#anjali random legacy

[bearsimz]

turns out the theatre is a great place to meet locals, everyone tends to just congregate there

[tellywoodtrash]

Went and binged the rest of the week’s eps of Sanjivani...

... thanks to updates/messages sent to me by @ambar-pe-milte-hain (giving me some brilliant insight into the OG Sanjivani, since I didn’t watch that one) and I gotta say, I’m kinda hooked. Purelyyyyyyy for the senior characters of Shashank/Anjali/Juhi. They’re truly the most compelling part of the show. Mohnish as Dr. Shashank is the soul of the show, and I really hope he’s not going anywhere. He instantly elevates every single scene he’s in, no matter whom he’s sharing it with. The camaraderie he shares with every character we’ve seen him interact with (even the antagonistic Vardhan) is just head and shoulders above the rest of the show. His soft eyes and gentle jokes have me pulled in and I’m just so so so invested in him already.

I must admit that my brain has almost completely wiped DMG and its canon from the memory stores (probably a self-preservation technique) but I really don’t remember this much nuance to the Shashank/Anjali relationship in it. They touched upon a little of course (about Anjali’s initial resentment of Riddhima being Shashank’s pet), but I really don’t recall them going much into Anjali’s psyche about being the daughter of two very esteemed surgeons and the pressure she feels to live up to their legacy. They seem to be touching upon that nicely here, and Sayantani seems so apt for the role. She switches between petulant and sulky about her perceived oversight for COS, and soft and concerned daughter so seamlessly. (Gotta say, having been in her position IRL, it felt very authentic - the fear and trying to be strong and even the anger, all driven by an immense amount of helplessness and most of all, love. She truly captured it so well.) She has the most complex character in the show, oscillating in shades of grey - especially her complex wrt. Juhi; on an objective level, she knows Juhi is the best option given her expertise, but struggles on a personal level because she feels like her father respects Juhi more as a doctor than he does her. And she’s trying to make her peace with it in the current situation, but it’s simmering within her. I really really hope they do this character justice and don’t turn her into a caricature “villain” of some sort. (I live in the perpetual fear of my favt. female characters eventually being ruined by Tellywood. It’s mostly inevitable.)

I don’t know much about Juhi (beyond what’s on the Sanjivani wiki entry) but I’m already sold on her. Her trepidation/nervous excitement when coming back was palpable, and the way she instantly fell back into the easy bond she shares with Shashank, ugh my heart. Y’all know I’m a sucker for platonic bonds that are well done and I can already tell that Shashank/Juhi are going to be the relationship that hit the sweet spot for me, if all goes well in the show. I��m also intrigued at her life after the first show. (How did her career develop post-Sanjivani? Is she still with her husband? Do they have a family? I don’t want to SEE her personal life as such, but a mention to make the character’s background a little richer would be nice.)

Vardhan is almost comical in his villainy (that constant single AirPod, lmao - a surefire douche marker); surely a CFO has more to do than just keep sauntering around the hospital all day, making small talk and sidey comments to the medical staff? Rohit plays the slime well, but I’m just not into these kinda characters; they bore me with their one-note personalities. He’d be more interesting if he was actually what he said to Dr. Shashank - that they just have different POVs, but he does respect Shashank as a doctor and human being. But nope, he’s just a skeezy dude waiting to get the power he’s been kept from so far, by waiting for a well-respected and honest man to die. Gross. Also, what’s his equation with Anjali? I really really REALLY hope it’s not veering towards romantic. Anjali deserves someone way better (LIKE A GROWN UP DR. ATUL JOSHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Petition to have Pankit Thakker back in the role!)

Sid and Ishani and the other junior doctors remain side-eye worthy and the weakest part of the show. I only really liked them in their scenes with Dr. Shashank after they find out about his diagnosis. I hate Sid a little less (though I’m still not all the way over to actually liking him) because he seems to have a better balance of personality - mostly laid-back and chill (almost unnaturally so?) but appropriately somber when needed. (Namit is quite wooden-faced when not doing his signature smirk, but I’m holding out hope that he’ll get better in the coming weeks. He seems likable in the off-screen interviews and I’m counting on him loosening up as he grows more comfortable in the role.) Ishani still remains grating as ever, doing whatever the fuck as she pleases (SHE DID A WHOLEASS SURGERY WITHOUT DIAGNOSTIC SCANS, BASED ON A HUNCH?!?!?!? THE SECOND SURGERY OF THAT DAY WHERE SHE WENT AGAINST A SENIOR RESIDENT!!!!!), and mostttttt irritatingly, wasting time following any given senior in the hospital whether it be Anjali or Vardhan hellbent on getting someone to listen/validate her complaint about Sid. She may be a diagnostic genius (a little hard to believe that this first year resident has diagnosed 3, 4 cases - all of which successfully baffled her seniors - on her very first day) and has a “reason” for her being such a stickler for rules, but I really cannot sympathize with the character at all when watching the scenes. She’s just very unlikable as a person so far. I’m really hoping they mellow down her character a bit just so that I can tolerate her in the scenes Shashank isn’t there to temper her bellicosity. Asha is likable but her constant exasperation with “Babydoll” Ishani is kinda getting old. Rishabh is kinda whatever - doesn’t really make a big impression on me except that he seems to be some kinda personality combo of Sid + Vardhan, and I had to go look on Wikipedia to find the name of that resident doctor from Ep 1 who hasn’t been seen since (Kunal Bhan as Dr. Rahil Shekhar, in case you were wondering too.) I guess the other junior characters will enter next week, which already has me clutching my head coz lord, this show is going to be overcrowded as fuck. I sure as hell am not going to care about 70% of these characters and am going to get quite pissy when forced to watch them in lieu of the characters I am actually interested in.

The medical cases are largely boring so far; I was only invested in Shashank’s case this week. And next week seems to be ripped straight from Grey’s Anatomy with that impaled on a pole waala case. But because it’s Tellywood, there’s also some kinda random riot brewing that an ousted Sid comes and saves Ishani from (resulting in classic RK pose, of course), and Rishabh and Vardhan seem to be up to some nefariousness that I don’t really care for. So yeah, I’ll continue watching it for now and all, but with liberal fast forwarding. Won’t be writing on it unless I feel compelled to by a particular scene or something, but I’m open to discussing the show with you guys via asks, if you’d like to!

[bearsimz]

TOE BEANS

[bearsimz]

welcome home baby Prince. I hope you like your babysitter, cause your mum probably won’t be home much

[bearsimz]

[bearsimz]

[bearsimz]

Minnie managed to impress a 5-star celebrity, and even got an autograph

[bearsimz]

god damn it Minnie

[bearsimz]

looks like that elevator escapade is coming back to bite you in the ass, huh Minnie

[bearsimz]

social butterfly

[bearsimz]

birdies

[bearsimz]

[bearsimz]

night out with the girls

[bearsimz]

[bearsimz]

hey Minnie, I think that guy has a wife....ok then

[bearsimz]