#Review: Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka is a big STEP-UP for the social issues genre on TV

The show tackles its sensitive subject quite sensibly.

Star Plus has launched four new shows that are being aired in the afternoon slot. Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka? is one of them. It is an adaptation of Fatmagul, a Turkish drama. Fatmagul is based on a book that dealt with the rape of a woman. Star Plus is airing what looks like a faithful adaptation of the series that enjoyed good critical reception.

Here’s what we thought of the show-

The Story so Far..

The show begins with a shot of Amala (Pankhuri Awasthy) atop a tree branch where she is trying to retrieve a kite. In the introductory sequence you already see Amala’s childish nature. We’re then introduced to the love of her life, Dev (Anant Joshi) who is another small town guy and the two have been childhood sweethearts. The young couple is about to get married and Dev is already laying the foundations of their married life (a housing project in the hills). The two families of the girl and the boy are happy about the match and uptil now, we only see the brighter side, with the problem areas cropping up later.

Dev is back from his work trip and eager to see him, she heads out to the construction site. Here we see a hint of a sexual tension and teasing but, Amala steals away from her to-be husband and insists on waiting till their marriage.

This scene is interrupted by Dev’s mom who is in a rage at the shameful sight and so his Amala’s sister-in-law when she receives word of the incident. The marriage is almost called off but the families talk through it and make up.

In the midst of this drama we are given insight into Rajveer Singh’s character, Abeer. He is also a resident of the town and is on his way to see his friends who are returning to their home town on a break. He catches a glimpse of Amala as her shawl gets caught up in his car door. He looks on her with adoration as she jumps up a bus and takes off.

Speaking of marriage, Surveer, one of Abeer’s friends is getting engaged which brings our antagonist Malik played by Rajesh Khattar with Akshay Anand in tow. His is the role of a businessman. He is in Dharamshala to futher his interests in land acquisition. Abeer and his mother Karuna are to get embroiled into the mess.

This New Family that’s come in from Mumbai is looking to make a political connection along with the family bond through a wedding. For now it looks like there is a lot of family drama to iron out.

The show has impending marriage, one between Amala and Dev and another between Surveer and Maya (the daughter of a local politician). It shows signs of conflict with Amala being teased by Abeer’s friends as she slips and falls into a pond. We have the nagging Mando (Amala’s sister-in-law) and Dev’s budding adoration for Amala. This leads up to the expectation that the show has enough to keep viewer’s hooked for now.

The Good

We like how raw everything is. From the homes to the clothing and the manner of speaking are nailed down to the last loose end. It doesn’t look “made up” like most rural settings in Indian daily soaps do. With the story set in Dharamshala, the setting is impeccable, beautiful, remote and untouched. The sleepy little town strongly presents itself as a safe haven. This is precisely what makes the informed viewer apprehensive and almost afraid for the lead character. A gruesome crime doesn’t quite fit with the locale.

In terms of the lead character, her white clothes, her girlish charm and carefree movements signify a purity grounding her already as a blameless character. We can see how the character will have the viewer’s hearts and sympathy.

The Problem Areas

Adaptation in this series is cross-cultural. We will see the Turkish society translated through the Indian lens and we cannot be sure of how much gets lost in translation. For example, if Amala would have been victimized after consummating her love with Dev (pre-marriage) would the Indian viewer still sympathize with the pure, innocent girl?

The sister-in-law, Mando takes on the role of that one nagging family member who is prone to throwing around a bunch of taunts and comments. Her character keeps in check and is a constant reminder of traditional society the show is set in. A problem could be the manner in which such a character is adapted across cultures leading us to wonder if it will be just another regressive portrayal?

The Verdict
Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka does its job well. The characters seamlessly fit into their roles. So far, the show looks as realistic as it gets. It charms you with the natural presentation, some really good acting and a plot line that shows a lot of promise. We love how refreshingly different the show is. Even though the subject is pretty serious, viewer’s aren’t given an unappealing or gruesome picture. The show instead, eggs you on to keep watching and exploring the story.

Bringing in a series that deals with a gendered social issue is a risque move for the channel. The Indian audience doesn’t lean towards watching social dramas let alone one that revolves around a glaring crime like rape. It can easily be said that this is Indian TV’s baby steps into the social issues drama (minus the made up drama). This is definitely a good thing and we hope the audience sees it that way.

Ratings: 4/5 (****)