This episode is basically the answer to the question that should have been asked in the first episode and about which I discussed in my first review, "Why are so many female foeticides happening in the country?".
I found more melodrama (Aamir's reactions seemed a shade "filmy") in this episode and a very unnecessary incident reported which took away the seriousness of the topic of "Dowry". Instead of wasting time on the incident where a groom was kidnapped and forced into marrying a girl, the show could have highlighted several successful marriages across the country that did away with dowry. The list would have practically been an endless one. I had mentioned about the successful Malayali Nair system of wealth partitioning with the daughter or daughters in such families which act as a natural deterrent to the asking of dowry and how the Nairs and Kerala as a whole boast of one of the most successful male:female ratios in the country.
Aamir started the show asking young ones in the audience about what they thought of their dream-weddings.At the end of the show he asks the same question. Instead he should have asked how many married people in the audience including relatives of those who came forward to describe their tragic stories, had dowry-free marriages. How many of those young things can say that the marriages of their parents did not involve dowry. This is the hypocrisy in our society. We condemn dowry and yet indirectly are party to it. The groom may say, "I did not ask for dowry." but his parents do and when the parents also don't ask for dowry what makes us think that they do not have an eye on the girl's wealth. And then they are those who don't ask or seek how much she is worth but after marriage use her wealth. Here I must say it is acceptable because as a couple they can share what they have in the name of love but again only with the consent of the wife and not by force or authority.
The report of no-dowry in the North-East was an eye opener. The efforts of some groups particularly in the Muslim communities up North to do away with dowry is highly appreciated. Down south (ironically in Kerala) Muslim families of brides offer atrocious dowries to their grooms.
I still haven't published my review on episode 2. Will do so soon.
I found more melodrama (Aamir's reactions seemed a shade "filmy") in this episode and a very unnecessary incident reported which took away the seriousness of the topic of "Dowry". Instead of wasting time on the incident where a groom was kidnapped and forced into marrying a girl, the show could have highlighted several successful marriages across the country that did away with dowry. The list would have practically been an endless one. I had mentioned about the successful Malayali Nair system of wealth partitioning with the daughter or daughters in such families which act as a natural deterrent to the asking of dowry and how the Nairs and Kerala as a whole boast of one of the most successful male:female ratios in the country.
Aamir started the show asking young ones in the audience about what they thought of their dream-weddings.At the end of the show he asks the same question. Instead he should have asked how many married people in the audience including relatives of those who came forward to describe their tragic stories, had dowry-free marriages. How many of those young things can say that the marriages of their parents did not involve dowry. This is the hypocrisy in our society. We condemn dowry and yet indirectly are party to it. The groom may say, "I did not ask for dowry." but his parents do and when the parents also don't ask for dowry what makes us think that they do not have an eye on the girl's wealth. And then they are those who don't ask or seek how much she is worth but after marriage use her wealth. Here I must say it is acceptable because as a couple they can share what they have in the name of love but again only with the consent of the wife and not by force or authority.
The report of no-dowry in the North-East was an eye opener. The efforts of some groups particularly in the Muslim communities up North to do away with dowry is highly appreciated. Down south (ironically in Kerala) Muslim families of brides offer atrocious dowries to their grooms.
I still haven't published my review on episode 2. Will do so soon.
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