A 17-inches-square television screen, surround sound and in that, a girl wearing thick black spectacles, braces and an utterly bewildered expression smiles sweetly and innocently at you. You see her photograph in newspaper advertisements as well. When you look at them for a moment or two, and try to decipher what lies behind those heavily bespectacled eyes and those lips pursed precariously atop metallic braces, you feel something of a pity for the girl.
For a moment you feel that feeling of sympathy that you?d feel for the dregs of the social order?those who, for whatever reasons, are undermined, neglected, ignored and exploited.
And then when the surround sound of the television begins to play its role, you feel a sudden surge of emotion and? flick. The television is off!
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?Jassi Jaisi?? came up sometime last year, I believe. Ever since that, I have come across dozens of people, young and old, clever and senile, men and women, rich and poor who have been following that serial as though it were the prophecy of their own lives and who have been involved with the events in Jassi?s life with a keener interest than the producer of the television serial itself. I never found this mammoth popularity any reason to take interest in the programme myself; since I knew that a large number of such outrageously popular programmes are the typical ones about unrealistic, sadistic and arguably hag-like women casting astoundingly sordid conspiracies on unsuspecting (and invariably the most innocent) women for whatever reason?s sake. But when I learnt that this programme had no such malicious woman as the central character, my curiosity was invoked?had the world begun turning topsy-turvy that a producer did actually dare to not create a serial of that sort? Was the effect of the reversal of the earth?s magnetic field so strong?
So I did take a teensy-weensy bit of interest in it, once in a while flicked my 17-inch (1997 model) Onida KY2 television on at the specified timings (which I have fortunately forgotten) and watched that programme. And since I did so only on four or five occasions, I cannot claim I regret doing it. However, I can claim that I have information enough to write this review. I certainly do.
Jassi?the outrageous irritant
To be honest, it?s not Jassi who should be blamed for the irritation that the programme causes. The irritation comes from the whole of the programme itself. Everything about the programme has been made by a mind whose creativity is so absolutely dormant; that I believe it gives an altogether new definition to the term ?brain dead?. To begin with, Jassi herself is an almost stupid character (which is, however, an intended effect, that is to say, Jassi was supposed to be a stupid character, something of an idiot). She has this expression of a stray dog that looks up at pedestrians with an abominably pitiful face?the superlative of sadness and hopelessness. The silliness of her expression might not be so superlative, but I am sure I am not exaggerating it far too much.
Then comes the part that I have noticed myself and that which has been brought to my notice by a number of other people (some of the being writers on this forum themselves). This part is the one in which Jassi is shown to be the favourite punching bag of all characters. Jassi is the ?blame all on her? character, something of a clown who has to take a kick in the behind on a circus show at Tai Pei even if a tap leaks out in Nicaragua.
In spite of that, Jassi is the one who never looses her sense of friendship and responsibility and who goes unimaginably out of her way to help others when they are in trouble. Though it was intended to be a display of superlative forgiveness and Gandhian brotherhood, it turns out to look like the most unfortunately superlative sense of servility and inferiority complex on Jassi?s part, agree with me or not.
Finally, I must touch one topic that might not seem so obvious to the viewer. It is the part in which Jassi, despite her unfortunate looks and the unfortunate treatment meted out to her, is the best among all workers who does her job best and the other women in her office who are blessed with far better looks than her are the worst workers imaginable. It makes little sense to show such a thing, since there is no such theory that establishes the immiscibility of beauty and brains.
It is always a very noticeable thing if a person is blessed with intelligence as well as beauty, whether the person is man or woman, since to see that a person has everything good about him or her self is something to complement him or her about. However, if there is indeed a person who is impressive in his or her looks there is absolutely no reason in heaven or on earth to assume he obeys the newly established definition of ?brain dead?.
All in all, as far as this section of the review goes, ?Jassi Jaisi?? is a gaudy glorification of this (queer thing called) ?power of the underdog??which is to say, a programme that gives the almost completely incorrect message that true intelligence and usefulness lies in those who are unimpressive and exploited. Secondly, it is the foolishly done glorification of sacrifice of one?s own prestige bordering on giving the message?let people kick dirt at you, you must still always be ready to jump in a well for them.
Hadn?t we heard of self-belief and self-esteem somewhere?
Jassi?the sympathizer
Unfortunately, casting the serial away as just another foolish and horribly gone-awry attempt at speaking out a social message is not fair. The serial, however exaggerated it may be, gives a voice to all those people who are so unfortunate as to be the scapegoats for every scandal and the favourite punching bags of all individuals. It gives them reason to smile and to, for that half (or one) hour live their life of fantasy in which they howsoever neglected exploited they are, are the best among the people around and will be the ones who at the final moment shall attain glory. It gives them a sense of martyrdom, and therefore, a sense of pride as well.
It might not look so obvious and it might even sound a stupid theory on the face of it, but if you think of it for a while, you?ll see that it?s not so wrong after all. If I show a programme that exaggerates your shortcomings and the injustice meted out to you and I show in that programme that irrespective of how wronged and betrayed you are, you still are several cuts above the rest and you shall be the ultimate winner of all battles? then I assure you, I shall have made your day.
Think about it.
Verdict
As I have shown you in the review myself, the title is true. I have never seen a serial that is so ludicrously exaggerated and lacking of taste and art that also plays the rare role of voicing out the anger in the minds of the ?underdogs? of this society, of the laxative that gets all the anger and the rage out of their systems.
Without a doubt? Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin!