Production House: Trilogy in association with Shakti Anand's Sai Deodar'sproduction housewith Ila Bedi Dutta
Genre: Drama
Monday to Friday, Star Plus, 7:30pm

A few weeks ago on the streets of Mumbai city were splashed gigantic posters with the title 'Missing Gauri Bhonsle'. Initially I thought that a girl called Gauri Bhonsle was really missing. I assumed that maybe she was the daughter of a very affluent household, therefore her family could afford making such huge posters which were put all over the city. Gauri also seemed to be a very pretty girl- I assumed that she was an actress or model. Later I also saw news capsules- Gauri Bhonsle an NRI from London being reported to be missing on her arrival to India and her father making a 'sincere' appeal through ABP News requesting people to share any info that they may have about her.

However later something seemed to be amiss- I suspected that this was a promo of a movie or a TV serial. I was proved to be right. Indian television is getting all the more innovative with the publicity of shows. Indeed this turned out to be the promo of Mujhse Kuchh Kehti...Yeh Khamoshiyaan on Star Plus. My curiosity was aroused for this show which I had hoped would be radically different as its promo had after all been unique. It was however a dampener that the show didn't really live up to my expectations.

The show despite having unfolded in London in its initial episodes, at the outset didn't seem to offer a radically different story. The protagonist Gauri Bhonsle (essayed by Mrunal Thakur) is distraught that her relatives won't be attending her wedding. In fact her parents won't even let her meet them and don't even want to discuss them. It is revealed that they are guarding her from a truth which will completely shatter her. Her fiance Siddharth (essayed by Mohit Sehgal) however arranges for her to visit her relatives in Kohlapur as he feels that it's best for them to get married only after she has unraveled the mystery of her past. The heroine going on a search to discover her roots isn't a new concept.

However as the show is progressing it is gradually getting better. Each episode is ending on a note of suspense. I was quite impressed to watch some family photos in Gauri's ancestral house to be completely white where the photo is to be kept. When Gauri is walked upstairs to her room, one of the pictures crash to the ground, the glass frame is strewn on the floor. Gauri is also discovering that all that her parents had told her about her ancestral family was wrong- they aren't after all very simple people living in a simple home. They have an opulent mansion in Kohlapur as they are after all powerful politicians in their area.

How Gauri, an NRI mingles with the rugged and traditional society of Kohlapur will be an interesting watch if unraveled well. This is in a way similar to Meera in Junoon - Aisi Nafrat, toh Kaisa Ishq on Life OK venturing into a harsh and unfamiliar terrain forsaking all urban material comforts. The motives of both the heroines are nevertheless different. Gauri wants to meet her relatives whereas Meera wants to re-unite her separated parents.

The acting, dialogues and costume design of the show seem to be ordinary. I nonetheless liked the art direction. The interiors of Gauri's London home though shot in a studio in India does seem to be a replica of British homes. The interiors of the grand haveli in Kohlapur have also been done well. The initial episodes were shot in the streets of London, the camera lens captured the city well.

As far as the ratings of this show is concerned it already faces stiff competition from Sasural Simar Ka is on Colors. Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke on Zee TV is also doing well but isn't as tough a competitor for the show as Sasural Simar Ka. Otherwise the competition at the 7:30 pm slot is not that difficult. If the story is well developed then maybe the ratings will rise. We need to wait till mid December to find out where the show stands as far as TRP is concerned.

Verdict:

Author and Reporter: Pallavi Bhattacharya