Gustakh Dil is off to a great start. Initially I thought it resembled 'Rang Badalti Odhani' and let's be honest, the storyline does sound cliched. But so far, this show has pleasantly surprised me. There are three things that set this show apart.
1. The Characters:
The main leads - Nikhil, Laajo and Ishana, all seem to have distinct personalities. They aren't extreme characters at all. So far, all their interactions with each other have been logical and realistic. On the other hand, the supporting cast is equally well-thought of. The class-conscious and seemingly shallow Page-3 Naani, the principled Dada, the contradicting-in-nature cousins, the subdued Bua, the shunned Maami, the well-meaning fathers, Laajo's well-meaning but society conscious mother etc. Be it Nikhil's family or Laajo's, they are both well fleshed out. I particularly enjoyed Nikhil's mother's character who seems to be constantly battling the modern and traditional, and the frivolous and rational while she continues to grieve. And even though he isn't alive anymore, Akash too plays a vital role and continues to influence the family. Special mention for the relationship Ishana shares with Nikhil's family members. It's real, believable and endearing.
2. The Comparisons:
Its a village vs. city story so the differences would obviously be stark. But unlike most shows, I'm loving the constant contrasts that they are showing between the lifestyles of the two. The elder daughter of both the households is getting married. However, the challenges of both these weddings appear to be worlds apart and they are being shown exceptionally well. I also enjoyed the smart way they showed how the value of money changes between the two different households. The amount for Laajo's dowry vs. the amount for Nikhil's gift to Ishana. Really well done.
3. The Circumstances:
Unlike any of the other shows, this marriage doesnt look like its going to be one of zor zabardasti. On the contrary, the rationale behind this marriage seem to be far more interesting. Nikhil loves his grandfather, understands the plight of the people of his village and has an understanding of right and wrong. But most importantly, he is a genuinely nice guy with a heart of gold. And that is the reason why he will marry Laajo. To save her perhaps? Or maybe because his grandfather asks him to? Either ways, it will be interesting to watch a proud, free-spirited, village belle Laajo deal with Nikhil's rich, affluent and class-conscious family members. Add the super-nice, completely committed and truly-in-love Ishana to the mix and you have a good plot coming up. I can just imagine Nikhil's clashes with his family for her sake and Laajo helping out Ishana and Nikhil as a payback for Nikhil's act of kindness.
All in all, this show is about to get very interesting. I just hope they don't turn it into the age-old saas bahu saga. The characters seem very real and I just hope the way they take the story ahead does full justice to them all.
comment:
p_commentcount