Posted:
Moderators--please close this topic if it is too true or violates IF's delicate sensibilities.
I have loved, loved, loved my time on this forum. I wasn't going to write this post (my last) but consider it an important topic that IF will have to deal with in the future. The moderators on the LTL site have done a fantastic job...moderating and making sure the civility prevails...you won't see Lord of the Flies here. 😆 The members on this forum in particular are par excellence...witty, creative, and expressive in both praise and criticism. And I believe in freedom of speech, and that is what makes this forum special.
The IF has given us an opportunity to meet, discuss, and build friendships. And I am very thankful for it.
The one thing I would like to bring up is muted tones of censorship on this site--maintaining peace, not saying anything that can rile people up, let's do the dance of friendship. I understand the rules in place for IF participation and they make sense (e.g. against obscenity, ***, etc). What fails to make sense to me is the notion that there is peace to be maintained on the site so that individual members don't get depressed or sad. That topics cannot be brought up, words, thoughts have to be censored --or the politically correct word of edited--to protect the faint of heart. Even my interview -- a silly, bird-brained interview--with Mishal was deemed "inappropriate" as you cannot discuss the personal lives of the actors. I mean come on--they were in pictures together.
Logically speaking, if we are not allowed to talk about their personal lives, then why are their interviews posted on this site? These actors clearly bring up their "good" sides in these personal interviews, telliing us every Sunday, they go to the movies with mummy and daddy, despite working all the time. They talk about their perfect mate, how saintly they are, how espoused to Indian values they are (closeups at the mandir), and at other times, and other self-promo. So if they raise these points about their personal lives, why are we not allowed to discuss them?
Secondly, if IF believes that this site is for the discussion of show episodes and that alone, then they are horribly mistaken. Go through the forums. The actors, channels, producers, directors, and shows are inextricably linked. How many times has Mishal's name come up? I am not calling for open season on actors, but why the censure? Let us talk about celebrities, laugh, gossip within reason. Is IF afraid that open discussions may spook the actors, making them less accessible? Well, I hate to burst that little bubble, but the actors NEED the forums, media, fans to prop them up--it's part of the game called "celebrity". They come on these forums to know if we like them or not, what we think of their acting. It's natural curiosity, just like we are naturally curious about them.
Case in point--this whole Mishal is-he or isn't-he thing and IF's concern that members were creating a negative environment. What??? By expressing their views? By coordinating a petition? Or are we contributing to negativity? Arre, this world is positive AND negative. You can't have positive or neutral all the time, and especially not on a forum.
Here's my thoughts on the Mishal thing, Mahi, and just about everything else related to the show I feel like talking about in this final post of mine.
I don't know the guy, don't really care about him. All I know is that he fit the Dutta role beautifully. Or perhaps I could say the role fit him perfectly. And yes, other actors could have pulled it off. Of that I have no doubt.
His decision to leave LTL at the time rose me out of my LTL-induced slumber . And it's my opinion that he did not leave for "other opportunities". He in part just got sick of the story or the people guiding the show, or both. It's evident now--he denied having other commitments and (supposedly) entered into negotiations with the producers to make sure the show gets back in line and his character too. The last thing actors want is for their roles to become laughing stocks or twisted in absurd ways. Hurts their value in the industry.
Mishal has said in the past he is choosy about his roles. Perhaps he is being honest. So let me be honest in turn-- the guy can afford to be choosy. He is no Mahi or Vinay or others who had to work harder to earn a living. He is like the many well-off Indian sons who are sent abroad to be "educated"😆 or work in Daddy's office. Inevitably, college ends, they get bored or can't handle the responsibility, and return to India. <I personally know of many> Perhaps, they call it missing their moms and dads (which is often genuine, and let's not forget their servants and cooks). Next stop for a returning expat: the bug called Bollywood or Tellywood. Especially in the circles Mishal travelled. I mean, what else is there to do for those privileged few? It seems to be the career by default in Mumbai.
I recently came upon a post on this site where someone discussed Mishal saying he's gotten marriage proposals because of his apartment. It was a joke. But it was very telling too about him. The person who wrote the post was slightly criticized and I'm generallly surprised the IF police did not descend down in a raid and close the topic. To the people who said Mishal earned his money to get that apartment....you must be JOKING. What Mishal has gotten paid over the past year is mere peanuts compared to the money to buy such an apartment. That is daddy's money and the person who wrote that post is right on. And I"m glad that person was able to discuss the topic. And plus, it made for real fun reading.
So all in all, Mishal's seems okay enough. He's a wonderful Dutta. He's brilliant in this role. But I like the person who gives me my Dunkin Donuts coffee every morning much better. I don't think Mishal is everything Mishal says he is.
Mahhi has worked harded for a long time and I respect her for that. It may not sound like it in my posts, but I do. I've worked hard to get where I am and I know so many people do the same--the guy who comes in every evening 6:30pm and cleans my and others' offices, the lady who has been standing on her feet for 6-7 hours serving coffees, the garbage man who comes at 5am and earns an honest living. What irked me about her was that in her interviews she was too stand-offish or stupid, your pick. The kicking people who try to drag me down comment she made, made erupt in laughter. Again, it was either very naive or paranoid, your pick. And let's not forget the cheesy denial of her relationship / engagement to that guy. Yes, it is her personal life, but who lies about this stuff? I know some of you may think Mahi wants to keep her private life private, but sorry Mahi is not that. It was a silly version of the game "can you keep a secret?" played by "stars".
It should come as no surprise that I hated Naku's character--she became old and one-dimensional....so sycophantic "saab, saab....saab. She was like her mom that way--annoying. Not to mention she had an absurd problem with truth. A big no-no for such an enlightened and good soul, no?
The show was so beautiful until that time after they came back from the jungle and the Ganesh Charthurthi. It made my blood boil to see such stupidity in a show that had spared us stupidity since the beginning. And it has been on a downward spiral -- quality-wise--ever since.
That's all I have to say. Thank you for letting me do that.
Au Revoir and all the best to all of you.
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