Mahi Way (Indian, Drama)
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Normally Indian television is filled with daily soaps and all sort of stupid absurd nonsense which makes me want to say what a waste of a good half an hour. But someday, in the middle of all these came an experiment on Sony Entertainment Television. Five dramas. You know the kind that has real standard and is not more than a 50 or some episodes.
That was a treat. Although many of theses 5 were good, one was unforgettable. And that was Mahi Way.
It was something that made many of us girl remind our lives and how it should be. It made me empathize and I have at times cried for no reason watching this drama.
The story tells about the life of a fat girl, Mahi Talwar.
I have mentioned earlier in the review of the film 200 pounds beauty, that I am also a bit fat. So maybe that is why Mahi Way was unforgettably for me. And not just for me, for everyone. Almost every girl I knew loves this drama. And even though its been years since it was aired we all will never forget this.
In fact, my cousin sister's hobby is to watch Mahi Way again and again on Youtube.
Technical details: The drama is of about 52 minutes. (When in TV it was of an hour, but that included ads). And it consists of 25 episodes. All the episodes is available in Youtube.
Characters :
Mahi Talwar : A cute and funny fat girl who works in a magazine as a column writer. She was fat since childhood. And she had never had a boyfriend, and according to her, will never have any ever.But she enjoys life and have fun and try to live her life full. Always try to stay happy even when things are going bad for her.Roshni : Mahi's best friend. She likes to go out a lot, and always end up with different guys in one week.
Sid : Mahi's other best friend. He is gay. And he likes to be come a designer. He is really a sweet type guy.
Ishaan Sigh Aluwaliya : A really hunk type guy and Mahi have a crush on him. He is works in the same building and his office. A guy that is really popular in media and with woman. He always seem so unattainable for Mahi.
Shiv Desraj : Mahi's childhood friend, who comes back home after a lot of years. His idea of fun seems to match with Mahi a lot and he has a different way than any other guys. He doesn't seem to the type that will hurt someone.Story Synopsis :
Mahi Talwar is a really cute but Fat girl. But she has never had a boy friend, nor will she ever have, she thinks. In fact boys in her schools used to make fun of her calling her a Hippo. Her family is not even a help. Her mother always likes to scold her and ask her to get married to someone. But Mahi is still hopeful and romantic. She hopes she will get her prince charming some day.
Plus Mahi has a sister, who is married, but still likes to come home a paster Mahi.
Mahi's only relief is her ever best friends - Roshni and Sid. But then Roshni gets all the attention of guys, and Mahi always is the Hippo. She is not really really sad, like as to cry for. But she is distressed by this. Like you know, when you already know that you have no chance at love...it is a bit of a bothering thing, right?
Well, one day Ishan accidently happen to talk to Mahi at a photo shoot. Mahi is all flushed about it. But then she decides that maybe Ishaan is not so unattainable. She decided to give it a shot. Anyway her mother has given her a dead line to get married. Until then, she can try her luck.
Mahi began to send things to Ishaan anonymously, flowers, a massager kit etc. In short, trying to pursuit him by being a screat admirer. Ishaan begins to get curious about all this.
Around this time, Mahi's childhood friend Shiv comes back. Now Shiv and Mahi had been always playing with Dinky cars when they were kids and were quiet close.
Now that Shiv is back, his and Mahi's frequency seem to match well also.
Mahi finally disclose her identity to Ishaan, and he doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
Then they go on a weekend trip together, where they have sex. And then, after all that, Ishaan breaks up with Mahi coz he can't accept their relationship in public.
Then, Mahi gets fired from the Magazine, coz of budget cut.
Mahi is sad and heartbroken.
About this time, Rohni also finds someone, and is getting engaged. That freaks out Mahi more. At the engagement party, Mahi gets drunk, and tells Shiv the sad story of her life about how no one wants her, and also that she got dumped after doing something that a good Indian girl will do only after marriage.
Shiv doesn't say anything. He just listened amused.
Shiv convince Mahi to find another Job. And Mahi gets the job in a TV program for children, where she has to act as a Hippo in a stuffed suite. This makes her more irritated, but she has to endure all that. Shiv helps her to feel ok about that she is being a Hippo in he show.
Mahi and Shiv get along well even after that, and he brings her food and snacks and they eat it on terrace. Mahi tell Shiv how she doesn't know how to swim, because she always was concious about to be seen in a swim suit.
Shiv takes her to a pool at night time, when no one is there and teaches her swimming.
It was when Mahi and Shiv was going really when when Roshni and Sid tell her that Shiv and Mahi will make a good pair. Mahi laughs at it and tell them that they are just friends.
