is deemed unfit ... for what reason? Unfaithfulness? And who is Narottam? Vatsal's stepbrother? Illegitimate?  So Vatsalya is a sweet guy, who loves his brother/half-brother regardless of family pressure. Or is he?
Is Satrupa the daughter or daughter-in-law?

Anami's adopted family ... loving, supportive ... Anami fervently asserts her real mother is her pagli panditayin, not her birth mother.
Her father ... the pandit.
Her younger brother - Laddoo.

The family priest - Tom Alter in an interesting role.
The standard dayima ... the faithful servant/bai, who holds the family's dark secret locked in her bosom, but her guilt pangs are firmly suppressed by the family pandit ... she committed neither mistake nor sin when she helped abandon the baby girl.

Precap on  day 2- Anami and Vatsal, long separated twins, both hate their birthdays. Anami - we know the reason. But Vatsal?

Finally an intriguing show to watch! Stellar cast, great sets and locations - the ghats of Benaras ... and interesting storyline. Mother-daughter conflict amidst larger intrigue.

Read a snippet from the writer- the story was inspired by a stray thought from the Mahabharat -what if Karna had been a girl? Now I'm even more hooked.

edit - 10/08 - may make this a weekly post with daily updates, if it continues this way - the show has me hooked for now.

09/08 -An attack on Vatsal - why was the actual attack edited? Apparently the bodyguard and Anami togther save him.
Before that a sweet scene between the twins bonding on the ghats of Benaras ... daughter is like the mother, son seems to be like the father, sweet enough but weak. I loved this scene, loved the way the twins were instinctively, instantly comfortable with each other  ... Vatsal feels complete in Benaras, but as soon as he leaves, he feels restless, as though something is missing ... while Anami has always been a restless soul, despite a loving adoptive family ... is her restlessness because of the knowledge she is adopted and she craves to have pagli panditayin be her birth mother ... or is it more than that? The same feeling of incompleteness that haunts her twin?   

An emotional scene between Anami and her adoptive mother - Anami's chief complaint - why did her adoptive pagli panditayin not give birth to her? Characters maintained - Anami is obviously a prickly, undemonstrative girl, so no hugs, no overflowing tears ... mother swallows her tears and issues a threat, eat the kheer or I'll beat you ... Anami turns her back so mother won't see her wiping her tears.

10/08 - Cute scene with Anami's parents practicing their English, in preparation for son to be admitted to English medium school.

Vatsal wants to break free ... dad supports him, grandmom understands, mother and grandfather are worried about his security. Chacha plants rebellious thoughts in his brain ... Vatsal takes the leap.
Narottam watches him leave? Another intrigue.

Edit 11/08

Nice to see Chakravyuh doing well in the UK - for a 6 pm show, make that - very well! Top rated show for the channel!
Also nice to see NK doing well, that's the other show I watch.

Also happy to see regressive and ghissa pita shows doing poorly. Wish Pehredaar Piya Ki on Sony would follow suit ... cannot understand how that show has viewers ... the promos alone put me off completely.

https://www.bizasialive.com/overnights-ipkknd-3-tu-sooraj-bring-star-plus-uk-ratings/?

Overnights - 'IPKKND-3' & 'Tu Sooraj' bring down Star Plus UK ratings 

Most Asian channels suffered in UK ratings last night in UK, with Hum TV getting close to overtaking Star Plus, according to exclusive data obtained by BizAsiaLive.com.

Star Plus’ worst performing shows last night in UK were ‘Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon – Season 3’ with 19,400 viewers at 20:00 and ‘Tu Sooraj Mein Saanjh Piyaji’ at 19:00 with 16,700 viewers – the two shows got their lowest ratings in the UK. The channel’s top rated show was the newly launched ‘Chakravyuh’, which dropped in audience numbers but did well with 76,100 viewers, followed by ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’ at 19:30 with 65,900 viewers and ‘Naamkarann’ at 21:00 with 40,400 viewers. Star Plus’ overall day share stood at 0.17%.

Edited 11/08 - episode take.

If the episodes continue to go this way, I might make this a daily take. So far, very good going. 

