Siddhivinayak Review: This Hate-to-Love Saga Looks Worth A Try
Show Title: Siddhivinayak
Channel: &TV
Timings: Monday to Friday 9 pm
Like me, if you too are under the impression that &TV’s new serial ‘Siddhivinayak’ is a mythological show based on Lord Ganesha then you are wrong. This is a love-hate drama (my favourite drama trope) where the two leads initially hate each other which gradually changes into love. The female lead’s name is Siddhi and the male lead is known as Vinayak hence the name, Siddhivinayak. The serial stars Neha Saxena and Nitin Goswami. I watched the first episode of this show and here is my impression of it.
Siddhivinayak (2017)
Episode 1
In a voiceover, we hear a man say that Mumbai is a city of dreams and the heart of entertainment business because here resides the world’s biggest director Lord Ganesha. Mumbai city is full of stories and one such story that has drama and tragedy and everything else that makes a blockbuster Hindi film.
Year 2003
Dressed in traditional folk dance saree, Siddhi and her mother wait at the crossing junction to cross the road. Siddhi stands close behind her mother as she is clearly nervous of crossing the road. Just then, Vinayak comes up from behind and heads towards the road with a bamboo stick in his hand. He then holds the bamboo stick with both hands above his head and stands in the middle of the road. When the cars halt before him, he calls Siddhi to come ahead and cross the road. (Kiddo!!! Are you crazy?? And why is Siddhi’s mother just looking at him? Had I done something like that, my mother would have whacked me then and there.)
Siddhi’s mother lets out a laugh when she realises that Vinayak is standing in the middle of the road only to help Siddhi cross the road. The mother and daughter then cross the road as Siddhi beams with joy looking at Vinayak who looks equally happy to help her. (Awwwwwwwwwwwww……. Baccha love. So cute!)
Vinayak then holds Siddhi’s hand and ‘protects’ her from a speeding cycle and a dog just to see he happy and safe. At a playground, kids are having a match when one team is about to lose and the boys start looking for Vinayak who they consider the colony’s Sachin Tendulkar.
Backstage, Siddhi chews on her nails as she is nervous before her performance. Vinayak tells her not to be nervous as he will be sitting right in front so she can look at him and perform. Siddhi’s mother tells her that she still has 30 more minutes before her performance and by that time her father will surely be there. Siddhi seems to relax. Vinayak’s friends come looking for him and tell him that their team is losing without him.
Vinayak then heads to the playground and hits quick sixes as he knows he has only 30 minutes in hand. In the makeup room, Siddhi’s father arrives and sees her nervous. He knows she is worried because she is the youngest contestant in the competition. He reminds her that she is there because she is a fabulous dancer and that she need not fear competition. He then hands her a jersey with her name and number 1 written on it.
He tells her that she is already a winner for him. The organiser informs Siddhi that she has 5 minutes to her performance and she wonders if Vinayak will be there by that time.
Siddhi heads onto the stage and looks for Vinayak in the audience. But he is not there because he is on the playground hitting consecutive sixes that make his team win.
He then quickly heads back to the auditorium on a cycle. On his way, he falls off his cycle that hits a rock. He hits his head and bleeds from the knee, but still, rushes to the auditorium. Meanwhile. Siddhi stands transfixed on the stage as she is unable to spot Vinayak. The organiser prompts her to start, so she closes her eyes and folds her hand in a prayer. When she opens her eyes, she sees Vinayak running down the aisle. Happy to have her lucky charm there, she then performs with vigour and Vinayak sits on the aisle mesmerised by her performance.
Results are announced and Siddhi is declared the winner. Vinayak dances in the aisle celebrating her victory as she lifts the prize smiling at him.
Siddhi’s mother, Savita waits for Vinayak’s mother and her friend Manjiri outside the temple when Siddhi’s father bids her goodbye saying that he has to resume duty considering the ongoing Ganesh festival. After he leaves, we see a man talk on the phone telling someone that Inspector Aniket’s daughter is right before his eyes and that she will not reach home from the temple today as they have a plan to kidnap her.
A flower vendor at the temple teases Savita over Manjiri’s late coming habits when Manjiri arrives and tells her that she and Savita have been coming to the temple for several years now and there is no way she will miss a day.
