they call it a vampire. something in a piece of communication which is so powerful that it seems to "suck" all the attention, and doesn't let you see the entire picture. a few words became a right royal cousin of the prince of transylvania for me while watching the first days of sangeet.
as anjali and snake announced the first dance of the evening, they gave an ishara about the first dancer...
he said,"jab woh naachti hain, ujala toh reshmi hota his hai..." when she dances, brightness of course becomes silken...
she said, "andhera bhi makhmali h jata hai..." darkness also becomes velvety.
i went, "what the..."
a beat in my ears delicate, playful; flashes from a sultry "cabaret" of those days which are now in retro land, but where i grew up. a hot number with a girl swinging and gyrating in shimmery costume, fingers spread out covering part of face, come hither looks just behind, a feeling of night and naughtiness.
"reshmi ujala hai...(the perfectly measured pause with a heady rhythm building up before the next words float in light and alluring) makhmali andhera... aaj ki raat... aisa kuchh karo..."
silken is the brightness, velvety the dark... this night tonight, do something...
anyone seen sharmilee? the 1971 super hot romance about an army officer utterly sexy with the uhhhest smile, shashi kapoor... in love with the wrong twin, the very sultry rakhee. in that film there was this cabaret, by one of the newer dancers, the fabulous helen being the reigning queen forever. she was smooth and sensuous, and together with rd's music and asha's knowing, worldly singing of the evening words, that number pretty much set fire to the moment and got permanently embedded in an 11 year old's mind. the song, the words, the slowly undulating danseuse.
only her name was not top of mind. no... i thought, can't be jayshree t, i've seen her do so many dances, that sophistication... not her surely.
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of course, i was wrong. it is her. i am so grateful to the writers for inserting this little wink wink into the dialogue. between that dance up there and the one we saw in 166, it was like a tribute to her extraordinary career and talent. more than 40 years she's been around, i was surprised to see her as nani ji, i had no idea she could act so well. in hindi films she mainly did itemish numbers i think, there may have been a few exceptions... she was achhi nahi bahu in one. perhaps marathi film gave her the opportunity to explore her talent as an actor.
and there she was.
sweet, strong, capable, and bichhu yeh bichhu dancing nani ji. got to say, this nani really was like none other as khushi said during holi, aap toh naachti hai... you dance.
i also had no idea how articulate this woman usually in skimpy clothes and strange make up was. saw a wonderful hour long interview with her once, will post if i can find it. jayshree t really astounds me... who would have thought...
whew. as you can see, nani ji got me this episode.
even the boy came second.
there was more velvet in the episode. it was the fabric of her dress, it was in the look in his eyes every time he saw her. sometimes it was in her eyes too, just below the miff and challenge.
and there was glamour. for the first time and perhaps the only time in ipk, khushi looked not just beautiful but glam. sanaya carried off the maroon velvet top and chiffon lehenga beautifully, who could blame asr for looking acutely in love... a bit sillified by it almost.
as the evening of sangeet gets going, rm is full of guests, everyone is looking great, a gorgeous stage twinkling with fairy lights awaits the performances.
the gupta's arrive, someone's scanning the view casually as if he doesn't care. even to the most clueless observer it is fairly clear however that he is waiting for his challenger to arrive. she who will do "kuch bhi" should she lose. he is not just waiting... waiting impatiently.
asr is not alone in his search, there's nk on a similar quest. movie style they practically dash into each other so focussed they are on their pursuit... realising what the other's up to, both look a tad embarrassed, but not for long. asr wades in on the offensive, "kya dhoond rajhe ho tum?" what are you looking for?
poor nk, "er, woh khushi ji..." the man is looking mighty irritated. nk and khushi's little friendship is irksome, jealousy is not an emotion he is comfortable with, but seems he can't cast it aside either. in all these light asr jealous of nk khushi moments are we seeing shades of what's to come? if this bothers him, imagine his state of mind on the terrace that night. he's about to tell her "faraq kyun padta hai" and there she is... khushi in the embrace of another man. how his mind must have shattered. and then the fusillade of "revelations."
"par nannav, tum kisse dhoond rahe ho?" but nannav, who are you looking for? nk counters, a hint of mischief there?
who are you looking for... one could go deeper into that one... really who is it that asr seeks? a girl who drives him crazy, or a path to himself really, or maybe something else?
he is caught unawares by that query, just looks lost... but la la la the notes are in, traipsing, lilting, a song in his heart though his khadoos air is intact..
payal, rather beauteous today, eyes searching for the one. mano in a mood to snub. but her son is in romantic hide and seek vein. di enters the fray, and a sweet fam moment... there's a festive feel to the night, a brightness rather special.
suddenly... bang.. drag...
all turn. an entry is in progress.
"hai re nand kissore, zor lagake hainya, dam lagake hainya" oh lord, push it with your strength, way to go... with more energy... way to go...
buaji, rope slung over one shoulder is hauling in something heavy out of sight. "dhakka maaro dhakka." push... push.
nk and asr have turned to stare as has mami, all nonplussed.
and from behind buaji rises a vision... heaving... khushi with hair open, teeka on, glowing in maroon, pushing something.
nanhe sees the lovely one, hair blowing gently, can't contain himself, exclaims, "khushi ji!!"
a head swivels.
"what?"
and khushi bends down again to push.
eyes turn swiftly in the direction... "kahan?" where?
but she's nowhere.
nk says, there, but uh huh, no kkg..."nk, din mein sapne dekhna band karo..." stop day dreaming, advises the dour one.
ah, so she is a sapna a dream, not a darwana (scary) one?
khushi comes up again.
nk, "she's right there!"
and she's down again, even as a head swings... the game of hide and seek, ankh micholi resumes... feels as though he is here somewhere, being invoked before sangeet in the ipk way... sense of krishna... hai re nand kissore.
and this time unlike the evening of di's anniversary, there is no doubt, another fabulous love story has taken birth on earth. we believe in reincarnation it is said, perhaps every story of love between two souls, is a rebirth of a primal, first love story ever between the masculine and the feminine force? there's radha and krishna in each one of them maybe?
asr thinks khushi won't come today, too scared of losing.
"shayad challenge se dar gayi hai." got scared off by the challenge maybe.
and out pops miss muffet looking big spider in the eye.
"hum nahin darte... samjhe aap." i don't get scared... do you understand?
oh he is happy to see her. so happy that his mind says something to the air and it wafts and winds lifting her hair, swirling around their love song...
i want to defeat you, says her look.
i want to win you, replies his.
he reaches her along with nk, "main hari prakash ko bulata hoon" let me call hari prakash, she and buaji are lugging a heavy trunk and he offers a sensible solution... get someone to carry it.
of course, she declines, no question of being sensible here, this is the enemy party and kkg has brought along super sanaka as her stealth weapon. there's no running away from this madness tonight. makhmali sanaka.
as this huge trunk was hauled, pushed, abandoned, sat in the middle of the way, intrigued mami, one had to wonder what it was all about? did it symbolise anything... perhaps the heavy burden of the knowledge of shyam that all the guptas hid... or maybe something else. what i couldn't get over was what couldn't be carried by buaji and kkg together, nor by nk, the very thin hp could pick up just like that.
last few minutes had interesting intercutting between nani ji and nk's bichhu ye bicchu dance and shyam desperately seeking scorpion. a little obvious, but apt nonetheless.
by the way, did anyone notice how terrific the man was looking in his galaband. dark brown deepening chocolate eyes. vampire number two.
......................
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