Spiced up reality shows — check. Draconian saas haranguing bahu — check. Spruced up thrillers — check. Mindless laugh moments — check. Steamy romances, cleavage show, sultry acts and sensuous dances — check. 2013 seems complete in every way but still yeh dil maange more. Deebashree Mohanty tells you some such sagas that could have filled in the blank to make this year a special one but there has to be something to look forward to in 2014
lauren: Phoren sub-sidey!
lauren Gottlieb from phoren took our breaths away with her memerising performances in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6. With max scores in almost every round, lauren was on course to be crowned winner of the season and all would have ended perfectly — fair and square. But alas! the janta wanted to spoil the party, voted in heaps for Drashti Madhubala Dami and made her the winner instead. Those who had not been following the serial on Colors were amazed. Amidst screams of partiality, bechari lauren left for America in a huff. According to a buzz so upset was she that she left even without a farewell to choreographer Puneet.
In 2014, she will be back to entertain her fans in a different avatar. This time, the girl takes no chances with any reality shows. She has a ticket to Bollywood — Gottlieb has bagged a cameo role in Ram Gopal Varma’s film starring Irrfan and Vidya Balan in lead roles.
Jab We did not Mate — Jodha Akbar
Its been two years since shehenshah Jalal and Rajvanshi Jodha were married in the serial Jodha Akbar (JA) but the romance-wali scenes still elude us. Audiences are told to wait patiently while the lead pair warm up to their special night. First the producer, Ekta Kapoor declares JA an out and out romantic epic story thus getting everyone in the crowd super excited. Then she does an U-turn and says, the love will not kindle so soon. Jodha has to go through zillions of problems, shed khoon ke aansoo and even attempt suicide before realising her ‘inner’ feelings for someone who she has only learnt to do ghrina.
In September, the showmakers announced that Jodha and Akbar will finally fall in love (all thanks to a tiger fight!) and the couple will consummate their marriage. But all that hype sizzled down and confusions took its place. There have been many moments when the audiences has felt — bas abhi they are going to hug, now someone is going to express their feelings, abhi the couple will kiss — but leaving apart a few dream sequences, their milan will have to wait till next year.
Saras-kumud: Knot happening
If there is one thing we have learnt on TV, it is this that a lady can’t get her love easily. She has to wage a war to conquer her love! And Saraswatichandra is the epitome of this philosophy. Kumud has been married, separated and now yearns to be with her lover but yeh zalim duniya! One wonders what more trials and tribulations do the couple have to go through to see the lead pair get married. According to a website, some fans have given up hope that Saras and Kumud will ever tie the knot. Akhir kab tak will one have to wait for a love story to beginIJ Was it not supposed to be one from the very startIJ
Red John may please show up
The Mentalist which was voted the most popular suspense drama in English GEC’s this year was also all not there. If only Patrick Jane and Red John had met face-to-face or some conclusive evidence leading a wounded Jane to his single mission would have materialised, then people would have sighed in relief. After all they have waited for four long years to see who the serial killer is that no one can grab. like the ‘mother’ in How I Met Your Mother (another popular series in the West), even Red John seems to be an irritant in everyone’s mind — who is heIJ and when will he make an appearanceIJ Wait and watch in 2014 is the answer the producer gives us. Hopefully!
BAlH folding up
Once upon a time on TV, there was a TRP burner called Bade Achhe lagte Hain (BAlH) which took Sony Entertainment to never before heights. The show’s protagonists won many hearts but 700 episodes later, BAlH fans are wondering — what was thatIJ Where is the Ram-Priya love storyIJ Just when they were pondering over what’s more to see after the steamy bedroom scenes, the show took a leap. Then it became contagious and leaps happened in heaps. End resultIJ Confused storyline and confused stars. Not just once but thrice the producer almost decided to wrap up the show. But that was not to be. According to the grapevine the show is finally ending in May 2014.
Dying to see Roli gone
Not a single khandaan on TV has been through such troubled waters as has the family in Sasural Simar Ka. Is there any respite to problems that hit this Bharadwaaj householdIJ Happy times don’t last for more than a few day. Sample this: There is a vicious bahu problem, a surrogacy problem, a child stealing issue, a theft, hazaar misunderstandings, the other lady issue etc.
And when the creative heads can’t think of another new problem, they simply kill Roli. First she was pushed from a cliff. But no, Roli comes to haunt her audiences again as a behroopiya. Suddenly Roli comes back from the dead. Some 50-odd episodes later, one has a new member, pointing a gun at Roli and threatening to kill her again. If Avika Gor is so dispensable, why don’t they just kill her and let her rest in peaceIJ