TV Show Review | Anaamika: Love triangle with super natural touch makes it unique; Rated 3.5 Stars

The 8 pm slot on the GEC nowadays are laden with TRP churners with the likes of Mahadev on Life OK, Balika Vadhu on Colors and Is Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon on Star Plus. With Sony Entertainment now bringing viewers an unusual love saga with a supernatural twist in the same time slot they have created a diversion for audiences from the usual soaps on air and this new offering for sure will attract eyeballs. Since Sony is always known to have had an innovative approach to content, their first, full-fledged thriller family drama will definitely be a change for viewers. ‘Anaamika’ aired on the channel on 26th November 2012 at 8 pm. The theme of Anaamika centres around a world full of love and happiness that is peppered with the mysterious and uncanny. It is about a witch who makes mysterious appearances to wreak havoc in the lives of a couple very much in love and who are on the threshold of marriage. She threatens the very foundation of their love. The story also deals with the ‘evil eye’ or ‘buri nazar’ factor which has no scientific explanation but believed to be true by most people today. The panacea for it is the concept of ‘nazar utaro’ which is also the theme around which the story is woven. Being a land of myths the Indian woman is always brainwashed with the fact that too much happiness in one’s life can attract jealousy and bring her downfall. Thus with this philosophy kept in mind the content is definitely innovative and mass appealing.

Set in present day Chandigarh, the story explores this intriguing world where a life filled with happiness, togetherness and love is subject to strange happenings. The story revolves around Jeet (Mudit Nayar) and Rano (Annie Gill), a young couple deeply in love and on the verge of marriage. The scene opens showing Jeet whose car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and he is stranded with no one in sight to help him . Inspite of much efforts he is unsuccessful in restarting his car. His cell phone too lets him down when it is unable to catch network in the sinister surroundings. Meanwhile we see the other protagonist Rano who is at the station to see her mother and sister off at the station . They are leaving on a religious trip to Jammu. She alights from the train and waits at the platform for Jeet to pick her up and take her home . We are taken back to Jeet who is scared out of his wits when he hears the sound of a woman sobbing in the nearby forest. Out of curiosity he veers towards the sound only to  land up in a lonely forest but he is unable to spot anyone. In the bargain he drops his bracelet which he is unaware of.  He finally meets an elderly man who helps him start his car. He then rushes to the station to pick up a very hassled and scared  Rano who is awaiting his arrival . Rano notices that Jeet’s bracelet is missing . They search his car but to no avail. They reach Saluja House (Rano’s house) much to the relief of her relatives. Jeet mingles with Rano’s family especially Bebe who treats him like one of the family member. The missing bracelet perturbs him and Rano especially since it was her gift to him. While leaving Rano’s house he is still concerned about his bracelet which makes a mysterious reappearance in his car .

The story line is very innovative and the pace is fast. Dialogues rendition by all the actors too  is good. The direction is excellent and picturisation too is commendable making the overall presentation worthy of viewing.  The special effects with the watchful eye always following Jeet is very intriguing and builds up the mystery for the viewer.

The young and fresh new faces of Mudit and Annie contribute to making it a serial with a difference. Both have given their best and their performances seem very natural. Being in the digital era and keeping with the times an elderly woman like Bebe (Rano’s grandmother ) is portrayed as a net and computer savvy person who also encourages the younger generation in her family to get involved with the social media. This goes to show the stark contrast in the story which has been conceptualized keeping in mind the modern times as well. Set in Punjab the story also revolves around a joint family where there is a sense of camaraderie as well as respect within the family members and family values are given their due respect.

The apparition which keeps haunting Jeet right through the story convinces us that it is a full fledged horror soap interspersed within a love story .

Anaamika includes a stellar star cast that comprises of the charming Annie Gill along with noted actors like Mudit Nayar, Madhu Malti, Sonika Gill, Namrata Dhanija, Deepak Dutta along with others.

It is believed that the story is actually based on a true incident and the entire series has been built around it. The show has a simple love triangle concept with a super natural touch that makes the show unique and more interesting. It is the first time that we see a daily soap following the paranormal lines. It is definitely a family entertainer but with a touch of the ominous. Just when the world is about to get picture perfect for Rano and Jeet their relationship is afflicted by the evil eye of  Anaamika who is determined to disrupt  their lives. Will their love survive the test of time and who is Anaamika?  Will Rano succeed in protecting her world from the supernatural powers of Anaamika? Only time will tell with the unfolding of the horror-soap meant to thrill one and all!

Adgully gives Anaamika a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.