Shashank & Anjali Gupta: Some Relationships Never Fade... - Page 2

So many years have passed, Borna and your love for Shashank-Smriti-Anjali still lives on😆

You did always manage to create your happy bubble for them even when DMG took Shashank's story in another direction not remotely matching your imagination....lol.

I find this season of Sanjivani a generally muddled mess and I personally don't think any of the equations are going to amount to anything cuz they haven't planned through clearly enough....the first week was mostly poorly executed and too high on melodrama in most scenes.

They are running this as a nostalgia enterprise. Nostalgia doesn't run a story, content does. And content is mostly dead on ITV now. lol

Originally posted by: -Villete-

Such a beautifully put together post. Iravati and Mohnish as Shashank-Smriti were indeed goals! ❤️Such a subtle, understated but mature and complex love story, it was. They really did compliment each other. The avi in your signature brought all those memories rushing back!

Like you pointed out, the strain in the father-daughter relationship here could be the result of their different ways of coping up with a loss as grave as Smriti’s death. Also, since you mentioned Smriti’s take on certain relationships that never completely perish, the fact that Anjali might be talking about an incident related to her mother might be further ascertained by her mention of the premature death of some relationships in one of the episodes last week.

But, yep let’s keep our fingers crossed for some sort of an appearance from Smriti, be it a sequence of flashbacks or a cameo.

I absolutely love how Anjali’s character has been handled. Even back in DMG, she was never portrayed as evil like they do in most shows. You sympathize with her loneliness, her insecurities and her father’s inability to communicate and share his feelings with her. All she needs is some validation from her father and although deep in her heart, she knows Shashank truly loves her, she wants some actual proof of the same. She is jealous of the people who actually get a chance to get up close with Shashank because he opens up to them in a way he would never do with Anjali. Because, for Anjali, he is not just a doting father, he’s also a righteous doctor. And of course, the society expects brilliance from her and those expectations strain their relationship even more.

Anjali is bitter but not bad. I’m glad Vardhan can’t influence her any better than he could influence Shashank. But, I’m worried with Juhi stepping in as the new Chief, Vardhan could actually manipulate Anjali and in turn, hurt her even more.

Ah, Omi and Chitra’s son has an actual chance of showing up according to the build-up and as explained by you. Again, fingers crossed!

And of course, last but not the least (as you can see by my ramblings😆), I’d definitely be looking forward to read more from you. It was such a good recapitulation of the story so far!👏

Thanks so much for reading and for sharing your ramblings here!

I would love for this show to really take all of those points that we've mentioned and delve into them. In terms of the Shashank/Smriti storyline, I've just started a rewatch and based on what I remember, their relationship revelation/progression was very steadily well-written with excellent detailing for around 80 episodes or so, I think? I also remember the out-of-character drama for them kicking in at around the 100 episode mark *sigh* The curse of the ITV century, always sure to strike. There's plenty I didn't like after that, retcon-worthy stuff, but Mohnish and Iravati really knocked it out of the park with their performances, no matter what, and their sense of character/relationship continuity was what kept me watching, through the good and the bad. At least Sanjivani ended relatively well for them.

It looks like Mohnish and Sayantani might be carrying the responsibility of portraying the messy relationship in Sanjivani 2, and while I do think they've set it up well, I'm wondering just how long this will last. It's so easy to take the cliched route and turn a complex female character into an antagonist. They obviously had planned to do that with Anjali in DMG and while I'm glad they changed directions on that specific choice, there was so much potential for the character to have her own trajectory as a protagonist...which, clearly, wasn't a priority at all. Ironic, no? So in that sense, this show is doing better at giving her a voice! I'm just not sure we're going to get a proper balance between the light and the dark within her...And having Anjali feel like she's forever in Shashank's and Juhi's shadows...with Juhi as the apparent epitome of excellence and literal bringer of light...this could be so interesting, if thought out and written out well. But...this isn't a weekly, there's a massive ensemble cast of relatively new actors, and times have definitely changed. I don't know how they'll manage this, quite frankly. So we'll see. The question is, how long will it take for all the continuity cards to be out on the table?

As a parting note, how nice would it be to see Omi and Chitra's son with Shashank and Smriti's daughter? No idea if that's going to happen, but if it does, it had better be before I lose my nostalgia-fueled interest!

