Two word answer: Guilty Pleasure. 😆
There are 3 kinds of heroes who have been ruling ITV since the past 5-7 years:
1. The rich, toxic, grey shaded anti-hero, that man-handles the heroine until she changes him to a softer guy. Such men are generally good with their own family but they love to harass, torture and semi-molest the heroine till cupid strikes. Forced marriages are also a common trope. Usually very handsome actors are roped in to play these parts so that s*xual tension can be created between the lead pair which the audience love to watch.
Eg. Arnab Singh Raizada (IPKKND), Shivay Singh Oberoi (IB), Akbar (JA), Uma (TSMSP), etc.
Vansh belongs to this category, though he hasnt man-handled his wife yet.
2. Goody, goody, over-mahaan heroes that would do anything for their either bratty or ambitious wives. Usually average looking talented actors are roped in to play these roles.
Eg. Suraj (DAB), Ishaan (Sasural Genda Phool), etc.
3. Rich, handsome, cool dude + spoilt brat who womanises but doesn't molest. Basically, a loveable jerk.
Eg. Rudra from IB.
There are many other types as well like Ruhaan from Silsila, Anurag from Kasauti Zindagi Kay 2, etc. but the above 3 are the main categories. Thus, naturally, the Indian audience that comprises a huge number of young women prefer the edgy good-looking, rich toxic male and loveable jerk over the nice, simple guy next door heroes.
I have rarely seen balanced heroes in a Hindi show. There was one show named Raja Beta which starred the same actor Rrahul Sudhir who plays Vansh. There, the guy was handsome, rich, a doctor and a nice guy with a spine. And that show didnt get past a little over 200 episodes, and the forum of that show has barely 3 pages. Imagine, it is the same guy Rrahul Sudhir! This goes to show that grey, anti-heroes are more in demand than good, nice guys.
Now, coming back to Vansh, why do people like him?
It is the X-factor.
Personally, I'd never marry a guy like that. He is a criminal. But the overall presentation of the character is cool. He is sharp, witty, interesting. I agree that his dialogues are sometimes OTT and at times, Rrahul Sudhir hams. The guy has immense potential, he was excellent in Raja Beta and Twisted 2, but here the role demands him to be larger than life which he sometimes messes up. But overall, he has a great screen presence, fantastic voice and awesome chemistry with the female lead. The s*xual tension between the two characters is palpable. This is what has earned Vansh so many fans.
Afterall these cheesy ITV shows are all about entertainment, and even though none of us would marry a Vansha in real life, it gives people guilty pleasure. 😆
Edited by amritat - 5 years ago