On a right note

Geet
Mondays to Fridays,9.30 pm,STAR One
Geet,an innocent Punjabi girl is married off to a NRI based in “Kanneda” (read Canada) but obviously,things are not going to be smooth for her as her husband and in-laws start revealing their true,ghastly colours. And as the title Geet – Hui Sabse Hui Parayi – suggests,she is hardly going to get any help from her large family consisting of a patriarch who prefers to hear his own voice; his order is the law of the house so poor Geet stands a hell’s chance in protesting just about anything. There is another hot-blooded son in the family who with his kohl-lined eyes prefers to get into honour killings and feels the izzat of all the women in his house and village is his responsibility. Then there is an assortment of bhabhis and nanads for whom the sole aim is to marry off Geet,a pretty,innocent girl who like most girls would rather study and spend some more years of bliss and fun at her maternal house than go get married to the first guy the patriarch gets for her.

Meanwhile,the Kanneda family has a widowed mother,who barely opens her mouth,a bhabhi who does all the dealing and an irritating nanad who doesn’t think twice before pocketing an expensive jadau neckpiece belonging to Geet’s family! And then there is Dev who with his straight sincere bespectacled looks manages to impress Geet’s family and after an initial hiccup is all set to marry her.

The story about how gullible ladkiwallas marry off their daughters to rich NRIs without even bothering to check their credentials is very much today. And so are the honour killings that take place in remote parts of our country where a girl is viewed more as a liability. She has scarce say in matters concerning her own life and most often than not,it’s the women in her family who let her be the sacrificial goat without the slightest murmur. Sad but true. As a viewer,you already get that sinking feeling of Geet’s life turning into a nightmare once she marries the double-faced Dev. There is ample scope for melodrama (flaring nostrils,heavy duty lines and maar dhaad) so we only hope the makers resist going overboard. Also,if they stick to the core story about dishonest NRI marriages (without any extra trappings),they have a winner on their hands. Dhrashti Dhami as Geet puts in a very gentle,restrained,shy performance,just what is expected of her as of now while Abhinav Shukla as ‘the sly,gentleman’ Dev is perfect.
Verdict: Watch it,it may just teach you a few things on how to cherish the apple of your eye before marrying her off to a heartless man.