Originally posted by: AreYaar

So many years have passed, Borna and your love for Shashank-Smriti-Anjali still lives on😆

You did always manage to create your happy bubble for them even when DMG took Shashank's story in another direction not remotely matching your imagination....lol.

I find this season of Sanjivani a generally muddled mess and I personally don't think any of the equations are going to amount to anything cuz they haven't planned through clearly enough....the first week was mostly poorly executed and too high on melodrama in most scenes.

They are running this as a nostalgia enterprise. Nostalgia doesn't run a story, content does. And content is mostly dead on ITV now. lol

Life has truly come full-circle! 😆 It's been, what, more than a decade since we discussed Shashank-Smriti-Anjali? You know me, Anu, my love for those three in Sanjivani isn't going away, ever! 😆

DMG? What's that? 😛 In all seriousness, though, I absolutely agree about the death of content (note I'm not even saying QUALITY content *sigh*) on ITV. A nostalgia enterprise is exactly what this is, all these reboots or retellings or sequels that are suddenly in vogue because apparently creativity is dead when it comes to anything that isn't mythological or supernatural...Is it really so hard to tell a story now?

I truly thought it couldn't get messier than DMG, so I decided to very, very cautiously give this Sanjivani 2 a try for a bit. But somehow, this has indeed started off as more of a mess overall, in terms of pacing and tone and lack of character connect. Like, how did that happen, if they supposedly had time to think this through? Even setting the new characters aside for a minute, if I hadn't watched Sanjivani, then the connect that I personally have to the senior doctors, to be able to understand them, would have also been nonexistent. And without a few moments to establish a character's personality, let alone a relationship with another character, how do we get to know them and care about them? In terms of pacing and tone, it's been a week and it already feels like there are two entirely separate shows within this show, each moving at a different pace, with hardly any warmth to be found anywhere. And I know which mini-show I'm looking out for, which will be, what, maybe 10-15 minutes of content a week? So yeah, honestly, I feel the same way about the lack of a clear plan for any arcs, since the characterizations are all over the place, too. Wishful thinking on my part, that maybe they learned from past mistakes about adding more and more characters to the mix and not doing justice to any of them...Nostalgia enterprise is bang on, Anu. They pulled in a ton of viewers for various nostalgic reasons, including me, obviously...but once the nostalgia wears off, a story needs to EXIST in the first place to be told, na! Well, it looks like I'm going back to my Sanjivani bubble after all, for good! Inevitable! 😆

According to Pankit Takkar Dr Atul might come back but not that soon. I'm hoping for them to happen even now even though Angie has changed.. their storyline was left incomplete in DMG...

I never watched Sanjivani1.. But Dr Shashank, Juhi, Omi and Rahul were famous names back then.. I was very young that time.

I never watched DMG.. I trued but didnt find it worth for time wasting.

But i am so thrilled that San2 has come back and i want to watch it for Juhi and shashank.. And also Dr Sid ^_^

Originally posted by: MelodiousDreams

Life has truly come full-circle! 😆 It's been, what, more than a decade since we discussed Shashank-Smriti-Anjali? You know me, Anu, my love for those three in Sanjivani isn't going away, ever! 😆

DMG? What's that? 😛 In all seriousness, though, I absolutely agree about the death of content (note I'm not even saying QUALITY content *sigh*) on ITV. A nostalgia enterprise is exactly what this is, all these reboots or retellings or sequels that are suddenly in vogue because apparently creativity is dead when it comes to anything that isn't mythological or supernatural...Is it really so hard to tell a story now?

I truly thought it couldn't get messier than DMG, so I decided to very, very cautiously give this Sanjivani 2 a try for a bit. But somehow, this has indeed started off as more of a mess overall, in terms of pacing and tone and lack of character connect. Like, how did that happen, if they supposedly had time to think this through? Even setting the new characters aside for a minute, if I hadn't watched Sanjivani, then the connect that I personally have to the senior doctors, to be able to understand them, would have also been nonexistent. And without a few moments to establish a character's personality, let alone a relationship with another character, how do we get to know them and care about them? In terms of pacing and tone, it's been a week and it already feels like there are two entirely separate shows within this show, each moving at a different pace, with hardly any warmth to be found anywhere. And I know which mini-show I'm looking out for, which will be, what, maybe 10-15 minutes of content a week? So yeah, honestly, I feel the same way about the lack of a clear plan for any arcs, since the characterizations are all over the place, too. Wishful thinking on my part, that maybe they learned from past mistakes about adding more and more characters to the mix and not doing justice to any of them...Nostalgia enterprise is bang on, Anu. They pulled in a ton of viewers for various nostalgic reasons, including me, obviously...but once the nostalgia wears off, a story needs to EXIST in the first place to be told, na! Well, it looks like I'm going back to my Sanjivani bubble after all, for good! Inevitable! 😆

