To start with, there are no self-sacrificing bahus and sobbing daughters over here. It is a young and fun story that involves a bunch of youngsters who live life on their own terms. The concept, although a rip-off, is a first on Indian television. And this will definitely make it work at least for the first few weeks. The sets are refreshing to look at with colour being used abundantly, especially where the office scenes are shot. Aamir Ali, who looks like Bharti’s prospective love interest, plays a subdued character, but makes his presence felt.
Although termed as Eijaz Khan’s comeback vehicle, he was seen only in a couple of scenes in the serial. Guess, we will have to wait for his comeback again. The serial belongs to Ragini and she overacts. Her desperate attempt to act like a man stuck in a woman’s body fails miserably. She is loud but not entertaining enough. The other characters in the serial are mostly newbies and as usual it’s hard to tell one from the other, at least based on their acting skills. Vivek Mushran continues his disorderly run even on TV. He may have gained weight in the last few years, but lacks acting skills even today. With dialogues like “Aaj main tumhe sabak sikhata hoon” and “Bhagwan mere saath toone yeh kyun kiya” we don’t see the serial going any further. Someone please get innovative.
Verdict:
If boredom rules your life and you have nothing to do then you can give this a shot. The rest, please stay away.
Pavitra Rishta: This one’s for the womenfolk
Monday to Friday, 9 pm, Zee TV
An addition to the slew of serials that are weaved around women-centric issues is Pavitra Rishta on Zee TV. Like its clones on other channels, the serial is the tale of a middle-class Maharashtrian family and its struggle to get their elder daughter Archana (Ankita Lokhande) married. Archana is less educated and past the marriageable age, which proves to be a stumbling-block for her in the marriage market. Though she is deft with household work, due to some turn of events she had to quit education. Her mother (Savita Prabhune) dreams of getting her married to a man who has a high status.
The serial does try to show some closer-to-reality moments, like the mad rush to finish morning chores witnessed in every home, or a woman commuter peeling peas while travelling on a local train. But what one fails to understand is how many women in real life go to bed wearing a heavy make-up, complete with eyeliner and gloss and draped in a Kanjeevaram saree.
The serial does notch aces on the acting front. While Savita Prabhune wonderfully essays the role of a caring mother, its main protagonist Ankita Lokhande lends freshness to her role.
The serial will attract audience, especially womenfolk as it deals with a topic that is close to their heart— the marriage of an elder daughter in the family.
What one hopes is that the serial will excuse us from the episodes of death and reincarnation, which form a staple part of a storyline in most of the serials produced by Balaji Telefilms.
Verdict:
It’s bound to draw the women audience.