But then she also begins to feel that there might be a possibility of that... She imagines how it will be if Shiv and she were together and get confused. At one end, he is just a friend, and other end that might not be such a bad idea for them to be together.
Then Shiv and Mahi helps Sid to launch his own designer brand. And at the launch, Sid only calls Shiv on to the stage and says that he helped him a lot. This hurts Mahi, since she had helped Shiv also. Then suddenly Roshni seemed to be interested in Shiv. Drunk Roshni tried to kiss Shiv, Mahi sees this and feel really hurt about it. Shiv pushes off Roshni and follows Mahi, but she stays angry at Shiv, and breaks friendship with him. Shiv tell her that he was going to ask her to be his navigator in Himalayan Rally, but now just forget t. The Next day Shiv leaves for Himalayan Rally.
That is when a new tenant comes to Mahi's house. The top floor of Mahi's house is rented by a guy, Dev. Dev is a writer who came from America, to write a novel bout Delhi. He wants to stay in Delhi and research and write a Novel. Mahi begins to think may be this is her destiny, and says 'only a writer can understand a writer'.
Mahi starts to hang out in Dev's house more, and help him in household work. And Dev shamelessly ask her to do this and that, and in all the excitement of attraction, Mahi doesn't even realise that she is not being respected.
But hanging out with Dev is a bit boring for Mahi coz. Dev likes all this super boring serious arts and dramas which Mahi doesn't understand at all.
Then Shiv comes back. Even though Shiv tries to be really funny, and try to get Mahi talk to him, Mahi is still a bit grumpy to him.On Divali, Mahi plans to propose to Dev. But that is when Shiv come to her and tell her that he loves her, and can't live without her. He ask her to marry her.
Even though this was the first time a guy is proposing to her, Mahi rejects Shiv. "No." she says, "I love someone else."
She leaves Shiv and goes to Dev and tell him that she likes him. He rejects her, and tell that he likes someone else. But then Mahi asks why did he let her hang out with him to much then, and why did he let her help with house works... Dev tells her that he was using her, and insults her about her weight asking who will want her.
Mahi is again heart broken.
Then she looses her job as the Hippo in the TV program. This was really a blow for the second time. So she gets all depressed. and stays home and eat.
Sid and Roshni can't see her like this, and they have to literally drag her to Goa for a holiday for the friends. In Goa, Mahi tried to be normal and have fun, and then she meets a guy and thinks maybe she finally got a shot at love. But then, that guy just wants to get her to bed. He ask what else will he do with such a fat girl. This break Mahi again.
But then the next day in Goa, arrives Shiv and they all met again. Mahi begins to fall for Shiv. But she doesn't admit her feelings.
But before Mahi could tell Shiv about her feelings, Ishaan comes back to her life, and Ishaan apologize to Mahi and tell her how much he loves her, and ask her to marry him. Mahi is struck dumb. She thinks, this is Ishaan we are talking about. The guy she was obsessed about for ages, her dream guy. She forgets Shiv and agrees to be with Ishaan.
The wedding preparations begins to go on... And Mahi's family is really happy. But as the wedding preparations go on, Mahi begins to wonder if she is going to marry Ishaan because she loves him, or because that is the easiest ting to do, and will make everyone else happy?
She can't see herself fitting happily in Ishaan's life.. Yet she is going to marry him. Why?
She wonders if it was Shiv, then how it was. She compares both...and yet is confused... Both lives seem incredible, but in which one she is more happier...??
On the night of the wedding Mahi gets her answer. She gets the answer that she is happy as she is. As she is now. She is happy as single. And she doesn't have to get married to Ishaan, just because of a deadline her mother set. She is happy as she is and needs more time to figure out life.
Then she calls Shiv also and tell him that she hasn't married yet. She tell a relived Shiv a bye and a 'well talk more when we meet', and hangs up.
And there is where the drama ends... with Mahi sitting in a restaurant in her wedding dress, eating a burger with money borrowed from a stranger...with her groom left at the aisle, and her best friend being a 'potential boyfriend',...currently single but happy.
The story might be quiet simple, but the way it is executed is so perfect that it becomes funny and light and also romantic. A perfect script with a lot of philosophies about life and happiness. Something that teaches you a lot. Something that tells you that you can be happier as you are, however you are. Don't let the world squish you down. If it does, then get up again and smile..... Coz that ho it should be. That's her way... Mahi's way.
My rating of this Drama : 100000000000000000000000000000/10. (Ya. I like it that much)