It’s been more than a decade and it also makes me realize how some people were basically toddlers when we had those discussions and can’t even remotely understand the world that was...haha

That is why there are some who feel nostalgia for the world of Sanjivani and some who feel impatience because they expect today’s level of fast paced glamorous content from ITV.

So WORD on what you said about the death of basic content only....quality toh door ki baat hai. Lol

I read somewhere that they got 7 months to plan this season. Do you see that reflected anywhere in the script or execution? 🤷‍♀️. What did they do for 7 months? Build the hospital set, Bas? 😂. Shashank, Juhi are playing extensions of their original characters....they can do this in their sleep also. So what work was required there? Zero. The new doctors are all poorly written and the acting is average at best, to put it generously.

DMG ke intern doctors were all clowns but atleast the original cast had screen presence and some level of engaging quality. Here a whole host of them have just been dumped in without dhang ka development...are these really the same writers from Sanjivani? Hard to believe.

The connect with the senior doctors lives on only because of nostalgia from original viewers and the original cast being comfortable in their old characters. I mean MB has literally been playing senior doctor on repeat for what feels like a 100 years 😂. But I don’t see any efforts writing wise for these older characters....like the writing team is expecting them to just do their thing since they already know their old characters.

With Anjali....lol, where to begin. I have mixed feelings because the basic complicated nature of her equation with Shashank fascinated me enough to write about it once...but the show didn’t even remotely live up to it. Sayanatani is acting well but again, the writing seems more geared towards melodrama than nuanced build up. 🤷‍♀️ So I’m not sure one can expect any closure to her relationship with Shashank here.

If they had learned from their past mistakes, we’d see the results in week 1...lol but we got a mess as usual.

I honestly don’t get why ppl forgive bad execution in week 1. Hello, that is the CRUX of a show. That is the result of supposedly months of planning and preparation and that is what they have to show? They better well be judged for it.

Atleast get the first two weeks right, man. After that downhill toh I still get cuz TRP pressures blah blah. But when your first two weeks are a mess, it’s obvious you failed on a writing and execution level.

All the lame PR and nostalgia campaigns aren’t going to change that truth.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

It’s been more than a decade and it also makes me realize how some people were basically toddlers when we had those discussions and can’t even remotely understand the world that was...haha

That is why there are some who feel nostalgia for the world of Sanjivani and some who feel impatience because they expect today’s level of fast paced glamorous content from ITV.

So WORD on what you said about the death of basic content only....quality toh door ki baat hai. Lol

I read somewhere that they got 7 months to plan this season. Do you see that reflected anywhere in the script or execution? 🤷‍♀️. What did they do for 7 months? Build the hospital set, Bas? 😂. Shashank, Juhi are playing extensions of their original characters....they can do this in their sleep also. So what work was required there? Zero. The new doctors are all poorly written and the acting is average at best, to put it generously.

DMG ke intern doctors were all clowns but atleast the original cast had screen presence and some level of engaging quality. Here a whole host of them have just been dumped in without dhang ka development...are these really the same writers from Sanjivani? Hard to believe.

The connect with the senior doctors lives on only because of nostalgia from original viewers and the original cast being comfortable in their old characters. I mean MB has literally been playing senior doctor on repeat for what feels like a 100 years 😂. But I don’t see any efforts writing wise for these older characters....like the writing team is expecting them to just do their thing since they already know their old characters.

With Anjali....lol, where to begin. I have mixed feelings because the basic complicated nature of her equation with Shashank fascinated me enough to write about it once...but the show didn’t even remotely live up to it. Sayanatani is acting well but again, the writing seems more geared towards melodrama than nuanced build up. 🤷‍♀️ So I’m not sure one can expect any closure to her relationship with Shashank here.

