Rishton Ka Chakravyuh, the newest show on Star Plus is the saga of the modern day Mahabharat on TV!!
The show has a huge family, and every member in the family has been highly deceptive, and that is the key!!
The concept about a mother and daughter is not new, but the manner in which this relationship looks tangled and intertwined with hatred has brought in the ‘Wow’ factor to it.
Narayani Shastri as the mother Satrupa is supreme!! No one else would have played this role so well. She looks gorgeous in the bright colored zari sarees, and her beauty only goes a notch higher with the mannerisms and style that she has adapted for the role… In just the first week, we have seen so many shades of this mighty character. She’s the ‘determined’ mother who bid a teary adieu to her new-born girl, but conveyed the statement to take care of her as she is ‘her’ child. Being overloaded with richness and royalty, Satrupa’s dream is to see her son being pronounced as the ‘ruler’. Let’s accept it, she is a ‘proud’ mother, ever-smiling when she is with her son. However, she holds on to ‘silence’ as her major weapon when with her husband Baldev Vikram Singh. This only shows that their relationship has taken a beating, to the extent of no return!! A thought that runs into our mind is that, why should a lady continue to be with her husband even after seeing him stray away? We are saying so, as there is another kid shown in the house who is born to Vikram Singh but not to Satrupa. Satrupa only emits ‘fire’ from her eyes, the moment she sees this illegitimate son. On the other hand, she is the dutiful ‘bahu’ to her in-laws, and gives them the due respect, or shall we say, looks happy when she gives them respect.
Another beautiful shade in Satrupa is the manner in which she becomes a ‘child’ when with her son, Vaatsalya!! The sequences of the mother and son for us, are endearing till now!! She sings with him, she dances with him, she rests her head (looking for the warmth) on her son’s shoulder!! The scene where the two of them dance and sing to the number ‘O Mere Dil Ke Chein’ was indeed really sweet. Well, to carry out so many different shades in one character is a big ask, and look at the ease with which Narayani Shastri walks into the character. Or can we say, storms in as Satrupa… A great casting, and Narayani as Satrupa is already sure of capturing the love and warmth of the viewers watching the show.
Mahima, what can we say of this girl? Firstly, a daring step to take such a challenging and different lead role especially because Anami is just not the simple and normal girl, who we see in every other soap. This role is totally performance-oriented and there is no room to go wrong!! And kudos to Mahima for lapping up this offer… And how well has she moulded herself into the character of Anami? Indeed, Anami is a ‘Tsunami’… She’s bold and confident, yet in the very next second, looks weak and fragile when the very thought of her birth comes to the fore. Though she looks upon her Pandit parents as her family, there is a tussle going on within her where she has a lot of questions unanswered as to why her mother left her alone after birth. This is the only weakness in the girl, and this will be the weakness that will ultimately drag her away from her loving foster parents is what we believe.
As Anami, Mahima packs a punch. She has the right mix of aggression and emotion that the character needs. Mahima brings in the right expressions as the calm and composed self, and also when she is burning with anger. The sequence where she vented out her anger, frustration and disappointment by hitting a mattress is a scene not to be missed. And the sequence only got better with her foster mother Lubna Salim, trying to compose her and hugging her tightly. We cried seeing the pain within the characters. Above all, what works for Mahima and Anami is the styling. Never ever have we seen a lead girl in such a dynamic looking avatar. Her dresses, her shoes, and above all, her dreadlocks look amazing on Mahima.
Ajay Chaudhary as Baldev Vikram Singh plays his character well. Again, quite a gutsy move by Ajay to have taken up a character wherein he plays father to grown-ups, considering the fact that he is so young in real life. Though we have not seen his character opening up a lot in the initial episodes, the deceptiveness in the character has really created its impact. And we are eager to know why he had a relationship outside marriage, and why he gulps in all the hatredness of his father and wife and remains in the house!! The plus point here is that though he has a son from his affair outside marriage, his son Vaatsalya is very proud of his father and loves him a lot!! This again adds curiosity in our minds on the kind of man he is!! Something tells us, that this character will create an explosion of sorts, which will be the key to the coming story line.
Praneet Bhatt as a cunning, greedy and negative brother of Baldev Vikram Singh does a great job. His swaying away to the beat of music, even when his mind is planning a dirty trick against his own family, is simply exceptional. Anju Mahendroo has not got much to play on in the initial episodes. And we hope she has a strong one, considering that she is a strong pillar in the family. Paayal Nair is one more actor who has stolen the show. As the silent Damo, who is privy to all the secrets of Satrupa, Paayal plays her characters very effectively. Lubna Salim is exceptional and she proves that she’s such an effortless actor with the varied scenes she gets – she laughs, she talks English in a funny way, she cries seeing the pain of her daughter, and even fears that she will lose her. Mohit Chauhan as the Pandit father is good. Tom Alter as the Guru is decent, and hope he has a substantial role to play.
The complete charmer in the cast, apart from Mahima has to be the young lad, Devarshi Shah who plays Vaatsalya Vikram Singh. He’s indeed adorable, and his smile makes us smile. For a debut work on TV, Devarshi has done a swell job. In no scene has he looked like a newcomer!! His scenes with such a majestic and experienced actor like Narayani do the talking, as the two of them gel so very well as the mother and son Jodi. Also, his scene with Mahima across the bank of the river was indeed really cute and well-shot. The two of them looked so amazing as siblings. The only sad part about the show is that Vaatsalya will have a short tenure, as with his death, the story will take a new route. Devarshi will be missed once he departs!! But must say, this actor has a long road ahead and this is just the stepping stone to success… All the best, Devarshi.
We wait with eagerness to see Sangeeta Ghosh’s entry, which will only take the story into a complicated level. For the uninitiated, Sangeeta will play the illegitimate wife of Baldev Vikram Singh.
Moving to the opulence, look and feel, we must say that a lot of work has gone into the planning and research!! The grand palace, the color combinations used as the decorative props in and around the palace, the grandeur of the palace, the costumes given to each and every character, the colors given to each and every one’s attires, the hair-dos are fabulous. When the scene moves to Varanasi, there is a vast change seen in the way it has been shot. Out goes the lavishness, and in comes the calm and subtle ambience given to the surroundings.
Considering that this great work in the form of Rishton Ka Chakravyuh is the maiden project of Producers Sanjot Kaur and Bhupinder Singh, a commendable job indeed!! After all, Sanjot carries with her a vast experience of having ‘seen it all and done it all’ with the broadcasters!!
The one thing that will work in favour of the show is the level of curiosity and deceptiveness that every character in the show brings to the table!! We can say, the only open book in the show is the character of Anami!! We know that she loves her foster parents, but somewhere is not able to forget her past and wants answers to why her mother actually left her!! With all the unpredictability factors related to characters, Rishton Ka Chakravyuh will only weave its mystery-laden charm in the minds of viewers!! Above all, with such a great ensemble cast, we are sure of getting top-notch performances from everyone of them.
We hope the makers continue to keep the intrigue going with the story telling and don’t indulge on over-the-top drama, especially as we near the death of Vaatsalya’s character.
As for us, we indeed look forward to watching the show.
IndianWikiMedia.com gives 4 out of 5 stars for this effort!!