Meri Bhabhi touches an emotional chord!

The story grows on you and the characters seem all real. For a change we are out of the saas-bahu kitchen politics and face to face with real life situations which are challenging for someone like Shraddha (Kanchi Kaul) who is dragging on with her life. Trying to meet ends as a single mother to an adorable kid Dhruv after her husband has left her to fend for herself, Shraddha cuts a sorry figure.

Coming from the well-off Shergill family which comprises of her father, Zorawar Shergill (Kanwaljit Singh) who is a retired Army Colonel, mother (Supriya Pilgaonkar), three brothers and two bhabhis, Shraddha at the end of the week's five episodes is seen to be going back to her maayka. Going by the looks of the story so far, all in her family are eager to welcome her back home not as a guest but as a member of the Shergill pariwaar yet again.

The main person who welcomes her nanad with open arms is Kritika aka Kittu (Esha Kansara) who is the wife of Shraddha's elder brother Anand (Vipul Gupta). The only troublemaker here might be in the form of Shraddha's mother (Shweta Gautam) who comes across as a nuisance trying to meddle in the married life of her daughter and Shraddha's younger bhabhi Jaya (Priyanka Singh) who acts a bit kiddish!

The serial touches an emotional chord with the story, scenes and dialogues. The background music too matches the mood. A special mention to the sets which are apt for the show. While the Colonel's bungalow in Delhi is spacious and looks grand as it should be, Shraddha's one bedroom flat in Mumbai overlooks the railway tracks and neighbouring buildings.

The scenes which tugged at our hearts in the first week were those when we see Shraddha's phone getting destroyed even as she tries calling her father to wish him on his birthday, the scene when Shraddha finally manages to call her father and with a tearful voice sings the Happy birthday song for all to hear, scenes between Shraddha and her son when she is trying to explain things to him, the scene where the landlord comes to take rent and then furiously throws all of Shraddha's furniture out, the scene where Shraddha's brother finds out the truth and when Shraddha's father is remembering old memories of holding Shraddha as a toddler lest she fall and hurt herself and the scene where Kittu reveals to her in-laws that Shraddha has been through hell for the last one year and that Anand is getting her back home!

Talking about the actors, veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh fits the role of the patriarch – tough on the exterior, yet soft at heart. Acting seems to be a cakewalk for him. Same goes for Supriya Pilgaonkar who has to restrain herself as she plays the anxious Colonel's understanding wife.

Kanchi Kaul and Vipul Gupta, two talented actors who were off the Television radar for quite some time now are back for good. Vipul as the elder brother was good in emotional scenes too. However, the show belongs to the two leading ladies – Kanchi and Esha Kansara. Together, they definitely are sure to steal the show.

Kanchi who has to show off her emotional side once too often looks perfect for the part of the dejected wife waiting for her husband to come back, a strong support as a mother to her young kid, a daughter who at the same time is hiding her sad life from her parents and is yet putting up a brave face to tough situations around.

Esha Kansara as the bubbly young bahu of the Shergill family somewhat reminds one of the earlier actresses Anita Hassanandani in looks. Her performance is par excellence whether it is in a cheerful mood managing the house and everyone in it or as the tearful bhabhi who wants to set everything right for her nanad.

Kudos to team DJ's Creative unit; director - Siddharth Sengupta and producers - Deeya and Tony Singh to come up with a concept and story which has everyone eagerly waiting to see what happens next!

Seema Khot Mattoo