Wednesday, February 7, 2007

The dimpled cheeks, sweet graceful smile and girl next-door attitude communicates and breezes an air of informality as the audience lives the life experiences of Gauri in Ekta's "Karam Apna Apna". Ekta Kapoor's lead character Gauri played by Pallavi Subhash in the serial "Karam Apna Apna" is akin to the other lead heroines of Ekta Kapoor serials be it Tulsi Virani, Parvathi Agarwal or Kashish.

While frantically searching for a new face to play the lead role of Gauri in her latest serial "Karam Apna Apna", Ekta chanced upon a glimpse of Pallavi in the serial "Tumhari Disha" of Zee Tv where she performed a minor role as Preeto's sister. The talented girl with her youthful smile and cheery demeanour has mesmerized the audience with her remarkable performance. She had earlier acted in two Marathi daily soaps "Char Diwas Sasuche" on ETV Marathi and "Adhuri Ek Kahani" on Zee Marathi.

Gauri, a middle-class girl from Kolkatta gives prime importance to her family and desires to enjoy marital bliss by marrying Shashank her fiancé and setting up a family. However as ill luck would have it problems weigh her down and compromises which symbolize Indian women is truly pictured when she agrees to marry the callous and apathetic Shiv. Marriages are made in heaven, so goes the popular adage, however for Gauri married life is a nightmare. Enmeshed in family relations and its intricacies, Gauri seeks to establish her own identity. She decides to go for work and earn income of her own.

Pallavi the latest entrant to the Star Parivar has a galore of veterans to lead her in the field. Akin to other heroines of Balaji Telefilms, Gauri is the archetypal contemporary Indian woman who can easily switch between roles and carve a space of her own. Ekta also wields the baton as to why women have to forgo their natal homes for another. Gauri is strong yet compassionate, self-respecting yet considerate, etc. Humility is the buzzword for Ekta, when it comes to exemplifying the virtues of the female protagonist. Pallavi extolls the virtues of a simple Indian girl who is deep rooted in the Indian traditions and customs. Pallavi who gives life to the character Gauri is emblematic of a rich blend of dignity and poise. The ease and elegance with which Pallavi is transformed into the character Gauri is indeed admirable.

Catching the ebb and flow of the lives of so many people and their preoccupations, the serial focuses on the lives of the rich and the poor, nevertheless the rich extravagant lifestyle of the rich is apparently flaunted. The costumes, the opulent settings and background music bear the inimitable Ekta touch.

"Karam Apna Apna" with its impressive line of actors Iqbal Khan, Achint Kaur, Apara Mehta, Salil Ankola, etc, and time-tested screenplay, wonderful locales, excellent dialogue delivery and brilliant on screen chemistry between actors and actresses makes the viewing an experience worth cherishing.