“A was an ordinary girl, who got an ordinary bus. Like all the other girls on the bus, she was an admirer of an object of beauty…eye-candy in the form of a guy called S. A’s friend P once went up to S and shamelessly started complimenting him…and S saw this as flirting. So he went and reported it to his girlfriend, Spaz (well, her name begins with S too!). But Spaz mistook A for P, and now A is in grave danger, for Spaz is definitely not someone to mess with…”
When your life starts to sound like some bizarre television serial plot, you finally start to understand where the producers get their ideas from. Real life – the source of all the evils and misunderstandings, joy, romance and melodrama. The difference is that on reel life (aka television) they portray these relatively small haps and mishaps as major calamities. Why do they magnify them? Well, 1) they get to extend the serial, get more money, etc. and 2) its more fun to watch!! Usually people look to the extremities of the story spectrum in their serials – either images of a colourful life, with loads of fun and masti; or images of a morbid one, where problems never end.
Kaisi Kahaani Zindagaani …
Baa, Bahu aur Baby follows a less extreme approach to the storyline. It lies somewhere in the middle of the story spectrum...So what makes is so appealing? Some people say that it is humorous, and I agree to some extent. But if you want to take it along those lines, then it’s nothing in comparison to Instant Khichdi (even though this show is produced by Aatish Kapadia and JD Majethia of Instant Khichdi and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai fame)!
BBB (don’t worry, alliteration flu is in the air these days) is aired Friday to Sunday, raat 10 baje. I wonder how many people actually get the chance to watch it because of the extremely awkward timings! This may involve giving up going out to parties, clubs, dinner, movies or whatever else you do on weekends…but then again if your stuck at home most of the time like yours truly, you find ways to get round such problems :P
To quote the title song: “Dekho inki zindagi, inhi ki nazar se jee” sums up the focus of the show. It’s about a Gujrati “middle class” family (who incidentally own a massive house, that too in Mumbai), complete with all their struggles, successes and sweet moments. Come live a very animated life from their point of view!
Unforgettable Characters…
The vast amounts of people may confuse you at first, but you can never have enough people in your life! That’s why I’m finding it kind of hard to pick out the protagonists to write about…so lets start with BBB:
Baa – baa black sheep? Um, not quite. Baa as in The Baa. And she does have a real name! Godavari Thakkar: the ultimate ruler of the house, the authority of the family and Cleopatra of the kitchen. She has a “good-for-nothing” Devdas of a husband, who whiles away his time by drinking sharaab. Maybe that’s why she has eight kids too!
Bahus– Baa’s three devotees: Praveena (whose husband is called Praveen), Leela (whose only intention apart from pleasing the queen is getting her daughter settled in America) and Meenaxi (her husband is still madly in love with her, but she prefers to remain religiously insane yet practise atrocious English at the same time)!! They make quite a trio together, with their mini kitchen competitions to raise themselves in the eyes of The Baa. There antics sound mad, but I’m sure there is something in them, some elements, that you’ve seen in your life before…
Baby– Remember Lopa from Hello Dollie? Or maybe I’m just really obsessed with Indian Television :) But basically, she (Benaf) is playing the role of Baby in this show. Her character is that of the disabled, spoilt yet sweet daughter of Baa. It is touching to see her hobble around on crutches, and falling in love with Anish, an NRI from America. What’s even sadder is the fact that he and Dimple (Leela’s daughter) are in love with each other. Its clichéd, but love triangles do happen in real life…and the worst part is when you are forming the angle in it that everyone is better off without.
Special mention to:
Gattu – Grown up, yet still has the mind of a child. Although you do feel sorry for him at times, he will keep you smiling with his silly speech and sweet frolics. He’s Baby’s brother and the two of them are really close. He is an avid fan of Bollywood, and wait till you watch him dance…I’m sure he could give the peeps from Kaboom a run for their money! ;)
Random Comments…
Going back to the story, I’m still wondering whether to call it typical or not. In some parts it is, with a son thrown out of the house and everything! But there are new ingredients, or some things taken more light-heartedly, and no beech mein aane waali aurate. The atmosphere of the show doesn’t suffocate you, coz after all it has lots of comedy in it too. Plus the acting is so natural and each character gives their best performance. So maybe you’d only like it if you enjoy new perspectives on life, seen through the eyes of a family like this one!
That’s it about BBB! For anyone who watched the ITA I think they rocked, those Kathak outfits were gorgeous, and Karan Wahi winning best newcomer made my week!
And for those who didn’t yet realise, A is actually me…and I bet Spaz is making a voodoo doll of me right this very second. Before I perish at the hand of a black magic witch, please feel free to RRC…
PS~ Please note that when I refer to “serials” in this review, I am NOT referring to shows produced by Ekta Kapoor…her productions fall under a different genre, something I commonly call Kkrap :P
PPS~ Shock of the year: Kkusum got over!! Wow!!! Am I the only person who finds that unbelievable?