Understanding Beyhadh

Originally posted by: sweetshruti

What exactly are the CVs trying to show?? Why are the characters all behaving the way they are?? Who are we supposed to feel for? Who are we supposed to root for?

I am so confused right now with the way the characters and story is shaping up.

Maya

Maya is defined by her insane insecurity and extreme posessiveness for the people she loves. Growing up as a lonely abused kid with no friends and family scarred her for life. The only person she did have was her mother who was herself extremely unstable and very gullible to the charms of her abusive father. Maya probably lived in the constant fear that Jhanvi would leave her for Ashwin one day and that she would be left all alone. This made her seek to completely control her mother and made her believe that total control was the only way she could safeguard her own interests and ensure that she gets the love she wants and needs. And so she lived her life as the control freak who trusts no one but herself and God.

Then comes Arjun who comes in as her knight in shinning armour, protecting her when she needed it and was at her vulnerable best, even though she din't ask for it. She started falling for him and then sought out to obtain him the only way she knew. In Saanjh she saw a threat who can take away Arjun from her (like Ashwin was in Jhanvi's case) and just like before she resorted to manipulation (with Jhanvi it was emotional manipulation) to ensure he chooses her.

In both cases notice her initial instinct is not to kill Ashwin or Saanjh to eliminate them permamnely but rather to make sure that Ar-Ja always prioratize and choose her over the others.

Till this point I completely understand and empathize with Maya. I understand where she is coming from, why she is the way she is and why she does what she does. I root for her to finally get the help, guidance, love and happiness she needs and deserves, for her to redeem and for her to heal.

Then comes the so called "Phase 2" of the show. We are shown Maya TRYING to change for the better, TRYING to adopt a new way of life, being a dutiful wife, Bahu and Bhabhi. So we think maybe love is starting to heal her after all.

Then suddenly we are thrown with the possibility that Maya is a murderer, that she is capable of killing people (including her mother) with no remorse whatsoever if it suits her. We are made to think that all the niceness that we saw in her may have all have been an act. Ashwin (the child abuser), and Vandana (the superstitious, overprotective mother) were probably right about her. Now suddenly I am not sure I am supposed to empathize with her or root for her?? Can her abusive past justify all the murders?? No it, cannot. So then is she the antagonist that I am supposed to root against?? I am not sure, because she is the only one I want to root for. If she is indeed responsible for everything that we think she did, then how are we supposed to ever forgive her for that?? How is anyone expected to understand that? Why would they do that to their main character??

But But But...

Considering everything in the para above is implied but not confirmed yet we can also entertain the possibility that MAY BE the murderer is not Maya. Maya is still manipulating people to get Arjun but not the one killing. If we look at this scenario then we can say that Maya tried to get Vandana on her side and fit in with Arjun's family but the constant rejection caused her to resort to her manipulative ways because she now beleives that's the only way that will work. This sort of justifys her behaviour yesterday (atleast a li'l bit) coz of the way Vandana has treated her. She now wants to do what she did with Jhanvi i.e completely control Arjun and cut him off from his family so that she remains his only priority. Her insecurity at play again. Considering all Vandana had been harping about is seperating Maya and Arjun can one really blame a inherently insecure person like Maya from wanting to mark her territory and kick Vandana out of her life??

We now see Arjun acting like a complete shitty, lying, selfish, insensitive husband, who leaves his pregnant wife alone to enjoy with his bestie, Who declares that he "loves" his best friend, who grimaces at the thought of going back home to his wife and would rather spend time with his bff, who repeatedly says that it's his bff who is his biggest support system, who runs to check on his bff rather than his wife who has just burnt her hands, who needs his bff to tell him that he needs to surprise his wife and so on. ALso, not to forget said bestie is also in love with him. Seeing the way Arjun has been behaving the past week any sane wife would loose it. Keeping the character of Maya in mind can we really fault Maya for going off the rail seeing what she has seen Arjun do??? Obviously the methods Maya adopts is the biggest problem and the one that needs to be questioned but in the above 2 cases can her reasoning and intentions really be questioned beyond a point?? I don't think so.

Are they trying to justify Maya's future actions by making Arjun behave the way he does?? What are we to make of Suman repeatedly telling Vandana that she is responsible for the way Maya is behaving, that she is looking at the situation through coloured lenses, that she is wrong in blaming Maya for everything, her telling Saanjh to not be the third wheel between a husband and wife?? Arjun once again talking about how it was wrong that people were using Maya's past to pull her down, that she was not responsible for what happened in her past etc...

Is this a way for the CVs to tell us that everything is not how it seems?? Maya is not really the villain we think she is??

If and only IF the red part is not how it seems then the rest of Maya's actions have been in keeping with her initial character. It still leaves scope for redemption and healing.

If the red part is true then any hope for redemption goes flying out of the window. If a person is capable of killing innocent people with no hint of remorse whatsoever then such a person cannot be emapthiszed with or justified no matter how tragic their life has been.

So which way do they want to go with Maya?? I am confused...But the bigger question is ARE THEY CONFUSED?? It sure seems like it but I hope I am wrong.

PS: Arjun and Saanjh analysis coming up

Originally posted by: Peacelover15

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Your post makes so much sense,but i don't know i have this feeling that Maya isn't killer though CVs are trying their best to instill doubts in our mind,but somehow i don't feel is Maya

Originally posted by: MistyDawn

Quoting you ---> '' Are they trying to justify Maya's future actions by making Arjun behave the way he does?? '' My guess is YES. She is the protagonist.. even if she is grey they have given a back story and created circumstances to justify most of her actions... even now despite of possibilities of Maya being the actual murderer, you will find that many viewers empathize with her even if the argument is as lame as Ashwin deserved it.. and with Arjun-Saanjh current dynamics they are again going overboard to justify Maya's actions in future.. Even IF Arjun is just a simple ambitious, naive yet harmless guy his current actions are making the audience sympathize with Maya ..and if he has been faking with Maya all along then god save him..jis din pyar nahi hoga, us din zeher hoga.. she had warned him..