Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani - decoding situationships and more
Dialogues are the star of my new favourite show - so relatable, reflective, memorable.
Credit: Featured image
My friend Margie, a veteran writer/editor/creator, recently recommended Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani, a Hindi legal drama series on Sony Liv; she was so kicked by a scene that featured a woman’s vision board! Pretty contemporary, we conferred.
She also informed me that the show was created by her friend Anuraadha Tiwari. So I gave it a shot, and it grew on me, instantly!
On the face of it, the show is based on the Raisinghani family of lawyers - the patriarch Rajdeep and his younger brother Dev, their children - Anushka and Siddarth, and Ankita, Rajdeep’s illegitimate daughter (I dislike the word illegitimate but I’m yet to identify an alternative).
The dialogues between characters are so relatable, colloquial, well-crafted. A conversation between Jennifer Winglet’s character Anushka and her therapist really stayed with me, and I think many women, perhaps men too, will relate to this conversation. Anushka’s therapist makes an interesting observation. Here’s what she says…
“Being self-reliant is very different from being self-aware, and both are completely and entirely different from feeling self-love”
Watch this brief, yet, powerful conversation in the first 5 mins of the episode below.
To me, the vibe and tone their interaction is just right - gentle and soothing, a balm for troubled souls. The show also chronicles the toxicity of relationships really well.
Decoding Situationships
In particular there’s a spotlight on the toxic nature of Anushka’s relationship with Virat (Karan Wahi), which she characterises as a “situationship”. I heard this word for the first time, and instantly looked it up.
The Cambridge dictionary describes it as:
“Situationship - A romantic relationship between two people who do not yet consider themselves a couple but who have more than a friendship: Although they liked each other, they found it hard to put a label on things and found themselves in a situationship instead.”
Here’s a little context. Anushka is born into a legal legacy. She’s warm, compassionate, loyal, intuitive, thoughtful, responsible, sincere, strong-willed, and a little repressed. Virat is her senior in law school and her father’s blue-eyed boy. He’s cut-throat, brash, funny, deeply troubled, protective, charming, and affectionate. There’s attraction and caring between the two but the relationship is filled with angst, miscommunication, and mismatched expectations.
One can describe it as exhausting, and eventually, the characters identify this, too. But I like how the show chronicles the relationship curve - the path to how it becomes toxic and unhealthy, the little acts of micro-aggression that add up, and the journey to self-awareness.
The Plot Thickens
The show, though, isn’t just about this situationship.
It’s also about family, power, ambition, the art of deception, the weaponisation of issues, personal agency, friendship, and other slices of daily life.
Since the show revolves around a corporate law firm, along the way it gets intertwined with shell companies, the underworld, cricket auctions, and other elements concerning the wealthy and powerful.
So, there’s a ton of suspense, plot twists, and courtroom drama, to keep one seated at the edge of your pants. The eye candy is also off the charts! :)
Saiba Bogosh!
Another aspect I am thoroughly enjoying is the development of the supporting characters. Take James, for instance, who has worked for 30 years at the firm. He runs things in the office and his job obviously ranks low in the hierarchy of a corporate law office. But there are some heartwarming scenes where James, a happily married man, offers relationship nuggets to Virat and growth tips to freshers. He’s a silent observer of human behaviour in the office. He can decipher boss moods and appear with coffee at opportune moments when people need the adrenaline rush.
Personally, I’m always curious about how Christian characters are portrayed in Hindi cinema/ TV. Thankfully James is neither a drunk, nor reduced to a caricature. Obviously, a significant amount of thought that has gone into shaping his role.
I’m always kicked when he utters the words “Saiba Bogosh”, which means “Lord Forgive Me” in Konkani (my native language). Goans utter this phrase in many contexts - when they are flustered/ irritated/ are resigned to leave outcomes to the will of God!
Killer Dialogues
Joy Sengupta is stellar in the portrayal as Dev, the younger sibling of the patriarch, a successful lawyer in his own right. Yet, never fully acknowledged nor respected. He has a big crush on his former classmate Rachel Simons (another memorable character!). She’s a crafty defense lawyer and a real diva in the courtroom. Dev never acts on his crush for fear of atonement by his gun-toting wife.
I particularly enjoyed his conversation with Anushka in Episode 67 when she’s feeling weighed down by a big decision that will impact the fate of the firm and the fam. What a dialogue that was, and so beautifully portrayed by the two actors. I get a feeling, though, that there’s a silent agenda simmering beneath the seemingly cool-headed Dev. But it feels too early to say as I’ve only just watched Episode 70.
Another dialogue I thoroughly enjoyed was the one between father and daughter in Episode 1. Rajdeep (played by Sanjay Nath) has just announced that his protege Virat will succeed him at the firm (not his own daughter). Immediately after his announcement, he pleads with her to never leave his side. I recognised the sincerity of a good dad in those words, and it made me tear up a little.
I also enjoyed watching Deepak Parashar (crowned first ever Mr India in 1976), cast as the senior Mehta, especially, his conversations with Anushka, his granddaughter. Sadly, he has limited screen time (read about the actor’s fascinating real life story here)
Over all the series has a great cast, a solid plot, vibrant storytelling, and very memorable dialogues. I can’t wait to keep watching, and see where the series leads us!