Dear CVs,
Today began with the unfortunate news that Bhagonwali would soon be ending. A news that I dreaded the most. Am I surprised? No! Am I shocked? No! But is it unfortunate? Yes, very much. Very much so.
But unlike some folks who are trying their best to get this show back, I do not want to. Do not want to due to the recent turn of events in the show. I wasn't happy with the way things were tuning out in the show and hence had stopped commenting. I could very easily understand that something wasn't right, but I assumed you are dragging out the story at the channel's dictation. In these 2 years with Zee, I have watched enough shows to understand that much that there was Zee's interference. But what I did not understand was that Zee had totally different plans, plans of giving an ultimatum to you guys to bring in audience for them or close the shop. Well after reading the TB article(http://www.india-forums.com/tellybuzz/buzzin-hot/9611-bhagonwaali-tipped-to-end-soon.htm), I don't think there is any choice of either/or given to you. It definitely looks like they have asked you guys to finish the story.
Well, what can I say? When a channel does not understand how good this show is and does not recognize the quality work, then it is the channel's loss.
Creativity does not thrive in a stiffled environment. How can we get creativity when a TRP-gun is pointed at the CVs head by the channel? Hence, I do not want this show to continue under stifled environment where Zee dictates what to be shown irrespective of where the story stands and what the characters are.
Even if the show comes back with all the petitions and stuffs, Zee will always pressure the CVs to come up with something to bring the audience, will ask to compromise with their thoughts and show crap. Well, I do not want to watch crap and I do not want the characters to become crappy. Whatever dignity the characters had, please save it and please do not degrade them.
Zee did a big mistake of not recognizing the potential in this story, not recognizing the quality work of the CVs and the actors, did not do anything to promote the show for far too long. How is anyone going be aware or think that this show is different? Zee started promoting the show only recently that too after we wrote to them and what did they do? Promote the show and after a few weeks pull it down just because TRPs are not in, without giving it enough time? 1st of all the timeslot for this show is not favorable, next, after the promotion started it need to be given time, in addition, stop interfering with the CVs work by providing "expert" opinion on what should be shown. If such is how things will work, then there is no point continuing with such folks.
Here is where the story stood two fridays ago. Two fridays ago, what Guddu says is - "You have sin in your heart", "You still love that guy - Abhigyaan". He was lashing out at his wife, he was angry, he was frustrated, he was devastated that his wife whom he expected to love him still loved the person with whom she could not marry, he was so agonized with that thought that he was almost begging her towards the end. It was clear he doubted her. Meanwhile his wife, Runjhun, understands that he got it all wrong, that he understood everything incorrectly, that she never felt anything for the guy over whom her husband is feeling so agonized. She did not know what she felt for her husband, and she hadn't even given a thought, but she knew for sure that she did not even for a day think that Abhigyaan should have been her husband instead. When a wife knows so clearly that her husband has misunderstood her, a wife like Runjhun would 1st and foremost try to clear that with her husband.
There are things in life where people "pick their fights", sometimes "let it go" and do "compromise", but when a doubt has been cast by a husband on wife's character and her integrity, no wife will "let it go". Her foremost resolve will be to clear herself in her husband's eyes when she knows she can make him understand, instead of ignoring and going about as if nothing happened. Yeah but right after that high voltage friday episode, unfortunately Guddu gets into an accident(Monday's episode) and Runjhun takes care of him (Tuesday's episode). Then in Wednesday's episode it was business as usual for Runjhun where she chides Guddu and his cronies for their way of doing business and is trying to teach them how to do business. In Thursday's episode, it was Guddu willing to listen, reluctantly though, to her Amma-pravachan-cum-business-gyaan. Friday's episode was about Guddu willing to learn how to do business, without any reluctance this time. So, what happened to Guddu's anger? What happened to the misunderstanding? What happened to the thorn in his heart - the Abhigyaan Dixit? So, Guddu forgave Runjhun and forgot everything just bcos she took care of him for a few days or was it bcos Kukkan told about the self-less seva Runjhun did for him? Which husband in the world like Guddu would forget about a thing called Abhigyaan? Where did all the lashing out go? A self-made street-smart guy who had a flourishing CD&Carrom business prior to marrying Runjhun, who did not know a thing about how to run his Mobile Gallery all of sudden forgets Abhigyaan-issue and starts to laugh and enjoy with the girl who he thought was in love with someone else? Why? and how? Just because she took care of him for a few days? Well in that case, Runjhun is the kind of girl who would take such care of any human being. She did that for humanity's sake. How did he think that she forgot Abhigyaan and started loving him and hence he became okay? Totally not convincing. So, what am I supposed to think? That his outburst, his lashing out at her that day was just all nothing, totally fake? meant nothing? So, Guddu, his words, his anger, his talks, do not have any meaning? They do not have any weight? Do not have any substance?
