NDTV IMAGINE’S SANTO - A CHARACTER OF IMMENSE INNER STRENGTH

It has been a very satisfying experience to watch the emotional and spiritual growth of NDTV Imagine’s Bandini-Santo. From a wide-eyed gawky teenager (eighteen is teen, right?) to a mature woman, her transition has been very smooth, gradual and interesting to watch. Orphaned at a young age and raised by her maternal grand- father, Santo would have never guessed that she would one day end up getting married to the most powerful man of her village - Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi. But this marriage was one of convenience and ended her idyllic life with her siblings and beloved grandfather. Post marriage, she is wife to a man who is almost twice her age and is a step mom to children who are older than her.

Thus begins her journey to learn all about her capabilities and strength. Thrust into a family where no one wants her, she has to fight for acceptance. But her struggle is silent, non-aggressive. Despised by the older children who have no place in their lives for her, she begins to win them over by her sincerity and love, one by one. Initially hesitant because of her unaccepted position, she grows from strength to strength, as people begin to accept and love her. Her step children, the parents of her husband’s wife, friends of the family-every body slowly give her the respect and position she is worthy of. Even her husband, who had been so far wedded to the memory of his deceased first wife, accepts her and ends up falling in love with her.

Every battle that she had to face made her a stronger and wiser person. Emboldened by the faith shown in her by her loved ones, she is able to surmount many obstacles. Her main adversary in her husband’s household is his over-protective elder sister, Tarulata and her son Maulik. They leave no opportunity to harass her. They use those dear to her as pawns in order to make her life difficult. One such pawn turns out to be Dharamraj’s long lost son Arjan. Maulik is able to turn Arjan against his own family and in a moment of heat, Arjan lashes out at his father and hits him. Before he can kill him, Santo enters the scene and saves her husband’s life. But then someone kills Arjan. Santo knows the killer and in order to protect the murderer’s life (who is her close relation) she willingly takes the blame on her head and goes to prison.

The story now takes a leap and Santo returns to her family after ten years, only to find that she has to begin from scratch all over again. Her family has turned against her and believe her to be a scheming murderess. She will have to now use all her strength to begin her fight for her lost position within the Mahiyavanshi household all over again.