Superb first week ... I am completely hooked to the show. The acting, the sets, the locations ... oh yes, shallow but have to mention - the costumes ... I love what Narayani is wearing, she wears the most beautiful rich sarees, elegant and simple, but rich ... minimal jewelry, but so elegant ... she looks classy! Anju Mahendru is classy looking anyway, and she always dresses that way. The chachi too, wears very elegant sarees and just the right amount of jewelry for home. 

Contrast that with Murari Pandit's family ... simple, cotton printed clothes, no embellishments, except for Anami's silver and bead stuff ...I love the little choti Laddoo sports, great attention to detail there. 

Chachaji ... he didn't put  down his cup of tea for a minute during the entire 'Vatsal is dead' drama ... drama all in slow motion and mute ... superb! And his change of expression from the slight satisfied smile to the pretend shock and grief ... fabulous! 

Anami's bracelet, the one given to her by Vatsalya, broke the exact instant his accident happened? She remembers him ... 'if I had a sister, she would be like you' ... and bends to pick up the scattered beads. Symbolic, yes ... does this mean that she will pick up the pieces of his broken family, that his death leaves behind? or that she will be the one to save his life as well? I hope the latter ... Vatsal was a lovely character, he endeared himself to viewers within the first week, would be awful if his role was so short-lived ... but he has to die for  Anami  to take his place. Let's see ...  they didn't show his body, so I will hope for the best :) 

Sangeeta Ghosh ... what an entry!!! She hates Laal Mahal and the inmates ... were her tears for  Vatsalya genuine? They seemed so ... but very briefly. Another very complex character ... steel and silk combined. 

The hero had very hero type entry  I read he went through over 100 auditions before landing this role ...if it's the same guy. He also has a history with Laal Mahal. 

Acting is top notch ... story telling is great ... layer upon layer ... hope the show continues this way ... SP might finally have a winner. Just hope they change the time slot!!! 

12/08 - didn't realise the show is 6 days a week! So here is the episode update for Saturday -
Starts with reprise of hero scene,  where he wangles charge of the Vatsalya-Laal Mahal case from his superior ... for his own motives,  as  he too, has a connection with Laal Mahal. A side remark to his sidekick about collecting 'James Bond ka taamjhaam' ... I chuckled at that one. 

Very moving scenes of mourning Vatsalya ... hallmark of good actor and good writing, that he made us root for him in 6 episodes. Beautiful mourning scenes, as father, grandfather and mother recall their special bond with the cheerful, affectionate boy ... the flashback of Satrupa with her little boy was especially moving. 
In the meantime, Anami tries to string together the broken rudraksha bracelet, gifted to her by the stranger on the ghats, and wonders why she feels such a sense of loss and impending doom. Beautiful way of showing the unspoken, intangible bond between the twin siblings ... real life twins often speak of this bond, I loved the way they showed it here. Her father thinks she is upset because Laddoo didn't get admission ... in another beautiful scene ... the cinematography of the ghats was stunning! ... but Anami's upset goes deeper than that, and for once her father doesn't have the answers to her questions. 
Chacha and his son see off the mourning visitors, and mutter between themselves about the next stage of their plan.
Narottam - he always wanted to be Vatsalya ... but he was only ever - Narottam. Love, envy, anger, hate ...? 
Satrupa tries to commit suicide ... obviously she won't succeed, but that's left for next week.
Hero arrives at Laal Mahal, ready for his own action plan ... carrying a picture of a happy family. Laal Mahal, the source of his own pain and sorrow. 

http://www.tellydhamaal.com/rishton-ka-chakravyuh-review-the-show-is-a-definite-watch/

Star Plus new show Rishton Ka Chakravyuh featuring Mahima Makwana (Anami) and Narayani Shastri (Satrupa) is the saga of the modern day Mahabharat on TV

The very first episode of Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (produced by  Sanjot Kaur and Bhupinder Singh) managed to grab the attention of its viewers by giving us the glimpse into what it is all about. The story is about the reunion of Anami (Mahima Makwana) and her mother Satrupa (Narayani Shastri) and the love-hate relationship that follows…

Story So far….

