Saas Bahu Achar Pvt. Ltd
A review of TVF original Saas Bahu Achar Pvt. Ltd.
My Role
Research, Writing
Type
Freelance
Year
2022
Yet another gem curated by TVF. ‘Saas Bahu Aachar Pvt. Ltd.’ is a stirring series revolving around (Suman) a woman determined to start her own business so she has enough money to get her kids home from their father. Separated due to divorce Suman (the protagonist) has managed to overcome every hardship of her entrepreneurial journey with the support of her ex-mother-in-law. Most Indian films and series portray a strained relationship between the Saas and Bahu (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law). In contrast, this TVF creation was like a breath of fresh air.
The series begins with no context of what has happened to the protagonist or any other character. Director Apoorv Singh Karki, with his brilliant direction, progressively disclosed the complexities of each character's background. This series also attempted to fragment some very old-age tropes of Indian society. The wife and mother-in-law can be good friends. The ex-wife and new wife can have cordial relations. The stepmom does not necessarily have to be an evil witch. The kids can choose to be with the stepmother. Many such relatable factors made the show a success.
Talking about the actors, Amruta Subhash stole the show. Her performance as Suman seemed effortless. The way she embodied herself as a typical middle-class Indian mother who is trying her level best to stand up on her feet for the first time after her divorce was nothing but laudable. The subtle details Amruta brings out to the character were too hard to miss. I am sure most viewers could relate to her day-to-day experiences while getting encouraged by her drive to succeed. In many scenes, her performance left me teary-eyed.
Mother-in-law Daughter-in-law duet
The second main character was the Saas (Mother-in-law), played by Yamini Das. She embraced the role with all her heart. I felt she had the best dialogues in the show, and her zeal made her character more delightful. The ways she has supported her Sumaniya (she called Suman that out of love) was just as any mother would have helped her daughter. By the same token, her dynamic with Manisha (the new daughter-in-law played by Anjana Sukhani) is also noteworthy. The series normalised their bond just like any other mother-in-law daughter-in-law relationship. There was no complaint, no quarrel between them; instead, they all lived together with mutual respect. Manisha should be given credit for being the other Bahu who took care of kids and home and did not let the house break. Typically in any middle-class Indian family, a daughter-in-law is considered the one who makes or breaks the house. This series showcases the exception of 2 daughters-in-law who made a place more strongly bonded, emotionally and physically.
The writers did an excellent job of representing the emotional inheritance we get with a lack of experience with a particular thing or people. Dilip’s (a self-centred man) character played by Anup Soni, who was quite convincing. His persona of an angry father comes from the background of his childhood without a father. As Juhi and Rishu's stepmother and Vivaan's mother, Anjana Sukhani's character (Manisha) is amiable and affectionate. Even after years of struggling with family acceptance, she has her own story. Manu Bisht, Nikhil Chawla, and Shreyansh Kaurav win hearts with their innocent acts.
To conclude, ‘Saas Bahu Aachar Pvt. Ltd. screams, “as long as you are alive, you are capable of achieving anything in life”. The uncanny title makes me think that the main ingredient of this series was the Achaar. In fact, Achaar (pickle) is used as an ironic symbol in the series. In all Indian households, pickle is used to bind the food together. It is used to enhance the flavour of the food and brings everyone together to enjoy the food with its salty and sweet piquancy. The homemade pickle business worked the same way as pickle works on a food plate. It brought everyone together at the end. I would recommend this series as it is a very inclusive show and has instore something or the other for all age groups.
