BMTD Style Quotient Gets a Refresh!

For all fans of Banoo Main Teri Dulhann, BMTD Style Quotient and Divyanka Tripathy there is good news - we are going to do a refresh!

But what does a refresh mean exactly when:

1. Banoo Main Teri Dulhann went off air A FEW years ago! :( 
2. re-runs of the show have come ... and gone. :(
3. and, even Sharad ...excuse me Ssharad (!!) & Divyanka are no longer a couple! :( :(

Glad you asked.  Well, let's start with a few facts. At the writing of this post:

1. Divyanka Tripathy on a new show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (YHM).
2. YHM happens to be on StarPlus - one rocking channel with great TRPs & presence.
3. YHM is also a Balaji Production - led by Ekta Kapoor - double whammy!
4. Karan Patel - the lead of YHM is AT LEAST as stylish as Ssharad (grrr..bothersome spelling.. who does that???)
5. YHM has taken style to a different level (IMHO).
6. Indian Television has much more POW than at the time of BMTD... Much more.

This calls for celebration ... and blogging, of course!! 

So stick around as BMTD Style Quotient transitions over to 2015!!

Cheers!

Top 5 Lessons from the Bharat-Aditi Mehndi

It's the time of second marriages on Dulhann. After Amar's impromptu hitching to Gauri, we have the Bharat-Aditi Mehndi Ceremony. As we are all suspect Bharat & Aditi will NOT get married this time around - alas, they are not as quick as Amar - we shall have to make do with the Mehndi ceremony.

Highlights of the ceremony... Bharat (Mohit) looking dashing in a red and gold silk sherwani. Wait, didn't we see the same kurta on Sharad earlier in the track? Hmmm...can we say cost-cutting? Well, both gentlemen looked dashing in any case!

Additi (Shamin) matched Bharat to the tee in full-on red saree with elaborate jewellery and tikka. The two certainly were a vision together.

But that's where the buck stops my friends. The rest of the ceremony looked like a lack luster, quickly thrown together affair, as opposed to the wedding that Divya had always wanted to throw for her nephew/brother-in-law. But not an entire loss. Here's what we can all learn from this affair:

5. Spend more than Rs.200 to decorate the venue. A few lights, some streamers, decorative flowers. Something "I didn't just pull this all together yesterday."
4. Expand the guest list. Invite people you actually know to the ceremony, not just your mausi's friends who will dance around you. Maybe a male friend or two - and the 'Baba' who is taking care of your home and brought you up. Consider expanding the guest list past 5 people.
3. Invest the money in a good DJ who can play dhin-chak Bollywood numbers at the party.
2. Get RSVP from close family - like Amar - who is willing to dance to the dhin-chak Bollywood numbers in #3. Ask Divya bhabhi. If not, hire people from other serials to dance for you.

....and the number one lesson to be learned.....

1. NEVER EVER invite your first (and current) husband to your second (illegal) marriage!

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1st September Issue: Wedding Story

WEDDING STORY

Last week's second wedding ceremony is the last (presumeably) in a long line of wedding-related festivities for Amar-Divya/Sagar-Vidya. So let's take a walk down memory lane and revisit wedding grandeur - BMTD style!

The Weddings Three

Well, officially three weddings; unofficially more. The more the merrier, we say. Each marriage the start of a new chapter in life and an opportunity to decorate, dress up, and smile. No complaints here!

First came the Sagar-Vidya wedding. By far the the most lavish of the three weddings, it lasted for three whole episodes, with every character decked out, including the bride who was laden in gold. A lovely wedding venue, Shivji, traditional red/gold attire, and a thunder lightning rain dance thrown in for good measure.

Amar-Divya's wedding in contrast was exactly the opposite - quiet, intimate, simple and quick. The attire was unconventional: the bride in blue-green/magenta with very light diamond jewellery and the groom in a yellow/black sherwani - but appropriate for the setting. Though both weddings were strong in style and, of course, Shambhunathji, this was one romantic wedding ceremony!

