‘Desi Rascals’ 4 – Boiling and subdued emotions…

August 19 2015

In the aftermath of last week’s tepid exchange between Owais, Feryal and Adam, things are looking a bit shaky for some of the cast. Is the ‘Wolfpack’ falling apart following Owais’ outburst? Will Yasmin go through with an arranged marriage? How will Adam take it?

By Chayya Syal

THIS WEEK saw “Desi Rascals” redeem itself as it returned to the originality and charm of Series 1 which – to date – has been lacking.

We saw a human side to many of the new cast members which made for a surprisingly emotional watch as it managed to successfully sustain viewer attention. The conversations opened up various discussions about arranged marriages, dealing with failed relationships and the price many seem to pay in order to make their dreams a reality.

Following Owais’ argument with Feryal last week, things were noticeably strained between himself, Anj and Jason, as they tried to make sense of what happened. And their reactions couldn’t have been more polarised after Owais left! Anj was empathetic towards Owais, while Jason was visibly unimpressed and suggested that Owais needed to be more respectful towards women.

Adam in a better mood with his flash motor

What is it with all of the guys on “Desi Rascals” trying to create rules on how to be a perfect gentleman towards women? Right now, there’s this preoccupation on how men should treat women and on how men should behave around women. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but the clichéd phrase of: ‘If she were my sister/mother/other female relative’ is wearing thin with me.

So far, the way that the male cast regard their female counterparts is full of contradictions. On one hand, we’ve got Owais and the Wolfpack who insist on taking a moral high ground by schooling everyone else on how to treat women. On the other, we’ve got Adam and his posse who are also imposing their own rules on how to be a good gentleman. But both groups still manage to undermine women by saying things like: “Women are mental. Men are chilled.” The misogyny and hypocrisy is unbelievable and was incredibly uncomfortable to watch; I had a good mind to slap some of the boys. Instead of providing half-baked theories I wish they’d just get on with actually being good men.

But the guys salvaged themselves, in the form of Prakash and Sanj, who gave Owais plenty of food for thought about his behaviour. There is some hope after all.

Amidst the murky waters of unsteady friendships and tense relationships, George, Jo and Solomon provided a much needed breath of fresh air. In a plot twist, Solly plucked up the courage to ask Kavita out on a date to see Minions and offered her a gingerbread starfish as a gift (we checked: it’s from Costa). We saw a much softer side to Kavita as she relaxed around Solly’s boyish charms – despite their personality differences, things look quite rosy for these two!

Yasmin's car ride with Adam does not go well

After being MIA in episode 3, Jo was back with her trademark sunny disposition as she made a decision about her and Moses. Whenever these two are on screen, you can’t help but smile, because they’re so adorable, relatable and sincere. They’ve decided to stay friends as they talked about their feelings for each other in an emotionally charged scene. Honestly, out of the cast in this series, the others could do with taking a leaf out their book! But, does this mean that Farha will make a move on Moses?

Things continued to be rocky for Adam and Yasmin, as she revealed that she has decided to go down the arranged marriage path.

While Kavita and Solomon looked bemused, but supportive, Adam’s face was a picture as he stayed silent. The situation escalated in the car, when he dropped Yasmin home, as she questioned him about a previous engagement which saw him lose his composure.

It was very sad to see Adam open up about his life, but I was glad to see a human side to him, as it has changed my view of him. It is also interesting to note that Yasmin is in a similar situation to him, but is sharing a similar pain/loneliness/sadness a good enough reason for them to be together? Either way the pair will probably clash (again) given that Adam is not happy about Yasmin seeking an arranged marriage. The question in my mind is this: will another clash spell the end of their friendship?

The heartbreak continued as Yasmin went on a date arranged by self-styled matchmaker Zane Sully. Perhaps, George’s pursed lips of disapproval were a sign of things to come, as her date didn’t show up. For the first time, ever, Yasmin’s cool exterior dropped as she broke down and briefly spoke about how she felt like a failure – despite running a successful business – because she wasn’t married with children. It was devastating to see because it is a story that too many Asian women can relate to.

Are Moses and Farha developing feelings for each other...

The programme ended on a high, as Manoj popped his BBQ-cherry and became King of the Grill as the Shahs held a small get-together with a few close friends. It was a heart-warming scene and quickly became emotional as Manoj made a speech declaring his love for his family and thanked everyone for coming. Don’t you just want to give him a cuddle!?

However, their happiness quickly turned to shock when Jo revealed her plans to go to acting school in Mumbai, India. Despite tears of joy from Nat and the family, they all insisted that she go and make her dreams a reality. I wonder how Moses and the rest of the Wolfpack will take the news.

It was a stark contrast to Jasmin telling Ross about her plans to go to the same acting school. Instead of being supportive and happy for her, he gave her an ultimatum: acting school or their relationship. Looks like there’s a storm brewing in north-west London!

Main picture: George (Pigott), Zane (Sully) and Yasmin (Karimi)
*‘Desi Rascals’ continues every Wednesday at 8pm on Sky 1 (UK)