A new born baby girl is taken away from her mother (Satrupa) just after birth unknown to the latter. While the reason behind it is unknown, she gets raised as a feisty rebellious no-nonsense young girl  (Anami) in a priest’s family with a deep-rooted hatred against her mother, who is unaware about her existence.

Meanwhile, in the house (Lal House) Anami’s family celebrate the birth of a boy and we see Anami’s grandfather name the child Vatsalya Vikram Singh. People chant the name in unison when a man makes an entry, congratulating the birth of a boy. The man then plays the dhol (wooden drum) cheering the name of the new-born boy.

17 years later, Anami is happy with foster family consisting of Murari Pandit, his wife Madhu and her little brother Laddoo. However, Anami has hatred for her real mother who had abandoned after her birth and she wishes Madhu should have been her mother by birth.

In the Singh Family, Aditya Singh takes the mic and starts to announce the heir to his business when Vatsalya’s uncle arrives with his family who is hopeful of hearing his name as the heir. But his dreams are shattered when Aditya Singh declares that Vatsalya will be the person taking charge of the business empire. Aditya then informs his family that they will all leave for Benaras to perform a puja the next day. In Banaras, Vataslay’s gets attacked by the goons which are sent by Vatsalya’s uncle. However, Anami saves Vatsalya. They are unaware of their relationship and yet they share a sister-brother bond.

In the last episodes, we saw Vatsalya runs away from his house after revolting against his mother’s decision to keep him house arrested. His enemies take advantage of the opportunity and kill him in a car accident. Vatalsaya dies and the Lal Mahal mourns his death. Two new characters Sudha (Sangita Ghosh) and Adhiraj (Ankit Siwach) have been introduced. Sudha is a grey shaded character who would be illegitimate wife of Baldev (Ajay Chaudhary). He entry will bring more complications in the story. Ankit Siwach aka Adhiraj is a cop who would come to Lal Mahal to investigate Vatsalaya’s accident case.

The future development on the show looks very interesting.  Satrupa will soon find out that Anami is her daughter and pledge bring her home despite Anami’s resistance and hatred for her.

Review

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh looks like a decent daily soap with a different storyline. The show has been shot on a grand scale with good sets, costumes and authentic locales. The sights of Varanasi were also nicely captured. The cast looks promising. Narayani Shastri and Praneet Bhatt look carved for their respective roles in the show.

Narayani Shastri towers over everyone as the decisive, loving yet astute Satarupa. A beautiful shade that comes out of Satrupa is the manner in which she becomes a ‘child’ when with her son, Vaatsalya (Devarshi Shah)!!  The scene where the two of them dance and sing to the number ‘O Mere Dil Ke Chein’ was indeed really sweet. At the same time, she is the dutiful ‘bahu’ to her in-laws, and gives them the due respect and can be a tough lady wo can go to any extent to save her son from her enemies.

The surprise package is Praneet Bhatt, who is superb as the villainous uncle who wants the wealth of the family to be inherited by his son and not Satarupa’s boy, Vatsalya. He comes as a cunning, greedy and negative brother of Baldev Vikram Singh does a great job.

Kudos to Mahima Makwana to take up this role. She’s bold and confident, yet in the very next second, looks weak and fragile when the very thought of her birth comes to the fore.  As Anami, Mahima packs a punch. She has the right mix of aggression and emotion that the character needs. Mahima brings in the right expressions as the calm and composed self, and also when she is burning with anger. (Also See:  Chakravyuh: Mahima Makwana talk about her character as Anami)

The one thing that will work in favour of the show is the level of curiosity and deceptiveness that every character in the show brings to the table.

Final Verdict:

With all the unpredictability factors related to characters, Rishton Ka Chakravyuh will only weave its mystery-laden charm in the minds of viewers. A core story of troubled mother-daughter relationship, good cast and so far, decent writing makes its a MUST watch! We hope the makers continue to keep the intrigue going with the story telling and don’t indulge on over-the-top drama.

Sanaya and others

Edited 4/08 - Sanaya is STILL in Sri Lanka?! That's a long holiday by her standards!



