Jab-jab TV-walle log apne new-new show ke beginning main long-long bhashan likhte hain — that so-and-so doesn’t resemble so-and-so and that our serial is not a copy of that jurm story — unko kala crow bum pe zor se bite karta hai. Of course, their lies hum ko buddhu banana ke liye nahin hote. They are designed to save their other bum from biting lawyers.
Isi bum-raksha ki feeling ke saath Star Plus recently launched its Adults-Only show, Kaali: Ek Agnipariksha. The show opened with a long spiel: “No-no, Kaali is not about Ruchika Girhotra and former DGP S.P.S. Rathore”.
Here’s a list of differences:
In real life, Ruchika Girhotra was a lawn tennis player in Chandigarh; Rachna Mehta on Kaali plays badminton in Ghaziabad.
Ruchika’s mother passed away when she was 10. She lived with her father and brother; Rachna has a father and brother, her mother is no more (though mummyji appears in a white sari at the end of each episode to annoy us).
Ruchika’s best friend was Aradhana; Rachna’s best friend is Anu.
Rathore was the head of Haryana Lawn Tennis Association; Thakral is the head of the local badminton association.
Rathore had close links with politicians and was a wheeler-dealer; Thakral is very powerful with only criminal intent.
Rathore molested Ruchika in his house; Thakral molested Rachna in his house.
Aradhana was a witness to Ruchika’s molestation; Anu witnessed Thakral molesting Rachna.
Rathore’s wife is a lawyer who defended him; I’m quite sure Thakral’s wife will be a lawyer who will defend him.
Toh jaise ke apne dekha, Kaali is not similar to the Ruchika-Rathore case, it is identical. Ruchika, as you know, committed suicide. Kaali ke end main satya ki jeet toh pakki hai, but I hope and pray that the catharsis from screen is better than the lukewarm justice served by our courts.
Anyway, main point yeh hai that Kaali is very gripping and scary. And it is made bhayanak by the man who plays Thakral, the fabulous Ashutosh Rana. Now Ashutosh’s reputation of being an evil rapist precedes him. But that can be restricting. Not so for Ashutosh. His Thakral kills, saves bad politician’s bad aulad, has cops at his beck and call, and, when it suits him, is all helloji, namasteji. His Thakral is so supremely evil that I sometimes worry for Ashutosh.
Full marks to Star Plus for getting Ashutosh Rana on board. The little girl who plays Rachna is very good, too, and her unease and confusion are very real.
But it is Ashutosh who takes the show several notches above from where it would have otherwise cruised. So, hang on, it’s going to be a bile-rousing ride.