Just Another Love Story

Channel: STAR Plus

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IN the opening scene of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon – Ek Baar Phir,Shlok Agnihotri (Avinash Sachdev) sprints to the top of a hill and declares to the sun that he’ll never let it rise first or allow it to shine brightly in his life again.

Through this dialogue,our anti-hero Shlok sucessfully delivers a character sketch — seething with anger,riddled with issues,and refusing to nurse a broken heart. The man despises women. He would rather have them sit at home. Enter Astha Kiloskar (Shrenu Parikh) — chirpy,helpful,independent,girl-next-door who has a jugaad for everything.

Families are introduced — the gentleman sahib essayed by Niranjan Agnihotri (Shlok’s father),Geetanjali Tikekar as the tyrant mother-in-law,Anjali Agnihotri (Shlok’s mother),bhaiya and bhabhi,and the Kiloskar family.

While the Agnihotris are educationists,the Kiloskars work for them. Through a series of coincidences,Shlok and Astha’s paths cross,and misunderstandings become the order of the day. The situations do get tacky for one doesn’t expect a busy honcho Shlok to react with such aggression to inconsequential events. Shrenu as Astha,on the other hand,is fluid.

Riding high on the success of season one,and especially on the Barun Sobti-Samaya Irani on-screen chemistry,season two needs to pump up the charisma. The show is set in the mould of a good girl reforming a bad boy formula.

As usual,the show runs in slow motion,exaggerated pauses,lavish sets,and drumming background score. We are waiting to be taken by surprise with the promised dramatic twists. Jaskiran Kapoor