Post on Sanaya's IG 4/08/17 "Beach vibes"
Her captions are fun and witty ... am still laughing over the one of the elephants, and her expression change. Can't post here, the blog doesn't support IG videos :(

30/7/17 Not much news on Sanaya front :( She is now is Sri Lanka for a holiday, it seems ...





So the wait continues.

Mohit has started shooting for the afternoon SP show, Luv Ka Hai Intezaar ... sensible move, to take up this show. Visibility is all important on television. Hope the ratings improve enough to keep it, and him, on air for some time.

Still watching Naamkaran ... a bit sporadically, after my holiday and then back to work ... still holds my interest when I watch it ... so will persist for some time. The ML has improved a lot, and his character is very well drawn. Not surprised that the FL is falling for him. Speaking of the FL, it's refreshing to see an angry young woman bent on revenge on tv, and doing a good job. The last revenge drama, EHT, suffered because the FL was a very poor actress. This one is not brilliant, but she's getting there.

Lost touch with KRPK ... need to catch up.

Now for some major ROFL moments ...  in the great replacement show, which was supposed to be blockbuster, apparently led by Indian James Bond. So what if the first of the franchise was a simple love story between opposites, sensitively written, and brilliantly acted? Don't quibble about details ... the third of this franchise has now become Hindu social cum family drama cum intense love story cum revenge saga ... hang on, they scrapped the last two, they weren't getting TRPs ... so we go now to Marvel comics and the Adventures of PigeonpoopMan!
A maths professor who magnetises chappals so that FL will trip and fall and throw tea all over prospective suitor PeePee (not to be confused with PPMan, our hero) ... why the FL cannot simply take off her chappals when she finds them sticking to the ground, is unexplained ... she is not a Math whiz, only a Sanskrit scholar, you see.

Followed by PPman using a remote control previously unknown to all mankind ... this remote control can direct an entire pigeon flock to fly together ... and POOP together ... on specified targets ... leaving PPMan and his SSFL (Sanskrit scholar FL) not only untouched by the poop ... but also they get showered with flower petals instead.

Please do not ask any little details about how and why did PPMan and SSFL get spared ... PPMan's remote is very specific ...
Also do not question where the flower petals suddenly apparated from ...PPMan may have a separate hidden remote which can control flowers ... if he can control the crapping habits of pigeons, flowers are no big deal, no?

All this from written updates and various articles on online sites ... I haven't had the inclination or the time to actually watch even a few seconds of the great train wreck ... oops, sorry ... the great replacement show. 

Random Ramblings

Nothing much on TV these days now that Nach Baliye is also over and done with.

Am watching Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke off and on ... the FL is still so bad! But the nice thing is that Ishwari's character is back to what Supriya P does best - a sweet, loving, loveable mother and saas. What I presume is the last leg of the story - the coming back of the three daughters to the fold - has started. Actually there is one more, bigger story to be told ... how Mami, Radha Rani, and her son, manipulated and connived to first enter Ishwari Nivas, and then break up Dev and Sonakshi, for their own ends. Don't know if they will go there. The elder daughter, Neha seems to have disappeared ... pity, because her story was the most interesting - the neglect of one child, a girl, for the sake of her brother ... using her as glorified baby sitter for the younger girls, because the older brother's education could not be sacrificed. These things still happen so often in India, it would have been a good story to tell ... especially if they could have shown her completing her education, and then going on to do really well in some unrelated field. But oh well ... social issues are still badly neglected on tv.

Naamkaran has picked up after the leap ... what is interesting is that finally! we don't have angry young man and sweet simple girl ... we have angry young woman bent on revenge, and a nice guy trying to help her.  Also fun to watch because for once, the good guys seem to be keeping pace, or even a few steps ahead of the bad guys. Though a grandmother so bent on killing her own grand daughter because of religious issues, while she is perfectly okay with the grandson, seems very archaic in this day and age .. wish they had manufactured a better reason for the enmity. Also the grandmother is not a great actress, especially compared to the late Reema Lagoo. neither are the leads, but they are getting better, and are watchable.

