kluencheetwit

This lakorn is going to hurt so good. Kluen Cheewit (The Waves of Life) is a novel that has been remade twice on television – one in 1995 featuring the Anfones (Johnny and Jareeya) and second one to be aired this year featuring Yaya Urassaya and Mark Prin. It’s highly anticipated not only for the main leads’ second time paring, but because of the collaboration between Producer Da Hathairat and Director Aew Ampaiporn who brought us Game Rai Game Rak, Sood Saneha, Sawan Biang, Rak Nee Hua Jai Rao Jong. This type of lakorn is their bread and butter. It’s a true romance drama, of the slap kiss nature, and everyone and their mom is waiting for this, including yours truly.

The basic premise follows the story of Yaya’s character, Jeerawat, who is a famous celebrity with a skeleton in her closet. She has a selfish mom and a perverted stepdad, and turns to alcohol to make reality a little bit easier to swallow. One terrible drunken stupor day, and a lack in judgement on her part (but don’t alcohol and lack of judgement go hand in hand?) Jeerawat crashes her car into Tiwadee, whereby causing the woman to die. As if this isn’t traumatic enough for Jeerawat’s already painful life, in comes Mark’s character, Sathit, who happens to be Tiwadee’s fiance. Sathit and Tiwadee is probably the sickeningly sweet lovebirds who are a match made in heaven, because you know, to make the pain hurt so badly for Sathit. He’s a lawyer and believes in justice (which goes without saying) and vows to bring justice for his late fiance. In the meantime, justice is only fair for a home wrecker too – or at least that’s what Sathit is lead to believe about Jeerawat – because killing a fiance is not enough angst. He thinks she’s trying to wreck his buddy’s marriage – which is played by Louis Scott and Toey Jarinporn. So Sathit sets out to ruin Jeerawat, professionally, and I reckon, personally as well.

I have seen the ’95 version with the Anfones and I must say, I’ll be chewing my nails on this one. The Kluen Cheewit that I’ve seen was intense times ten. But at the end of the day, I remember it being a very good lakorn. What stuck with me throughout the many, many years was the dialog in one particular sequence. I’m not sure if they will include this scene or not, since it’ll be controversial in this day and age, and who knows how true they’ll stay with the origin. BUT, this is a scene that will hurt your heart. I’ve thought long and hard about whether I want to recap this scene for you, but every time I overthink things, it’s always best just to go with it. You know?

*Trigger* (You have been warned!) If you don’t want to read spoilers, please exit now.

It’s pouring rain. Bad things always happen when it rains like this. Jeerawat made a decision to pay her dues and actions towards Tiwadee’s death. She shows up in front of Sathit’s home, drenched in rain, clothes clinging to her body. Sathit had apparently given her an option to clear the debt – she would need to sleep with him. Because in lakorn world, a woman’s body can make up for another woman’s death. Sathit says at first he wasn’t in the mood, but seeing her as a wet dog kinda turns him on. SO. He gives her a towel to dry off and she takes a swig of whisky straight from the bottle, claiming that its her best friend. How sad is that admission? Sathit argues that her best friend killed a perfectly innocent person. Touché. Jeerawat jeers that she hasn’t regret it one bit (she’s saying this to spite him), which to Sathit, is a terrible thing to say under the circumstances. Sathit angrily grabs her shoulders and spats that her purpose in life is to destroy other people’s happiness. She slaps him, and backs away, but there’s nowhere to go now. He forces himself on her.

That wasn’t even the crazy, most intense, wrong part, because what happened after the R scene tops it. Sathit says that she should be happy now because they are even, and it’s not like it’s a big investment on her part. Implicating that she did a great job acting like a virgin and that it’s no wonder Chaiyan is so crazy about her. God, this guy, he talks as if he just had brunch, not ruin a woman. Tears start to flow from Jeerawat’s eyes which makes Sathit wonder out loud what could be the problem and why she’s SO sad. He adds that her tears won’t soften him up or make him fall in love with her. Good to know, Sathit. Worse part about this? Sathit basically asks her what she will tell her unborn child about his father if he happens to impregnate her today – in fact – his sperm might have already fertilized her egg. I’m pretty sure fertilization does not happen that quickly. Jeerawat replies that she would tell the kid that he does not have a father because she killed him. He’s all nonchalant about this, and takes a gun, loads it and GIVES it to her to shoot him. But instead, she aims for her own head and fires. She misses of course, since Sathit pushes her hand away. But the gun went off and the reality that she was two seconds from blowing her brains to bits was real. And crazy. Fucking crazy. Pardon my french.

SO. Will they include that scene? Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how they will make this version relevant to our current time, while somehow staying true to it’s origin. It’s a tricky line to walk on. And I think I will need therapy after the show. But I’m in, I’m so in. Are YOU?

(We still haven’t been given an airdate, but it will be sometime this year, so stay tuned.)