Posted:
(I just posted this as a comment on rogerrocks's post, but figured I'd make a post of it as well.)
I think my main problem with Gunjan at the moment is her general attitude in life, her self-centered-ness and lack of moral compass or self-introspection.
She may have a 100 certifiable reasons for being who she is and doing what she does (bad childhood, lack of love and attention etc. etc.) but at the end of the day, she's coming across as a petty, selfish, self-centered, immature girl.
I'm guessing the CVs want Gunjan to be the female version of Baldev...someone with many shades, who's unpredictable and who doesn't always do the right things or follow the right path, but who's still someone you can empathize with and like. But it's not working, at least for me.
With Baldev, we're certain of his being 'good at heart'. No matter how many times he slips into 'Spawn of Satan' ('Spawn of Bansuri'?) mode, we're willing to accept it 'cos we've seen enough instances of him being otherwise to be assured of his basic goodnatured-ness. Plus, Vishal really brings the character to life, and has the ability to alleviate even the most weakly written scene (Did anyone else grin when they heard his answer to the 'Which shade of Baldev do like the most/ do you find most difficult to pull off?' in khushix's friends interview? I was grinning when I heard him say comic Baldev does not come easily to him 'cos sometimes he's wondering why anyone would laugh at scenes which aren't even making him laugh!).
Gunjan on the other hand, I've come to think of as a flighty, immature, selfish, emotionally-scarred, insecure girl who sometimes has her good moments. And going by how she reacts to adversity or not getting what she wants, I'd say she comes across as someone who needs therapy.
She lacked love in the WantSuri household? Fine. But she HAS received way more love and attention in the Sampooran household than she ever has at her maaika. Does she seem in any way moved or appreciative or thankful for this? No.
Ranvi may not be giving her the attention she feels she deserves or acting like the ideal pathi, but she could've sorted this out in a better way. Her reactions to situations that bother her have always been immature, right from pretending to love Ranvi so she could insult him and his family in public by tukhraofying the rishta, blaming Ranvi for the marriage she didn't want anything to do with (when it was her lack of moral judgment which led to said marriage in the first place), refusing Veera's help when said help would have only helped her be more knowledgeable and enabled her to spend more time with Ranvi (Compooter wala kissa), taking joy in every failure of Veera's, throwing a tantrum in front of the whole family and making everyone feel way more guilty than the situation warrants instead of talking about it with her husband (If someone who doesn't watch Veera had seen yesterday's drama on mute, they'd have assumed Gunjan had just lost her husband or that her husband was having an affair and had left her for another woman)...Seriously, I don't like her character or the way it's shaping up. (I'd totally accept her as a negative character, but her doing not-so positive things, going scott-free for most of those wrong-doings and then acting like SHE is the one who's always being wronged, is not very palatable.)
And this whole birthday party issue makes no sense to me. Her dramatic reaction to what she believed was the final straw, wasn't a result of her being hurt at Ranvi's lack of attention, but more 'cos she seemed to think that Veera had thrown the better party and that Ranvi had enjoyed Veera's party more than hers. But erm, how did she arrive at that conclusion without even giving Ranvi his gift, showing him the cake she'd baked for him etc? I'd have been in her corner if say after the celebration at the Chowpal, Ranvi had seen her efforts and not been appreciative or happy, or had made her feel lesser than Veera in any way. But no...she saw Veera's preparations, decided it was better than hers and decided she'd had enough and proceeded to throw a tantrum on his birthday, in front of his whole family, accusing his sister (who he more or less sees as his child) of somehow trying to keep him from her? And then, when he comes to her and tries to apologise (basically admitting that she's totally right...which she is not) and perhaps set the situation right, she acts pricey and hard-to-get? What?
I've tried to empathize, I have. But there's only so much you can empathize with a character you can't like (OK, I can't like) and who's not showing any sign of growth or any sign of changing for the better.
If her behavior is solely a result of an emotionally-scarred, lacking-in-love childhood, then all I can say is that the woman needs help (And I mean this in a nice way).
