After two years, Star Plus and soap factory Balaji Telefilms finally team up for Kahiin To Hoga. Typical of the production house, the show has ladies in the forefront. This triangular, 'fatal' love story of the main protagonist Kashish, launched on 8 September 2003 at 11 pm, pushing Kaahin Kissii Roz closer to midnight.

Jane Austen must be pretty darn proud. Even after 200 years, her stories continue to inspire the scriptwriters. Star Plus' newest launch Kahiin To Hoga has an uncanny resemblance to the 19th century classic Pride and Prejudice.

For starters it is about five sisters, Kashish (the main character played by Aamna Shariff), Kanan, Mouli, Mehek and Charu, each different from the other yet connected by the same middle-class values.

While dad, Professor Sinha, has some vague resemblance to Mr Bennet, unfortunately the lady Bennet seems to have given the show a miss. There are other changes, sort of role reversals, in the serial too.

Kashish embodies the qualities of Elizabeth. There is Darcy in the picture - a high strung, arrogant industrialist called Sujal Garewal. Sadly in this version it is being said that he does not get the girl. Of course, with the twists of fate and the TRP dictums, who knows.

The very first scene of the show has Kashish praying to God, while her dad Professor Narayan Sinha is diligently working on his computer. Trying to put on Mohabattein's Aishwarya Rai act, Kashish finishes her prayers, goes to father's room with a glass of milk like a dutiful daughter and coaxes daddy dearest to go to sleep.

Scene two - it just happens to be Kashish's birthday and at midnight Kanan, Mehek, Charu and Prof Dad gang up for a surprise celebration.

Just as Kashish is basking in their attention, comes another twist in the tale. The younger sister, Mauli, has cooked up a lie so that she can go to a discotheque. When Kashish hears about this, she is prompted to follow Mauli to the disc and reprimand her. Yet in the morning they are happy family again!

Early next morning, while everybody is still tossing in their beds, Kashish, the immaculately dressed Birthday Girl, is making their breakfast. And for the special day, the elder sis engages herself in preparing an elaborate breakfast with exclusive dishes. While it's a family decision to throw a party for the birthday girl, it's Kashish who cooks and cleans for the festivity - tsk, tsk.

Just a thought - when the eldest sister is so goody-goody, how come the others are so bratty and lazy?

Coming back to the storyline, the first episode shows a chance meeting between Kashish and Sujal. It is your typical Mills and Boon's angle - boy meets girl and they have a tiff.

The place happens to be at a chemist and they fight over the last bottle of multivitamin tablet. How imaginative!

So far so not so good. Later in the evening, the sisters drive out in their car for an ice cream to celebrate Kashish's birthday. While returning home, they meet with an accident. The prof's family is not hurt but Kashish insists on helping out the driver of the car they have rammed into. However, sisters urge otherwise and they finally flee the scene.

A shaken Kashish breaks down in front of her father. All the sisters pray for the well-being of the driver.

Considering some previous Balaji soaps - the story about beautiful, dutiful, honest and loving daughters of Prof Sinha definitely seems to be a workable proposition. The time slot indicates that there is absolutely no threat to the best sellers Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki.

As for Kashish falling in love with rich, arrogant Sujal - who will be responsible for ruining her life in future, the story seems to be a surefire winner.

The love story, it is said, has a third angle. Later in the serial, Kashish will end up marrying Sujal's best friend Piyush! Thus will begin the saga of serious misunderstanding between Sujal and Kashish.

Coincidentally, Kashish has shades of Prerna in Kasautii... and Kusum in Sony's Kkusum. All in all, the story has a thrust which is likely to work.

Both the music and the title track are breezy, offering fresh appeal to it but none as memorable as Kyunki. The singer Priya Bhattacharya is the common factor. The look of the show, which is decidedly blue, is quite refreshing. The settings are urbane without being over-the-top and the girls are dressed according to the time.

But pray tell us, does anybody really sleep with their complete make-up on? We are not hinting that directors show drool for the natural look, but make-up before bed is too far-fetched.

Aamna Shariff as Kashish looks younger than the rest but really needs to tone down the saccharine act.

Director Anil Kumar has a task in hand - he must teach Kashish how to cry. The wheezy noises that she makes are distracting!

However, true to Balaji tradition, there is a scope for Shariff to better her act, especially with help from the ex-Kkusum director. Amongst the rest of the sister fraternity, Ashlesha Savant as Mouli seems to be doing an okay job but a little expression wouldn't hurt, Kusmit Sana as Kanan, Poonam Joshi as Mehek and Mitra Joshi as Charu are cute. As for the rest of the cast Deepak Parasher, Rohit Bakshi, Rajeev Khandelwal and Shabbir Ahluwalia seem decent enough.

One word of caution for the makers though. Do not attempt to make a tearjerker, and avoid too many twists and turns. Why risk another Kahanii Terrii Merrii?

Although the show isn't a hatke (one-off) concept, looking at the twists in the first episode, it can be safely predicted that Kahiin To Hoga has potentials of hooking the Kahaani... and Kyunki... audience.

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