And finally, the renewal of A-D's wedding vows (last week), was a quicker, considerably less-dramatic version of the S-V wedding. This time, the venue was the Singh Mansion, decked out in all its grandeur. Divya did wear an elaborate red/gold lehnga with gold jewellery, but considerably simpler than for the S-V wedding. Amar, on the other hand, made a much stronger impact with the solid red/black sherwani, while still looking traditional. This was an eye-candu wedding: peaceful and beautiful. Finally!

More Weddings

Throughout Amar-Divya's love story, Shambhunathji, and the audience, was prodding them to reunite, resulting in two additional impromptu unofficial 'weddings'. These may not have been as stylish, but they deserve honorable mention. Both were in Banaras - the first when Divya unknowingly exchanged garlands with Amar (during Poornima Mahapujan) and the second when Amar, intoxicated, put sindoor in Divya's maang (Holi).

The varmaala exchange (left,top) was the first time we saw Divya in Indian attire and the venue was warm and colorful. This particular scene is a popular favourite with Divya glowing in a simple blue-green churidaar-kurta, and Amar looking oh-so-cute in a pink silk kurta with jeans.

The Holi Sindoor (vermillion) scene (left, bottom) isn't stylish, but its fun. Aesthetically, Divya in white with a red dupatta and an even more red maang was pretty, but getting married while drunk may work in Las Vegas, not in Hindi serials, so this one didn't stick.

Even More Weddings

And then there are the weddings where our hero-heroine were not marrying each other, and although never completed, some went pretty far before coming to a grinding halt. In fact, some were even really stylish, so here were go.

First, the Tushar-Vidya wedding. This was a sad, heart wrenching wedding at night, in an open temple, in the wind and rain. This was one tragically beautiful ceremony. Both Tushar and Vidya looked captivating. This wedding went as far as the second pheraa before Vidya collapsed of poisoning to be whisked away by Sagar.

Then, there was the Amar-Bindiya wedding. This one didn't go far, but both characters did manage to dress up for an (innocent!) encounter in Bindiya's bedroom where it was called off.

And finally, the Samrat-Divya wedding: deception, accusations, fist-fighting, gun-play and love - this wedding was on a different level altogether. It was a quickie Singh Mansion wedding with both Divya and Samrat looking good! Amar, however, was a different story altogether.

Plus, a bonus for long time BMTD fans - a scene from the Chinu-Shalu wedding!

[Scenes: Tushar-Vidya wedding(TL,TM,TR), Samrat-Divya wedding(BL), Chinu-Shalu wedding(BM), Amar-Bindiya wedding(BR)]

Wedding Parties

What's a wedding without parties before and after them? These integral parts of all serial weddings are an ideal opportunity for drama and, what else? dressing up!

[Scenes: S-V Wedding Reception party(TL), A-D Engagement party(TR), A-D Godh-bharai(BL), A-D Mehndi ceremony(BR)]

Suhaag Raats

This is a party of a different sort - a party for two. While Amar-Divya hold the guiness world record for most weddings (without divorce), Sagar-Vidya will go down in history for the most (ineffective) suhaag raat attempts. Still, from a style perspective the result is more eye-candy for the viewers. Let's check them out.

[Scenes: S-V wedding night (TL), S-V recovered Sagar first learns he is married (TR), S-V Sagar finally accepts Vidya (BL), A-D 2nd wedding in loooooove (BR)]

Other Gems

Lets close with some random wedding-related scenes strewn throughout the serial. See if you can recognize them all.

[Scenes: Sam-Divz engagement (TL,TC); Mahua-Lallan mehndi (TR);Mahua-Rajiv wedding (CL);Chinu-Shalu wedding (CC);Sam-Kam engagement (CR); Mahua-Some_guy engagement(BL), Sam-Divz mehndi (BC,BR)]

Hope you enjoyed this trek back in time. Till next time ...

22nd August Issue

Its the season of 2's on Dulhann. This past week saw the 2nd-husband track end and the 2nd-wedding track begin for Amar-Divya. And soon the 2nd entry of Bharat into the Singh Mansion. So while there's plenty in store for the upcoming week, let's look at some of the gems that came our way this past week.

