Uttaran: Promising Kshama Rao
Posted online: Dec 12, 2008 at 1655 hrs

: Mon - Thu, 10 pm, Colors
Looks like Colors has found a formula to keep their shows soaring. Cast at least one child actor in the show, centre the story around him or her which will tug at the heartstrings and voila you have viewers eating out of your hands. Balika Vadhu and Avika Gor did it for them, decimating the competition and now it’s the two-plaited, wide eyed Ichcha (lovingly called as Ichki by her screen mom), the knee-high protagonist of Uttaran (meaning, hand-me-down), the channel’s newest show post-strike and Bigg Boss.

Jab kisika sapna purana ho jaata hai toh woh hamara ho jaata hai beautifully sums up the premise of the show. It’s essentially about Ichcha (Sparsh), though she has other friends, a shoe-shine boy, a flower selling girl and a car washer boy. Ichcha is the daughter of Damini (Vaishali Thakkar), a maid servant who has a perennially creased brow. Add to that Ichcha’s little demands of her, ‘Why can’t I celebrate my birthday with a big, gol cake?’, ‘Why can’t I go to school like your sethani’s daughter?’, ‘why can’t I even buy a doll?’ or ‘why can’t I sit in a car?’ Ichcha’s mum is about to find an answer to all her questions as she just might land a job as a governess to a small girl. So as we see it, the little girl holds the key to Ichcha’s answers…

It’s only three episodes old but holds a lot of promise. The lines are exceptionally well-written, the title song soulfully rendered (Swanand Kirkire) and the enterprise (produced by Film Farm) belongs to Ichki and her friends. Though we really wish it wasn’t pushed to a 10 pm slot but telecast a little earlier especially if we want our children to learn a few lessons on how everyone doesn’t get everything, how earning even a rupee can take an entire day for the under privileged kids!
Verdict:
A beautiful effort and here’s hoping, Ichcha manages to change some more rules of TV programming.