We hate Mondays mornings. The world and its grandmother hate it too. Then why let Monday evenings be any better? Let the ‘terrible Monday morning’ feeling persist till the night. For this I strongly recommend ‘Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chaand’, on Star Plus every Monday night at 9pm. An hour long misery!
I don’t see this genre, neither does anyone else at home now (yes, by now the ladies have sworn off all saas bahu sagas), but the one bad habit that hasn’t shrugged itself off is Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chaand.
Try as I may want to escape it by locking myself in my room on Monday nights, I can still hear the new meanderings this serial undertakes. Why must I suffer this hell alone? I am evil enough to want all of you to see it and shall derive much perverse satisfaction if you do so.
First, the good part (the only): Sukhwinder’s opening track for this soap is beautiful. When he goes “Suno Suno…” I’m drawn to the living room. Is the track is available somewhere? Till then I make do hearing it every Monday. (A lot of Hindi in this rev. Please pardon me those who don’t understand it. Closest English interpretations have been provided wherever possible)
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DMNKC is all about an Indian family in London. The family has grandparents, whom I don’t want to talk about. The second generation is Aroona Irani (the only one not hamming, she is also the producer) and her husband is (Yatin Karyekar) a paralytic confined to a wheelchair. He can’t talk and thus relies on facial contortions to convey his magnitude of feelings. The poor chap is aching for an award.
This couple has three kids. Pammi (Sangeeta Ghosh), Sam and Dingy. The wheelchair guy has an additional daughter born out of wedlock (a typical filmi pesky nuisance kid) whom Aroona has accepted after much brouhaha.
Pammi is married to Dev (Varun Badola), a ghar jamai, as he looks after the family business. A doctor is Pammi’s old flame and always hangs around in the background. Dev hates Doc. This causes a plethora of skirmishes.
Sam is married to Anu (Sweta Keswani). Sam doesn’t, but Pammi knows that this Anu babe has a centuries old crush on Dev. Anu has a clear agenda in life - Get Dev.
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At a particular point in the serial Pammi and Anu were in a race to conceive Dev’s child. They try all kinds of tricks spread over 15 odd episodes to bed Dev before the other does and foiling each others advances.
PAMMI (flaring nostrils) : “Dekhna Anu, Tum palkein jhapakti reh jaogi aur Dev ke bache ki maa main banungi” (“You better watch out Anu babe, I’m going to be mommy to Dev’s child before I unflare my nostrils”)
ANU (permanent cunning wily look, i.e crinkling left eye, shooting right brow, sly smile): “Tsk Tsk, Mendhki chahe jo kar le, aakhir dall dall mein rehti hai. Tum dekhna Pammi, meri kokh Dev ke bache se hee hari hogi” (“You sorry little hag, wait and watch, my uterus will turn green because of Dev’s child”)
I’d hate to be in Dev’s shoes, being treated like a semen bank. One can’t understand what these women find in Dev? The only worse scenario I can think of is 2 women fighting for Karan Johar.
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Anu’s husband, who is Pammi’s brother Sam (have I lost you?) is one hell of a moronic case in life. He doesn’t bed Anu till an year after marriage, because Anu says so.
ANU: “Maine hum dono ke liye mannat maangi hai” (“I have a headache”)
I understand mannats, but one year? Anu remains lusty for Dev and keeps dumbass husband at bay. The poor chap gets comfy with her every night and after some necking has to meekly go to his side of the bed.
ANU: “Please sabar karo Sam, aakhir main yeh sab kiske liye kar rahi hoon?” (“Have patience Sam dude, lets save it for a deluge”)
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Currently in this soap, a new heavily lipsticked villain has entered the serial, Pammi is expecting and so is Anu, Dev is feared dead. He surely will come back, true to soap opera traditions, but only after Pammi has wed her old flame doctor, to add to the fun.
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Of intense interest, was the episode in which Pammi becomes a widow. Half an hour dedicated to her discarding some 6-7 suhaag ki nishanis and flinging them on a Durga Maa idol in a temple:
“Mera sindoor teri aankhon ko khatakta hai na maa? Toh yeh le.” (Sindoor erased from maang dramatically in slow motion, camera angles go haywire, bells clang, background music thunders)
“Mera mangalsutra se tera singhasan dagmagata hai na? Toh yeh le.” (Mangalsutra snatched out of neck and flung on the idol in slow motion, bells, music as before. The act of snatching and flinging is repeatedly shown 5-6 times, from differing camera angles)
“Meri choodee ki khankhan tere kaanon mein chubtee hai na? Toh yeh le.” (Shattering of bangles on the mandir pillars and flinging the remains on the idol. Slow motion, camera, music, bells, shot repetitions as before)
“Meri Bindiya ….” Stop me!
Exactly such kind of episodes has everyone rapt with attention while I lay sprawled on the carpet miserable with laughter. Usually in such a scenario, I’m asked to shut up and go sit in front of the computer, which I’m only too happy doing.
This is positively the first and last soap opera I’d review. Because Des Mein Khoya Hoga Brains!