The lady then asks Siddhi about her dance competition and she tells her that she won it. The lady gives her a modak (sweetmeat) congratulating her and Manjiri interjects that she should hand her some money instead of a sweet and the lady gives her eleven rupees considered as an auspicious amount for good work. Manjiri then smacks Vinayak’s head and he drops his ice-cream. Siddhi hands him her ice-cream and even defends him when Manjiri scolds him for injuring himself.
Vinayak and Siddhi run towards the temple holding hands when Manjiri comments that, her Shah Rukh (i.e. Vinayak) is running away with her Savita’s Kajol (i.e. Siddhi) and the two women enjoy the sight of the two little munchkins having a good time together.
On the way a few policemen greet Savita and Manjiri notes that Siddhi’s father is a very respected police officer, unlike her husband who is always hankering after money.
Cut to, Manjiri’s husband Shankar drives on as he tells his partner that if they continue working like this, they will soon own a fleet of trucks. The partner then looks tensed as he notices the policemen at the check-post. Shankar steps out of his truck and tells the policeman that he is transporting grey market stuff this time. He then shows him a box of mobile phones without receipts to prove his claim. He then bribes the inspector saying that he can keep the expensive mobile phone as a gift. The inspector agrees and then asks for money. Shankar then tells him that he must not get too greedy and be happy with phones that he is giving him.
The policeman agrees to the deal and allows his truck to pass the check post. Shankar’s partner feels amazed at Shankar’s astuteness. Shankar then states that in order to be a successful person, you must have two things, one is a big heart and Lord Ganesha’s blessings and he has both.
At the temple, Manjiri and Savita are doing the arati when Manjiri nudges Savita to notice Vinayak who is busy looking at Siddhi instead of praying. Manjiri then smacks him to pay attention to the arati instead of staring at Siddhi. After the arati, Vinayak and Siddhi together prostrate themselves before Lord Ganesha. The temple priest praises the fact that Manjiri and Savita have been coming to the temple together since their childhood and now even their kids do the same. He then asks Vinayak and Siddhi if they will continue visiting the temple and they both promise to always visit the temple every Tuesday.
After they leave the temple, Siddhi notices that Vinayak is still struggling with his shoelaces. She then scolds him for not being able to tie his laces despite being taught so many times. She then ties his lace for him while he lovingly stares at her. (One second, isn’t Vinayak too young to be feeling such ‘feelings’ for a girl? I didn’t know boys of that age could be smitten so strongly.)
Manjiri then asks Savita if she is convinced that Vinayak really does not know how to tie shoelaces or if she too feels that he fakes not knowing how to tie laces only so Siddhi can help him with it.
They then proceed towards a Ganesh procession. Siddhi then gets lost in the crowd and Vinayak immediately notifies Savita of it who panics.
First Episode First Impression
Hate turning love is my favourite drama trope because I like the aggression that comes forth in such love stories. From this first episode, you can clearly see that Siddhi and Vinayak care for each other. They are besties and everyone is aware of their affection for each other. It will be interesting to see the two former besties turn enemies. I liked the two little kids in this episode. The little boy’s acting was fabulous and the girl too was cute.
It is clear that Vinayak’s father is going to harm Siddhi’s family which will create the rift and they will grow up to hate each other. The first episode was not something exceptional. It was like a regular episode where characters are introduced and relationships are made clear. Things will change only when Vinayak and Siddhi will grow up. I hope Neha and Nitin have good chemistry because this will eventually be a romantic drama.
What looked nice?
For now, I did not find anything spectacular about this show. The first episode seemed lukewarm. It did not leave an impact on me. It also did not generate any interest. I think the interest for the show will develop only after Neha and Nitin come onscreen. Until then, things don’t seem too intriguing.
What did not look nice?
I know Siddhi is 9 years old but how old is Vinayak? I guess he must be somewhere between 10 to 12 years old. Such a little boy likes to stare at the girl he fancies? I am not against puppy love but watching two sweet looking kids acting like adults in love felt disturbing. I am fine with them caring for each other, but that ‘staring’ business was a little too much. I remember having crushes at that age, and I remember overacting in from of my crushes but I never ever stared at my crush. I never even saw a boy that young lovingly glance at a girl the way Vinayak looked at Siddhi. Kids are very innocent and they are not privy to such feelings. I just was to say that, Director saab, chillax!! We get it. Siddhi and Vinayak are childhood lovers. But yeh to kuch bhi tha (this was nonsense).
Siddhivinayak looks like a decent watch. I would be more interested when the main leads come into the picture. If love-to-hate is your favourite trope too, then give this serial a try.
You can watch this online on Ozee.com.
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