First of all, just to be clear on this front - I am not a ShivIka fan nor am I an Anika fan nor is this post supposed to bash anyone. If you think I am bashing do let me know because my sole purpose is to criticize. What do I want to achieve with this post? To make a point since apparently, there seems to be much confusion about that making the rounds. I have been reading posts in Ishana's defense (nothing wrong there) and would like to address some points which seem to be misunderstandings (regarding us who are not happy with Ishana's character). I don't want to initiate any fandom wars here, and I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings - if you can't keep it civil and polite, please refrain from posting. Thank you.
1.) Not every FL can be good and perfect, Ishana is flawed and grey and a refreshing character.
I agree and just because a FL is flawed and has grey shades does not mean we cannot like her. Actually, grey characters end up much more interesting than the all-out white ones. From the start, we have wanted to see someone flawed opposite Om, a con artist or someone who was out to seek revenge from the Oberois, someone ruthless, anything along these lines. Wouldn't have minded that, at all, on the contrary: would have welcomed it with open arms. The problem? Ishana definitely is not a grey character. She is after Om's money? She tried to break up RidhKara? She dances happily upon hearing that these two have separated? Does that make her grey? Definitely not. It's about the execution. How does she plan it all? How smartly does she go about her plans? How far has she calculated each of her steps? Everything she has done up till now looked clumsy - starting from her decision to con Om, out of all people, to the Bela/Mala nonsense (and yes, I know that even Ishana fans were annoyed with that) to the makkaan malik (Om could have recognized her father for all she knew!) to the actual Ridhkara break-up (what would she have done if Om had mentioned to Riddhima that Bela told him Riddhima was insecure?). Sorry, but just because Ishana is flawed it doesn't make her grey - and I don't see her as such. She is a poor con artist and till now, CVs have failed to maintain consistency with her character.
I want to emphasize because there seems to be a confusion around this: No, the problem is not her being a con. That would have been very welcome, actually. The problem is the execution - she is a poor excuse of a con artist, let's be honest here.
2.) Majboori.
Actually, that one's not even too clear. At first, she was shown as someone who clearly enjoys conning - she was so happy and joyful at the prospect of conning Om that her sob story came as a huge damper, in a negative way. Would it have been so bad to show her happily conning people because she loves money? But okay, need to give the FL at least a little touch of mahaanta, I guess. What I don't get is why people want Om to feel bad once he finds out about it? Why should he? Alright, he will definitely feel pity and that is a natural reaction and okay. But her majboori is an explanation not a justification. She chose to con people - maybe her father forced her, initially, but it does look like she does it out of her own will, right now. For her family, alright, but she does it- instead of trying to find other means. And before anyone points out that she can't earn lakhs so quickly in such a short amount of time - those lakhs (debts) didn't accumulate from today to tomorrow, did they? Ishana chose not to call out her father on the way he uses her and ruined their lives - she knows her sister is in danger, she herself is in danger, she risks a lot conning people so often, and her father just goes and gambles it all away? And she takes it, doesn't call him out on it or anything. This is pretty weak.
It's like Om said: rich or poor doesn't matter, mostly we choose which path we want to walk on. Some people really might not have a choice, I agree, but that's not the case with Ishana. Conning clearly wasn't Ishana's only option.
Also, adding to this: Just because Om is rich doesn't mean he has no idea what problems are like. The guy has gone through hell and back and survived - yes, his problems were not money related but those are not the only ills in this world. I would like to point out that Om has done things that he's not proud of and he has taken the easy way out, which means he knows what he's talking about that in life you always have choices and if you make the wrong one then it's on you and not your circumstances. I mean d guy fought his demons on a daily basis and his wealth has nothing to do with what he has achieved in life.
3.) Comparison to Anika.
Yes, Ishana and Anika are two different people. So? This comparison isn't to show one is better than the other but to see how these two women took their decisions in their life. No, we don't want another Anika - and by comparing them I don't mean to say that Ishana should be like Anika. It is just a means to show how our decisions affect us. Anika who doesn't live a luxurious life and whose Bua mistreats her chose to make a honest living for herself and her little brother. Ishana who doesn't live a luxurious life and whose father created the problems for her chose to con people instead of looking for other options. Shivaay insulted Anika's family and the lack of a family name she has so many times and he literally put her through hell yet, Anika always controled herself and never brought his family into it, as well. Om, on the other hand, was justified in his anger and lashed out and Ishana dragged his family issues into this - natural reaction, doesn't change that she had been wrong in that situation. Why can I not point these things out? Their circumstances might have differed but in the end, it comes down to their personal choices.
4.) Tej and Ishana's father.
Tej is no saint, everyone knows that. The man messed up badly in his life, he is not a good son, not a good husband and not a good father. The difference, though? Tej doesn't force his son, not really. Yes, he tried to put pressure on Om once in a while but he doesn't force his decisions on him. Furthermore, Tej wouldn't mind if Om would be a little cunning to get the heir position - because according to him, this is the best for Om. Ishana's father, though? Does not only encourage his daughter conning people but actively supports her in this (hence why Om bringing up her upbringing wasn't that wrong, actually), risks her and her sister's lives - and wants Ishana to con people not because he thinks it will do her any good but because he wants to have some ayaashiya. There is no real comparison here.
5.) Ishana giving it back to Om?
In reference to today's episode: No, I don't think Om was wrong in bringing up her upbringing because her father was clearly involved in the conning, actively so (as was her sister) - what Ishana did there is not "giving it back" or "not taking his crap" because Om wasn't wrong here she was. Yes, very few people can take someone bad talking about the family no matter how horrible said family is so, Ishana lashed out - but she pointedly dragged his family into this for no real reason. Whereas her father helped her con Om and Rudra and now just Om, Tej hasn't been involved with Ishana, at all. Neither had Shivaay or Rudra been- why uselessly drag them into this? Sorry, natural reaction or not, what is this? Ek toh chori upar se zeena zoori? Can't justify her own wrong doings or accept them (without necessarily feeling bad) so, she has to throw mud at others?
I don't feel any sympathy for her there.
My (and not just mine) two cents. Thanks for reading.