THE GOOD

Raksha bandhan, Sindoora-scheming, and unpacking - all in one mighty stylish scene. Bharat's bubble-gum pink silk shirt is a statement in itself. Like it or leave it, the message is clear: real men DO wear pink! The real scene stealer, however, was Divya who appears to be absorbing Bharat's confidence along with his colour sense. For those looking for change from the 'Vidya' look - this vivacious pink polka-dot print saree definitely screams Divya. Definitely a step in the right direction. Next step - tie the saree a little differently. Last step - open the hair.


The return of Divya. It was a breath of fresh air - Divya with hair open, wearing a night suit, flirting in English. This scene was a brief reminder of the Amar-Divya viewers fell in love with. Classic A-D.


How can one possibly exclude mention of the proposal? This black-tie dinner was the prelude for the upcoming week's festivities. Amar, sporting a black "gentleman" self-striped suit, white-on-white shirt/tie, and huge dimples looked completely at home in his attire and the setting; while Divya was warm and lovely in her blue-green and gold sequinned saree, making this one of the most charming scenes between the duo thus far. Happy, charming and uniquely Amar-Divya.

THE SHADY

What is going on with Chachi? Massage therapy resulting in age reduction rather than weight loss. Very strange and pointless. However, if they're not careful, Chachi may just end up look younger than Divya!

THE SURPRISE

Amar is wearing chocolate brown (jacket) in a scene this week. While this shade of brown is completely trendy and looks very flattering on Sharad, neither Amar nor Sagar ever wore it. What a pleasant surprise. Let's hope we see a repeat of both the colour and the casual style again soon.

THE TREND

The last few weeks have seen Divya wearing light-fabric printed sarees with applique borders. This style is a definite departure from Vidya's solid and shaded sarees, setting Divya slightly apart. So far, there have been a lot of subtle polka-dots and booti motifs, but it will be interesting to see how far Divya experiments with the prints. Here are a few examples of this trend in action.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR NEXT?

• Development of Aditi's style and character (finally)
• Changes in Bharat's style because of his entry in the Singh Mansion
• Divya's confidence and style boost as she starts winning some battles
• Lots of wedding and party wear!

15th August Issue

With changing personalities, new characters, and storyline twists there's lots of styling going on BMTD. This time, it's the men that win out while the leading ladies play it safe. Here's a quick look at last week's highlights.THE UPs
Amar is high styling with his Executive Class Boardroom attire. Classic suits in solid colors paired with color-on-color shirt/tie combos make for one stylish businessman. Quite the departure from Sagar's casual workwear of jeans & sports jackets. Added bonus - Sharad's hair is reaching an interesting length, where it starts to have a personality of its own - upping Amar's style quotient considerably. So, while Amar isn't saying all that much these days, his style is saying it all!

The introduction of Bharat with the stylish full suit & open shirt look has been impressive to say the least. Black silk shirts, loosely-styled suits, plus all the trimmings put Bharat over the top in terms of raw style appeal. Plus, the messy hair look gives this dark angel a vulnerability that is oh-so-appealing. Two thumbs up!
THE DOWNs
Viren's black velvet cutout leopard-like jacket which he wears frequently seems to be standard issue villain wear. Well, along with Samrat's African safari attire.

THE SURPRISEs
This is the third sighting of the red-and-gold all-purpose bridal festivities saree seen exclusively during religious fasting occasions. This just goes to show that even sarees and their blouses have a karmic destiny. This particular saree has shown up in 2006, 2007, 2008 and is destined to reappear again in 2009. The pictures below are SVs first karva chaut (left), Shivratri after S recovers (centre), ADs first Teej (right).

THE QUESTION MARKs
Aditi's introduction failed to make style impact, however, there is plenty of room for us to be surprised. No doubt her innocent charm will find its way into our hearts but lets hope we can say the same about her style.

Divya's question mark bindi says it all! When will Divya stop looking like Vidya? Lovely sarees, fun blouses, new color combos and accessories, but the look is unmistakeably Vidya. It might be a while before we get a fresh, young look for Divya but until then, she is still one mighty adorable gal!

Till next time...