In the meanwhile, I just don't like her. *shrugs*
I think my main problem with Gunjan at the moment is her general attitude in life, her self-centered-ness and lack of moral compass or self-introspection.
She may have a 100 certifiable reasons for being who she is and doing what she does (bad childhood, lack of love and attention etc. etc.) but at the end of the day, she's coming across as a petty, selfish, self-centered, immature girl.
I'm guessing the CVs want Gunjan to be the female version of Baldev...someone with many shades, who's unpredictable and who doesn't always do the right things or follow the right path, but who's still someone you can empathize with and like. But it's not working, at least for me.
With Baldev, we're certain of his being 'good at heart'. No matter how many times he slips into 'Spawn of Satan' ('Spawn of Bansuri'?) mode, we're willing to accept it 'cos we've seen enough instances of him being otherwise to be assured of his basic goodnatured-ness. Plus, Vishal really brings the character to life, and has the ability to alleviate even the most weakly written scene (Did anyone else grin when they heard his answer to the 'Which shade of Baldev do like the most/ do you find most difficult to pull off?' in khushix's friends interview? I was grinning when I heard him say comic Baldev does not come easily to him 'cos sometimes he's wondering why anyone would laugh at scenes which aren't even making him laugh!).
Gunjan on the other hand, I've come to think of as a flighty, immature, selfish, emotionally-scarred, insecure girl who sometimes has her good moments. And going by how she reacts to adversity or not getting what she wants, I'd say she comes across as someone who needs therapy.
She lacked love in the WantSuri household? Fine. But she HAS received way more love and attention in the Sampooran household than she ever has at her maaika. Does she seem in any way moved or appreciative or thankful for this? No.
Ranvi may not be giving her the attention she feels she deserves or acting like the ideal pathi, but she could've sorted this out in a better way. Her reactions to situations that bother her have always been immature, right from pretending to love Ranvi so she could insult him and his family in public by tukhraofying the rishta, blaming Ranvi for the marriage she didn't want anything to do with (when it was her lack of moral judgment which led to said marriage in the first place), refusing Veera's help when said help would have only helped her be more knowledgeable and enabled her to spend more time with Ranvi (Compooter wala kissa), taking joy in every failure of Veera's, throwing a tantrum in front of the whole family and making everyone feel way more guilty than the situation warrants instead of talking about it with her husband (If someone who doesn't watch Veera had seen yesterday's drama on mute, they'd have assumed Gunjan had just lost her husband or that her husband was having an affair and had left her for another woman)...Seriously, I don't like her character or the way it's shaping up. (I'd totally accept her as a negative character, but her doing not-so positive things, going scott-free for most of those wrong-doings and then acting like SHE is the one who's always being wronged, is not very palatable.)
And this whole birthday party issue makes no sense to me. Her dramatic reaction to what she believed was the final straw, wasn't a result of her being hurt at Ranvi's lack of attention, but more 'cos she seemed to think that Veera had thrown the better party and that Ranvi had enjoyed Veera's party more than hers. But erm, how did she arrive at that conclusion without even giving Ranvi his gift, showing him the cake she'd baked for him etc? I'd have been in her corner if say after the celebration at the Chowpal, Ranvi had seen her efforts and not been appreciative or happy, or had made her feel lesser than Veera in any way. But no...she saw Veera's preparations, decided it was better than hers and decided she'd had enough and proceeded to throw a tantrum on his birthday, in front of his whole family, accusing his sister (who he more or less sees as his child) of somehow trying to keep him from her? And then, when he comes to her and tries to apologise (basically admitting that she's totally right...which she is not) and perhaps set the situation right, she acts pricey and hard-to-get? What?
I've tried to empathize, I have. But there's only so much you can empathize with a character you can't like (OK, I can't like) and who's not showing any sign of growth or any sign of changing for the better.
If her behavior is solely a result of an emotionally-scarred, lacking-in-love childhood, then all I can say is that the woman needs help (And I mean this in a nice way).
In the meanwhile, I just don't like her. *shrugs*
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