Or an ode to Jugnu....
Have been recently introduced to this beautiful concept of "Reverse Mentoring".....as the name suggests, it explains how mentoring is bereft of the traditional norms of hierarchy. An open mind and willingness to learn is all that one requires, and learning can be a life long journey...
The process does not always have to be unidirectional....from teacher to student....senior to junior....parent to child....
The flow....the mentoring.....can be reverse as well....
And, Pavitra Bhagya is a beautiful case in point!
PB is not just the journey of Reyansh and Pranati, but their flesh and blood, Jugnu as well....
First things first....a huge shout out to the casting director of PB....I, for one, cannot think of better actors being cast as Rey, Prani and Jugs....they are so goddamn believable as family....their genetics, included!
Next in tow, all of them super actors...not a single false note.....neither as a distraught family....nor as a blessed one....
Moving on, the uniqueness of Jugnu's characterisation, is that, just like Rey and Prani, Jugs is her own person...and yet, a winning amalgamation of Prani's warmth and Rey's street-smartness....
And this, despite their worlds being as far-removed....as can possibly be!
Is not for nothing, that Mendelian inheritance is such a revered concept! :)
As we delve deeper into Jugnu's character analysis, the aspect that I, on a personal level, find most intriguing, is how she, most obliviously....has been a conduit in Rey-Prani's evolution as parents...
Let me explain...
Rey is our fun guy....and, no different as a father, as well! This attribute....much needed for Jugs to open up and find her comfort zone...
Prani, the disciplinarian...and again, a similar mother, too! Absolutely central to a sound upbringing...
Then wherein lies the conflict?
In the polarized nature of these attributes!
Just as life is not one-sided, so isn't parenthood....
As parents, Rey needed to understand the importance of responsibility....the significance of an upbringing based on sound principles and a value system...
And Prani, needed to 'loosen up'....to let go of her high-strung emotions a little bit....that raising a child can never be 'my way or the highway'...
In simple words, there needed to be 'cross-talk' between Rey and Prani....and Jugs was the perfect medium for these 'conversations'....
There is a nuanced scene which is an ultimate testimony to this 'cross-talk'......as the role reversal unfolds....Prani in gay abandon, totally playful with Jugs...as Rey walks away responsibly, to pack her school bag, never mind his complete disorientation with her books, by the way! :)
And then, the split second moment, as Rey looks around to see Prani and Jugs totally immersed in their gaiety....he first looks at Jugs, as she is enjoying every moment....and then, can't help but look up at Prani....he, blissfully engrossed in her happiness...
Superlative stuff, Kunal Jaisingh, Aneri Vajani and Riva Arora!
My forever family......Rey-Jugs-Prani! :)
The other thing about Jugnu that I must make a mention of, and totally appreciate, is the fact that the child was never used by the makers, as a bait to facilitate Rey-Prani's marriage....
Not even, as a compromise, during the "Najayaz" track....and Jugnu's resultant traumatic experience...
What a cliché it would have been....and so unlike the intelligent Rey and sensible Prani....to bind themselves in forced matrimony!
Thank you, once again, Palki Malhotra and team....for this wave of refreshing change....
Will end this note with some subtle symbolism of what Jugnu has epitomised for me, in the PB journey....
There is the first court scene......where a totally confused Jugnu is forced to sit between Reyansh and Pranati....lamenting her fate....of being trapped between the modern age "Mother India" and "Ranbir Kapoor ki chati aulad"
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Jugs most lovingly placing her hand....over Rey and Prani's intertwined, firmly gripped hands.....as he lies asleep next to a recuperating Prani.....with a gratifying smile lighting up Jugs' face....this is most certainly home now...
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Jugs' Bandar Papa and Nayi Ma fussing over her hair....with Jugs snapping at them playfully...."Aap dono nai ho kya"....as both of them, indulgingly give in..."reverse mentoring" of the most overwhelming kind, truly....
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Rey-Prani-Jugs sitting together for the "shuddhikaran" puja....the misgivings of their past behind them, now....up in the flames of the havan embers....
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The freeze frame with the Trio
Yes, the Family is complete
Home is where the Heart is, as they say
Jugs is the new Catalyst
To Rey-Prani's next Innings ahead...
See you guys....on the other side....and, SOON! :)
Love,
DocD
PS: For all you avid readers, Prani (lady, you might want to take a break from the Mercantile law, eh), and Rey (you have no choice, buddy), here's the link to the fantastic HBR article on "Reverse Mentoring"
https://hbr.org/2019/10/why-reverse-mentoring-works-and-how-to-do-it-right
Happy Reading, guys! :)
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