If they had learned from their past mistakes, we’d see the results in week 1...lol but we got a mess as usual.

I honestly don’t get why ppl forgive bad execution in week 1. Hello, that is the CRUX of a show. That is the result of supposedly months of planning and preparation and that is what they have to show? They better well be judged for it.

Atleast get the first two weeks right, man. After that downhill toh I still get cuz TRP pressures blah blah. But when your first two weeks are a mess, it’s obvious you failed on a writing and execution level.

All the lame PR and nostalgia campaigns aren’t going to change that truth.

Bringing out the analytical, jaded ITV viewer in me, you are! I try to look for silver lining, but sometimes the clouds are too dark. And yeah, with the way this is going - already?! - my nostalgia-induced curiosity faded fast. Week 2. Wow.

These reboots/sequels really are targeting that new generation of viewers, aren't they? The shiny sets, pretty people, and trope-heavy "scripts" that don't even have a basic foundation of world-building or character establishment...I'm thinking back to how Sanjivani's initial episodes were so successful at showing viewers the world that the doctors and patients lived in, within the hospital and beyond it. I didn't even literally grow up with the show, I found it through its spinoff, but it really does feel like an entirely different world! The familiarity was built up bit by bit, Sanjivani felt like a hospital and a home, the characters were all given time to breathe - they had personalities and strengths and flaws! And it was presented so organically, too. I think that's the most striking difference, the depth of the writing and the natural way everything was shown. There were conflicts, there was drama and melodrama, of course, but it wasn't clinically cold in tone. Sanjivani and Shashank represent "hope," I read in an interview recently. Well, that warmth and positivity, even while showing the struggles of the doctors and patients, was definitely there in the early months of Sanjivani.

And now? New era, new sensibilities, I guess. But that doesn't excuse the lack of effort in laying the groundwork, na! They had 7 MONTHS to prepare for this?! I'm sure they actually had more than just 7 months to think about these characters and their personalities and trajectories! So...like you said...is that reflected anywhere? I'm not even being sarcastic when I say that when I saw the long takes showing off the shiny new Sanjivani with the massive staircase and the Hanuman with Sanjivani statue hanging from the ceiling, my first thought was, "That's an impressive statue...did they put all their money and efforts into this set and nothing into the script?"

Having Mohnish and Gurdeep back is a masterstroke and they're keeping the nostalgic viewers connected, they're experienced and familiar with Shashank and Juhi and everything Classic Sanjivani, of course it's effortless for them, having LIVED those lives for years, literally. It is muscle memory and emotional memory and they're the only ones who truly feel like they're comfortable in their skin, probably because it IS comfortable, like coming home again. Is it unfair to single them out that way? Not really, because for any show to work, all the actors need to at least give off the appearance of being comfortable in the skin of their characters - that's what a good actor should be able to do if given enough time and support from the writing, directing, etc. But again...if the writing isn't there, then...what do the new actors have to work with? Just adding here that DMG, the mess that it was, actually started off well in terms of balancing characters and multiple subplots...and I will also admit that the younger actors were watchable, most were likable...but an excess of anything is harmful, right? And if the writers didn't know how to handle five interns and three senior doctors to begin with, why did they keep adding more and more to the fray? Now Sanjivani 2 has even more to deal with right from the start...good luck to everyone involved and everyone watching, that's all I can say!

Sayantani is a curious case because Anjali as a character has context and relationship ties to at least two other people AND the hospital itself. She has that restraint somewhat reminiscent of the original show's ensemble actors, but it looks like the writers might take the easy way out and just push her down the path to stereotypical melodramatic antagonist. Which...I definitely did NOT sign up for. Why can't we just get a look into Anjali's psyche without the melodrama and cliches?! *weary sigh* She should have gotten her own show. But then again, I don't think the writers could do justice to it if this is what we're getting now. So I will reiterate your question - are these REALLY the same writers from Sanjivani? If they are...then how did they manage to write something as complex and detailed as the Shashank-Smriti-Anjali storyline back then? I haven't looked into the writing credits for this Sanjivani 2, but I remember Sanjivani was a massive team effort, especially when it came to writing. Edit: Nah, Sanjivani 2 may have the same producer/concept creator, but Sanjivani's writing team was different, very different, as expected - and I'm willing to bet that all the freshness, nuances, and continuity came from that team's diversity and the benefits of the weekly format.

