This forum is absurdly biased - Page 4

@ Star_girl:

^^ Yeah, see, there is my problem with the lack of a more nuanced attitude towards Shravan's trauma. It's incorrect to claim bullies are some random people picking fights with random people. Bullies are more often than not the closest people to you. I feel people are being surprisingly literal about this. Friends can be and often are perpetrators of extreme casual verbal violence. Bullies are not merely some distant thugs who threaten you and call you names. The worst of the bullies are the people you love and put your faith in. Shravan's trauma is valid and severe because his point of abuse emerges from someone he was in love with. His frustrated infatuation coupled with a abusive form of rejection are what drive his character. It's reductive to water down an umbrella term like "bully". Schoolyard bullying is only a subsection of bullying and abuse, not the whole of it. The part is not the whole and it's incorrect to claim so. It takes an umbrella term and reduces it to the literal translation of a subsection which is both incorrect and offensive. Also, again, victims of abuse almost always enable abusive patterns. It's a psychological behavioural pattern which is associated with the manipulative hold of the bully over his/her victim's mind. Shravan was an enabler because of his stockholm syndrome of sorts. He wasn't "asking for it". He wasn't consciously enabling it. It's a common pattern of victims.

I loved your take about bullying behaviour intimidates shy and introverted people more. Her bullying nature inhibited his sense of right and wrong. Could be... but, then it doesnt go very far in answering why would Shravan go on to maintain his friendship with young Sumo so much as to writing a love letter. For a shy boy going on to pen down his most intimate thoughts is unbelievable🥱. So, beyond the bullying attitude and exterior of young Sumo there was a soft, an admirable quality to her which fascinated young Shravan. One which he appreciated, loved and wanted to keep beside himself for ever. A side which the CVs haven't yet shown to the viewers (more past scenes required🥱), probably to give us more scenes of intentional hurt being sprung on adult Sumo by the mature Shravan. They are still establishing Shravan and Sumo through their individual and respective journeys.

Originally posted by: MrDarcyfan

@ FieryPhoenix:

Yes lets agree to disagree, coz you clearly didnt see the point I was trying to make. I did not approach Suman's actions as bullying. She didnt just pick a random nerd from school and pick at him in front of the whole school day in and day out. No, she was friends with a nerd and didn't want her friends who were not into studying and the Library to know about it.

She told this friend to not make it obvious in school that they were friends. It is totally different from some random bully who just picks at the nerdy kids coz they are scared of them! Shravan was NOT scared of Suman. In fact he always answered her back. They were friends, but he was a shy guy. So he didn't make his feelings obvious to her, until that letter. I think Suman was actually not aware of how he really felt about her.

So to equate her actions with a regular school yard bully's behavior towards a random person they were not even friends with, is not correct. I don't approve of bullying nor do I say that bullying is the "Fault" of the person that does not protest. Sorry but I find that assumption quite offensive. I just simply did not equate Suman with a regular bully who just looks for "victims" to torment. I merely said that Shravan as a friend allowed himself to be used to Suman in her brash behavior and therefore enabled her actions further!

@ Indranigupta:

Originally posted by: Star_girl

Eh. You and I have different ideas in regards to conscious and unconscious (shouldn't it be subconscious though?) behavioural patters. Shravan's careful planning is something that should be condemned and it is. However, his emotional inertia is not some isolated, singular event unrelated to Suman. My point is this line people have drawn between conscious and unaware abuse. How distinct is this line? I am sure the showmakers will make Suman blame-free in order to further victimize her but what about right now? Suman is not marked by Shravan's conspiracy, not yet. Shravan, however, was a young boy who was characterized by this unaware form of violence as people put it. None of them are necessarily bad people, but Shravan's trauma is character-defining.

Yes, some differences aside, this is a loose adaptation of Persuasion and Asuten's best work according to me so it will be interesting to see how they work with it.

Omg if they take that route and victimize her just cuz she's the female lead I will be so mad lol. HEs the one who's gone through abuse, hes the victim, hes damaged and that should be given some due and respect. I really hope they dont turn him into some alpha male lead but rather still the same vulnerable shravan on the inside. They should stay true to his character.

@ MrDarcyfan ( Ha, an Austen username on a Persuasion-lite forum)- as you have stated before, we are approaching this situation very differently. I do not believe in this unaware nature of Suman's bullying, because as Fiery has stated, the intention of a classic narcissist was always there. Her behaviour towards him follows very clear patterns of subtle abuse which characterized Shravan. Even if "unconsciously", Suman has marked Shravan's personality disorder and emotional stagnation. Shravan's plotting is definitely condemnable but it's also important to note his emotional stalling as a man. Someone claimed, why can't Shravan be mature and let go? It's because he is quite obviously suffering from PTSD which has led to his emotional blockage of sorts. He cannot let go because he hasn't really grown up. He cannot move on because his trauma hasn't reached any form of closure. An apology wouldn't do that. A year of apologies wound't fix him. He needs closure and healing to transcend his emotional freezing point.

@ coolpixie:

@Star_girl : Interesting viewpoints hav been expressed in your post. Though 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen doesn't seem to hav inspired this script, the art of persuasion is likely to be revealed if and when Shravan chases Sumo. The characters of Shravan and Sumo hav been very strongly sketched, so it's an incident that made Shravan run away to London (which is not yet played) that has landed Sumo in this awkward situation. I don't see any revenge in Shravan's behaviour. He just got even. 😊 Both were kids, best of friends, but with lots of conditions imposed by Sumo. He got serious about her, but she played it down. After 10 years, when she became an orphan and no one to turn to, she missed his earnest friendship. Someone to talk to, someone to fight with, someone to confide in. Perhaps, she did want to contact him, but how could she? Esp. if she was the reason for his embarrassing departure from home!! The story is yet to unfold.

Shravan was all along keen to make her see his viewpoint - what happens when you ignore a person and only use him for your own selfish reasons. He embarrassed her, but the reason for befriending him now was a little too much. But it's not fair to blame him either. Else, why would Sumo hesitate to introduce him to all her friends 10 years ago. He was a gawky teenager, a bespectacled book-worm!!! 😃

Shravan is giving Sumo a taste of her own medicine. But I hope he stops here and tries to find the Sumo who is alone and working too hard for a living and who is being given a hard time by her 'family.' When he finds out, 'the Art of Persuasion, would begin. So, it would be delightful to see a tall, handsome guy persuing a beautiful, self respecting woman with a gorgeous smile. :)



-Rekha