IPK3 starts today ... with a haggard, unkempt looking Barun Sobti trying desperately to regain lost glory, and a tablecloth clad Shivani looking like a C grade heroine from the seventies. I might have given it a try if the ML and FL had looked more interesting ... and if Gul had not bashed Sanaya and her fans. Most unbecoming, immature conduct from a producer ... seems that Gul has taken to heart the fact that Sanaya had the temerity to turn her down! Let's see how the show does ... looking the way it does, it might find appeal among the TRP junta, who like stuff like Naagin, KKB and the like. I cannot wish it well.

And to brighten up today's post - Sanaya and Drashti out and about, socialising at a recent movie launch. Hope some rumors start floating soon - Sanaya seems more than ready to get back to work. She has hibernated for less than a week after NB ended!

Sanaya in Nach Baliye - weeks 10, 11, 12

Was not able to update ... had an unusually hectic time at work and weekends got busy too. Will update at leisure with all the pics I can find.

Had some amazing acts from Sanaya and Mohit the last couple of weeks - a wonderful, totally unique Pasa Doble set in Indian political context, followed by a very inspiring act based on the love story of an acid attack victim.

The following week we had a rather creepy act - Sonakshi's challenge was that the couples have to be physically joined during the act. Sanaya and Mohit did an act portraying a black widow spider attacking her prey. Again choreography was brilliant, and Sanaya's expressions even more so.
After this act, they were announced to be finalists. Sanaya's relief and tears were evident.

The following day was the last act for the finale - Gajar ne kiya hai ishaara ... very retro peppy act, set among 7-8 mirrors, deceptively simple, but in actual fact very difficult choreography, since the camera had to remain out of sight of all the mirrors, and Sanaya and Mohit often danced with their backs to each other, hence coordination had to be impeccable. This is one of my favorite acts, along with the Pasa Doble and the Mumbai terror attacks.

Finale week was tense, as all Sanaya and Monaya fans went all out for voting, but of course Star Plus and madam DT were playing their own games. Expectedly, Sanaya and Mohit did not win ... unexpectedly, even Sanam and Abigail did not win. SP crowned its bahurani and her pati the un-deserving winners. How undeserving can be seen from the fact that almost no one congratulated the winners on social media except for members of their show team. Not even the ones who had made vote appeals for them. As for the number of memes floating around mocking the 'winners' ... hilarious!!!

So much for reality shows on Indian telly! I am so glad I was not invested in this show ... learned my lesson after JDJ. I'm happy Sanaya and Mohit took part ... gave them both good visibility and exposure, and kept them in the public eye, especially since Sanaya has since left her Sony show, due to long delays.

And now, I am glad Sanaya is done with reality shows ... there are no more she can do ... so hopefully she will get back to her real love - acting ... and soon! Can't wait to see her in a fiction show again ... it has been far too long!

So my next set of posts will hopefully be on rumors surrounding Sanaya's next show ... hope the rumors start soon!!! 

Sanaya in NB8 - week 9

Another beautiful act from Sanaya and Mohit ... been so busy that I couldn't post any pics, but will find them later and post them. An act with a  group - Banjara Girls - Remo's challenge ... and how well they took it up! Sanaya actually learned the basics of belly dancing in one week flat ... she performed beautifully, minus the belly!!! Mohit did a small solo ... and how far this guy has come through sheer hard work - clean crisp movements, great rhythm ... well done!!

Needless to say, Sanaya looked like a dream in white ... after this and her Holi act, white is definitely my favorite color for Sanaya.

Issuing a vote appeal to all my readers ... Star plus seems to be playing dirty with Sanaya ... or else this is all for drama ... but after two great acts this week, scoring the highest marks, they were in bottom two.  So all my readers in India,  a fervent appeal to you all ... if you love my blog and my writing, please go all out voting this weekend for Sanaya and Mohit - it's just one missed call from ALL your phones - that too, it's FREE!!!! Please borrow phones from all friends and family this weekend and vote for Mohit and Sanaya!!! Please do it for the girl we love and her loving hubby whom she loves so much, and who loves her even more! They are having a beautiful journey on Nach ... please help them reach a happy ending this time!!!