Suhaag Raat to Ghar Sasur: ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ Sinks Even Lower

‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ takes weird to a whole new level with a suhaag raat sequence and the concept of ghar sasur.

I have a confession to make. I’ve watched fifteen episodes of Pehredaar Piya Ki and to be honest, I should’ve just stopped at the promo. But the show’s blatant disregard for an audience’s intelligence makes my blood boil. This ‘9-year-old-prince-marries-an-18-year-old-princess’ cringe fest has put Sony TV on top of the TRP game! Are we really so easily blinded by false promotions that conveniently peg Pehredaar Piya Ki as the story of ‘a rare bonding’?

Apparently so. But since I’ve sacrificed significant grey matter on my journey with Diya from her blissed out maika to her scheming sasural, I must tell you that a LOT more is wrong with this idiotic royal bunch, than meets the eye.

Also Read: Review: ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ Is Taking TV to Its Lowest Point Ever

Ewwwww... Suhaag Raat

If Ratan banna ‘stalking’ Diya gave you the creeps in the very first episode, wait till the writers force them into sleeping in the same bed. The wait isn’t long I assure you. It’s too quick for comfort in fact. Whoever is writing this show might have the imagination of a zombie, but their sanskaars are bang in place. So no sex happens on their first ‘unwelcome’ night in the sasural (thank goodness!), but the child, who has been fed Rajput machoism and breast milk in equal measure, tells his adult wife that it’s ok for her to hold his hand while sleeping, if she feels scared at night. Hang on a minute, isn’t she meant to be the pehredaar in the relationship? By the way, I hear they’re about to go on... wait for it.... their honeymoon!

Because the Pehredaar Needs a Pehredaar Too

The spoilt little prince needs a mother but he lands himself a wife. I think the genius who thought of that has some unresolved nanny issues or worse, unresolved mommy issues. But so desperate is the attempt to shock in Pehredaar Piya Ki, that they introduce the concept of ghar sasur. Diya’s father decides to move into her sasural with the sole purpose of protecting the pehredaar. Confused? You’re exactly where they want you. If she’s the chosen one, the only capable protector, then why should she need a man looking out for her? Why is she projected as such a naive girl who needs to be taught these mind games?

First they marry Diya off to uphold the flimsy ideas of pride and courage. Though I like his audacity but the show is mistaking ‘bizarre’ for ‘progressive’. Maybe they thought, if a girl can leave her home after marriage, what’s wrong with her father accompanying her? Well, not much, other than the fact that it beats the whole purpose behind this arrangement. Frankly, it’s a serious WTF moment for Diya’s in-laws and for viewers too.

White Skin Hangover

Ratan banna just lost both his parents in a tragic accident, but that doesn’t seem to haunt him one bit. He sleeps like a baby and wakes up with a stronger infatuation for Diya every damn day. Sindoor keeps him distracted enough from even thinking of the dead and gone and he never misses the opportunity to give his adult wife gyan about what to do and how to be. He even picks out her clothes and jewellery. But then comes the real shocker. One morning as Diya is enjoying a moment alone with a hot cup of tea, he forbids her from drinking it. How can a pari drink chai? What if she turns dark or even dusky?

Puke puke puke!

Was that meant to pass off as casual banter? How is this happening for real? Women are going nuts trying to break stereotypes and fight body shaming, but the people behind this show are still feeding kids and adults regressive BS. Now a woman can’t even drink her tea in peace?

Clearly, Pehredaar Piya Ki is not targeted at the feminist type like me in the first place. Wow, isn’t that a convenient excuse for Indian television to linger in its regressive comfort zone!

Could These Characters Be More Fake?

Diya the pehredaar is all shrieks and drama at the sight of a cockroach and even his adorable pet puppies. She’s full of self doubt, never speaks her mind and is easily alarmed to the point of looking stupid. Ratan seems absolutely unharmed by the sudden loss of his loving parents, smitten by the idea of his pari. He’s so desperate to hit puberty that he pledges to drink palak soup everyday. Chhoti thakraani tries so hard to look ominous that she manages to scare off the show’s writers. They’ve barely given her any dialogues, just the weirdest expressions! And there’s not one scene that explains why Ratan is so attached to her in the first place. Diya’s royal loyal father freezes when he’s handed a hotel bill of one lakh rupees, like he’ll have to squeeze every last paisa to pay it.

The lazy writers of Pehredaar Piya Ki couldn’t manage to give even a single pivotal character any substance whatsoever.

So how does Pehredaar Piya Ki justify its central premise? Well, Rajputs don’t need no explaining. A similar situation was accepted decades ago. So if ancestors can, why can’t we? That’s it, literally. To make things a little worse, Ratan’s father, the dying Datta Hukum, hopes that 12 years hence, when Ratan comes of age and Diya matures into a 30 year old woman, love and sexual attraction will bloom. Will it ever make sense though? The writers of Pehredaar Piya Ki surely don’t care about that. Respect, desires, ambitions and storytelling can all go to hell, now and 12 years hence.

(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue?
Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL at [e-mail] or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)