And what about Runjhun? Her husband gets into accident and badly needed someone to take care of him and she does it. She would have done it for anyone else in his place. But what happened after that? A few days back she almost got called a "characterless" person from this guy and after he becomes okay, it was business as usual for her? She too forgot everything that he said, she forgot everything that had happened and goes about with her amma-pravachan?! Man! what kind of a person is she? Again, no substance, unfortunately she looked shameless to me, who could not standup for herself. I was completely okay with her ever not standing up against her mama-mamis bcos however they are and were, it is with their money she has eaten all her life whether she liked it or not. Whether they gave her good teachings, good clothing, good food, she would be indebted to them through-out her life and I can completely accept that. In addition what was commendable was, while she could let them walk all over her, she would never let any one of them speak against her husband. A girl so strong that even though she knows her grandmother's only wish would have been fulfilled if she had married Abhigyaan, stands up so strongly against him when he expects her to go through a medical test to prove her innocence. Such a girl totally forgets that someone called her characterless? and that someone is no stranger but her own husband for whom she was working hard to make him into a decent human being, wanted to see him responsible in society, with whom she wanted to make her marriage work? She ignoring such an issue and went about as if nothing had happened was so totally not Runjhun. It was not about the repeat scene of her always teaching things to Guddu, but it was about what is doing the right thing for the story that was so wrong. So, whether they laughed out loud or Guddu slowly became a good person, that was totally out of the line as per the story where it stood. Through that, Runjhun, the character was almost turned into this "God-ly" person was besides the point.
Yes, things are required to be dragged, things are done to bring in the audience, but those things should not happen at wrong times in the story. If the fluff was so required to bring in the audience, then it should have been added before Abhigyaan issue was brought up. Once that issue was brought up, it had to be resolved. If Guddu's accident part was brought in, then Abhigyaan's issue should have been resolved right after he completely recovered from the accident, not let gone as if nothing happened. After the accident, a person who said, "I am no-way coming to Pandey Nivas", once recuperates, forgets that he was not willing to stay in Pandey Nivas and walks in and asks, "whats for dinner?".. wow! what kind of a shameless man would that be, bcos, it is same Pandey Nivas where his wife, the so called "sinful" person lived and you were getting free-treatment from. From that Wednesday's episode both Guddu and Runjhun ceased to be "Guddu" and "Runjhun". They were not the old people I knew. They were not even fictional characters whose story I watched. I did not recognize them, they were brought down so much. They were compromised with. It started on wednesday, continued on thursday and on friday in addition I was shown 'Tere Mast Mast Nain'. Well, you guys tried to give a lot of answers to forumer's niggling questions, so what if it were a dream song, it was totally not required. It was so clear it was done to bring in audience. But for me Runjhun and Guddu were no where to be seen. When I think back, it was so clear that the accident part itself was the main culprit. That is where the story started going off-track. I have this feeling that it was not originally planned and the story took that route just bcos someone was dictating terms to you.
The butchering of story continued further starting this week and today was the limit. Yes, there was some really good moment between Guddu-Runjhun-Amma at the beginning of the episode, thoughts so intelligently presented, and the next pooja scene with Guddu and Runjhun was good too, but what happened after that was totally awful. Today I really felt bad for Runjhun, felt bad for Guddu, felt bad for Nivedita, felt bad for Himmanshoo and felt bad for you, CVs. I felt bad for everyone connected with this show who put their hard work, put their blood and sweat through out these months to tell a story and present it us such beautifully to us. That Wednesday Runjhun died and today it felt like her dead body was dragged around, there was no dignity of Runjhun. I did not know who was dancing intoxicated in Bhaang on the screen. Really felt bad. It was so awful. And this is bcos someone points a gun at your head to write and develop stuff for them?! Too bad and totally unfortunate.
Samidha Khalid ji,
Runjhun and the Bhagonwali concept was yours... see, how it got killed. It was too painful to watch today.
After getting the news of Zee wanting to shut down this show and watching today's episode, I don't care if this show gets shut down right away, right tomorrow. I really don't care. I don't care if this story gets a logical ending or not. I just want this to stop. All you guys' hard work should not be serving Zee. I know a lot of people get paid for the amount of work they put in, but people who do not understand your capabilities do not deserve even a day more of your hard work. I wish you can just walk-out. You and your talent is way above Zee. Yes, Zee hasn't open its shop for doing charity and they are doing business, but it is the same with every other channel. If a channel is not passionate about telling a story and wants to always look at money, well, in that case every other channel would be this way only. I wish you stop your work, do not finish this story and keep it for your next work. If that makes Zee look bad, then be it. It will atleast let everyone know how Zee treats their PHes and Creative teams. Forget TV channels, and do films where you are independent atleast with your creative thinking. You will have far-more reach and far-more audience. You are all so talented, your work needs to be seen by more people. Get out of this TV business and make movies. Do not finish this story with Zee. Use this same story and use the same talented main leads Himmanshoo and Nivedita and most of the supporting cast and make a movie. I am sure you can pull off a really good movie. I really have a lot of faith in you guys. Let me know if you need any help from me, I will do anything in my capacity. All the best, folks.
Thank you for entertaining us this long. This was the best show I ever saw. You guys rock. Be proud of your work and save your character's and story's dignity.
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p.s: For folks those who are doing their best to get this show back, I am not against you folks or your efforts. What I wrote above is just my views. Regardless of my views, I will support you in your efforts and am there if you need me.