I went off and rambled again, as usual! 😆 I'm exhausted but I'm just going to end this with a resounding WORD to your thoughts about the critical acid test of a show being the first two weeks. If a show can't pull viewers in and sustain their interest in the first two weeks, then what does it say about the short-term planning and writing decisions that inevitably will take place in this age of TRP-driven writing and "stories" strung together by #MOMENTS? *sigh* Can Star and Zee just air reruns of their classics, please?

Originally posted by: MelodiousDreams

Bringing out the analytical, jaded ITV viewer in me, you are! I try to look for silver lining, but sometimes the clouds are too dark. And yeah, with the way this is going - already?! - my nostalgia-induced curiosity faded fast. Week 2. Wow.

These reboots/sequels really are targeting that new generation of viewers, aren't they? The shiny sets, pretty people, and trope-heavy "scripts" that don't even have a basic foundation of world-building or character establishment...I'm thinking back to how Sanjivani's initial episodes were so successful at showing viewers the world that the doctors and patients lived in, within the hospital and beyond it. I didn't even literally grow up with the show, I found it through its spinoff, but it really does feel like an entirely different world! The familiarity was built up bit by bit, Sanjivani felt like a hospital and a home, the characters were all given time to breathe - they had personalities and strengths and flaws! And it was presented so organically, too. I think that's the most striking difference, the depth of the writing and the natural way everything was shown. There were conflicts, there was drama and melodrama, of course, but it wasn't clinically cold in tone. Sanjivani and Shashank represent "hope," I read in an interview recently. Well, that warmth and positivity, even while showing the struggles of the doctors and patients, was definitely there in the early months of Sanjivani.

And now? New era, new sensibilities, I guess. But that doesn't excuse the lack of effort in laying the groundwork, na! They had 7 MONTHS to prepare for this?! I'm sure they actually had more than just 7 months to think about these characters and their personalities and trajectories! So...like you said...is that reflected anywhere? I'm not even being sarcastic when I say that when I saw the long takes showing off the shiny new Sanjivani with the massive staircase and the Hanuman with Sanjivani statue hanging from the ceiling, my first thought was, "That's an impressive statue...did they put all their money and efforts into this set and nothing into the script?"

Having Mohnish and Gurdeep back is a masterstroke and they're keeping the nostalgic viewers connected, they're experienced and familiar with Shashank and Juhi and everything Classic Sanjivani, of course it's effortless for them, having LIVED those lives for years, literally. It is muscle memory and emotional memory and they're the only ones who truly feel like they're comfortable in their skin, probably because it IS comfortable, like coming home again. Is it unfair to single them out that way? Not really, because for any show to work, all the actors need to at least give off the appearance of being comfortable in the skin of their characters - that's what a good actor should be able to do if given enough time and support from the writing, directing, etc. But again...if the writing isn't there, then...what do the new actors have to work with? Just adding here that DMG, the mess that it was, actually started off well in terms of balancing characters and multiple subplots...and I will also admit that the younger actors were watchable, most were likable...but an excess of anything is harmful, right? And if the writers didn't know how to handle five interns and three senior doctors to begin with, why did they keep adding more and more to the fray? Now Sanjivani 2 has even more to deal with right from the start...good luck to everyone involved and everyone watching, that's all I can say!

Sayantani is a curious case because Anjali as a character has context and relationship ties to at least two other people AND the hospital itself. She has that restraint somewhat reminiscent of the original show's ensemble actors, but it looks like the writers might take the easy way out and just push her down the path to stereotypical melodramatic antagonist. Which...I definitely did NOT sign up for. Why can't we just get a look into Anjali's psyche without the melodrama and cliches?! *weary sigh* She should have gotten her own show. But then again, I don't think the writers could do justice to it if this is what we're getting now. So I will reiterate your question - are these REALLY the same writers from Sanjivani? If they are...then how did they manage to write something as complex and detailed as the Shashank-Smriti-Anjali storyline back then? I haven't looked into the writing credits for this Sanjivani 2, but I remember Sanjivani was a massive team effort, especially when it came to writing. Edit: Nah, Sanjivani 2 may have the same producer/concept creator, but Sanjivani's writing team was different, very different, as expected - and I'm willing to bet that all the freshness, nuances, and continuity came from that team's diversity and the benefits of the weekly format.

