To be honest, I think that - as I've mentioned in another post - it all really comes down to how we interpret Viraj's character. I don't find him redeemable in spite of his illness. He'll have to show some kind of remorse for his past actions and a need to change in order to awaken any kind of sympathy in me. When he raped Jhanvi, he officially crossed the line for me.
Now, I believe in supporting family. I believe in supporting people who have diseases and mental illnesses. I do not, however, believe in supporting rapists and murderers. It doesn't matter to me if they're deemed ill. In the end, they did something horrible and punishment is required because no matter how ill you are, it doesn't give you the right to ruin another human being's life, to control it.
In relation to Jhanvi, I've said it before but I'll say it again: She didn't run away from Viraj. She walked out of his life in order to preserve her own life, in order to preserve her own self-respect, in order to survive and stay whole before what's left of her is destroyed too.
No matter how ill a loved one is, there are some things that are unforgivable until they're paid for, until remorse is had, amends are made, forgiveness is asked. And even then, it is a right that the victim has to never forgive.
What Viraj has done is, in my eyes, unforgivable. And as much as I can understand that he has some deeply rooted issues, I cannot and will not sympathize with a man who has done what Viraj has done -- not until he feels actual remorse for every single act, pleads forgiveness, and makes amends. He should be punished for it, not pampered. Unlike the people who don't know when they're hurting people, Viraj knows it.
It's his choice to hurt others. He's not a victim. This is exactly how rapists and murderers are relieved from any punishment -- the authorities deem them a victim of mental illness, and they get to skip the punishment.
@Bold: Agreed
@Blue: This is like stamping a violent person as mentally ill or vice versa to which i don't agree. This is what the show shouldn't send out as a message. A mentally ill person shouldn't be jailed for his sickness. I know that there were certain scenes in the show where the character was glamorized too much or the violence part of it went over the head. If they had taken efforts to make it more convincing i guess we won't be making such statements or so.
Edited by -Nakshatra- - 13 years ago