I went off and rambled again, as usual! 😆 I'm exhausted but I'm just going to end this with a resounding WORD to your thoughts about the critical acid test of a show being the first two weeks. If a show can't pull viewers in and sustain their interest in the first two weeks, then what does it say about the short-term planning and writing decisions that inevitably will take place in this age of TRP-driven writing and "stories" strung together by #MOMENTS? *sigh* Can Star and Zee just air reruns of their classics, please?

Haha I enjoyed reading your rambling, Borna...so no worries, ramble away :)

Especially agree with the points in bold.

I honestly would like to believe that the ingredients for a good storyline are universal no matter how much time and generations change. Fundamentally, human nature and emotions don’t change...only the packaging does. What writers and producers these days are caught up in is a lack of clarity and conviction in their “vision”...it’s all about shortcuts and PR campaigns for projection rather than focusing on developing audience connect through the characters themselves. Very few shows even try and even less manage to break through the clutter.

On top of that, there is the case of people only watching to promote their fav actors. Note that I said promote, not discuss :P. Along with the death of content, discussions have also died...nobody genuinely discusses content anymore. Most people are here to defend and promote their fav actors in the guise of “discussing” a show. Lol that is why most discussions are about how well their fav acted or how good they looked in some scene 🤷‍♀️

Society itself has become more focused only on materialistic and surface level things but I don’t think that should be an excuse for writers to not even bother putting conviction into their writing. There are enough examples of shows breaking through the clutter if some makers show the courage, conviction and clarity about their vision for a story. Peddling in gimmicks is not conviction.

This is why I could tell in week 1 that even the nostalgia characters will be turned into gimmicks. Shashank is a facade to claim there is warmth in this season when most of the first two weeks have been grim melodrama 🤷‍♀️. Anjali is also being used as a gimmick of a “grey” character rather than actually exploring her with nuance. Juhi just seems to be existing so far. Lol

The new characters are all cliches galore. Cliched heavy Haryanvi accent waali Doctor, token north east character, self righteous tattle-tale FL, flirt Casanova ML with a “golden heart” 🙄🙄

Week 2 seems to have all gone in a highly melodramatic incident rather than again managing to develop basic character traits atleast. On top of that, the direction and execution is pathetic. I just find it weird if actors who’ve done good work on TV before can’t find the rhythm of their character in two weeks 🤷‍♀️ That’s a colossal writing, Direction and creative failure IMO. But sadly it will get lost in the noise because ppl are only here for agendas. Not to discuss the characters for what they are.

How’s that for jaded? 😝😂

P.S. I totally agree about preferring re-runs of the classics. Lol channels would be better served doing that since clearly, even executing a basic storyline with engaging characters is beyond them now 😆

I do end up re-watching old shows instead of bothering with current ones

ITV is dying out despite all the gimmicks and glamor being poured into packaging. Not sure what new viewers they are catering to but I don’t see empty packaging as a sustainable strategy no matter what the generation 🤷‍♀️

Originally posted by: AreYaar

Haha I enjoyed reading your rambling, Borna...so no worries, ramble away :)

Especially agree with the points in bold.

I honestly would like to believe that the ingredients for a good storyline are universal no matter how much time and generations change. Fundamentally, human nature and emotions don’t change...only the packaging does. What writers and producers these days are caught up in is a lack of clarity and conviction in their “vision”...it’s all about shortcuts and PR campaigns for projection rather than focusing on developing audience connect through the characters themselves. Very few shows even try and even less manage to break through the clutter.

On top of that, there is the case of people only watching to promote their fav actors. Note that I said promote, not discuss :P. Along with the death of content, discussions have also died...nobody genuinely discusses content anymore. Most people are here to defend and promote their fav actors in the guise of “discussing” a show. Lol that is why most discussions are about how well their fav acted or how good they looked in some scene 🤷‍♀️

Society itself has become more focused only on materialistic and surface level things but I don’t think that should be an excuse for writers to not even bother putting conviction into their writing. There are enough examples of shows breaking through the clutter if some makers show the courage, conviction and clarity about their vision for a story. Peddling in gimmicks is not conviction.

This is why I could tell in week 1 that even the nostalgia characters will be turned into gimmicks. Shashank is a facade to claim there is warmth in this season when most of the first two weeks have been grim melodrama 🤷‍♀️. Anjali is also being used as a gimmick of a “grey” character rather than actually exploring her with nuance. Juhi just seems to be existing so far. Lol

The new characters are all cliches galore. Cliched heavy Haryanvi accent waali Doctor, token north east character, self righteous tattle-tale FL, flirt Casanova ML with a “golden heart” 🙄🙄

Week 2 seems to have all gone in a highly melodramatic incident rather than again managing to develop basic character traits atleast. On top of that, the direction and execution is pathetic. I just find it weird if actors who’ve done good work on TV before can’t find the rhythm of their character in two weeks 🤷‍♀️ That’s a colossal writing, Direction and creative failure IMO. But sadly it will get lost in the noise because ppl are only here for agendas. Not to discuss the characters for what they are.

How’s that for jaded? 😝😂

Aah, how I've missed this! It feels SO nice to be able to discuss and analyze things with someone - warna usually it's just me keeping all my thoughts and feelings to myself! 😆

That's such a sad thing, isn't it? I remember how even 5 years ago, there were forums where people would actually discuss the content, performances, the good and bad aspects of a show. I haven't been around here much recently, but it does feel like these discussion forums are dying out, too. And I guess that's not surprising, given how superficial most ITV shows have become...if there's nothing compelling to think about, then what is there to write about? Hypersensitivity is also an issue...and I seriously thought we'd seen the worst of it a decade ago...Apparently not?

WORD to the parts in bold! It's so true that human nature and emotions are universally relatable. And I also agree strongly that good storytelling at its most basic level finds and resonates with people because of those universal aspects. But based on the reception to these reimaginings of the K Soaps and this Sanjivani reboot, I'm curious if we've just been around for so long and are cynical about the decline in quality TV content, or if we grew out of those ~youth~ waale shows or if we inherently just have different notions about what good, solid storytelling is compared to those who enjoy watching the formulaic, stereotypical stuff. Maybe a combination of all of the above, in my case. I may have started my ITV journey with StarOne shows but even my optimism and tolerance threshold took a hit and I abandoned those fandoms and their fan wars as fast as I could, LOL.

It's interesting because even with Sanjivani, based on whatever I saw, I had low tolerance for the predictable, dramatic youth-oriented love triangle mess despite liking the young batch of interns and the actors playing them. The more layered, subdued, nuanced mature love story with its twisting narrative structure and complicated spectrum of feelings was definitely right up my alley. Hence my continued love for it, even after so many years. But it was also a pretty balanced show, with lots of focus on the doctors and patients, for the most part. What happened to that kind of writing? I don't think it has completely died out, there are still some writers who can come up with well-planned story arcs that might even incorporate motifs, profound dialogues, etc. But those shows are so few and far apart, especially now, because there's a gimmick-and-hype-driven sort of machine approach to creating shows that will be #popular.

And that brings us right back to Sanjivani 2 with its cookie cutter template cast of characters, which you've nailed the descriptions of. I mean, I'm all for representation from different walks of life in media, but not through token inclusion without any depth, you know? ...I feel like this show wants to combine the maturity of Sanjivani with the levity of DMG by having the serious, messy stuff for the more experienced senior cast and the "fun," snappy stuff for the junior cast. The latter especially has the exact same character template, just with a mystery and a bit of magical!doctor factor thrown in...I get that the new audience is going to lap this up and they'll view this as a standalone show, which is fine if it works for them. But really, we've seen this stuff before, haven't we? Universal wine in a shiny dark bottle. It just makes me sad to think that the nostalgia characters that are being carried forward to maintain a link to their namesake show - Shashank, Juhi, and Anjali - are most likely going to become wallpaper and fade away. What a waste of potential and talent. And the same exact thing happened with Shashank, Anjali, and Atul before, too. Is history going to repeat itself? I sincerely hope it won't, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it does. Ironic, because the title of this post was about relationships that don't fade away... *sigh* Why can't we have good things?