A Reflection on Character Growth
On a much earlier thread, we established initial personality profiles for the characters, (Read here).
In hindsight, I am pleased to note that the writers have maintained the characterisation, and though these characters have not developed in leaps and bounds, they are becoming more apparent.
Shivaay
We have Shivaay as an ESTJ and Omkara as an INFP. They are radical opposites, which sets up the personality and ideology clash to a large extent. They have absolutely nothing in common, aside from their love for each other and their family, particularly Rudra.
I am an ISTJ, and I relate to Shivaay's character the most. To a large degree, I agree with most of his principles and share his OCD tendencies. He has his drawbacks, as they all do, but I like that he is dedicated, loyal and determined. His class consciousness and immense desire for order establish him as a clear ESTJ. He is often too stubborn and inflexible and has difficulty with expressing his emotions.
His pairing with Annika makes a lot of sense to me. Annika is the archetypal ESTP. She knows all about what is happening with others, but she is incredibly unaware of her own feelings. She reminds me of Donna from Suits, and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). She never hesitates from putting people in their place and can understand people better than they understand themselves, yet Annika has difficulty grasping her own emotions.
Shivaay and Annika are more alike than they think, and this is why I am growing to enjoy their pairing. Both are direct and strong-willed. They are to a great extent, both very rational. They are both extroverted thinkers, rather than feelers. The only difference is that he is more judgemental while she is more perceptive, but I believe that this difference works in favour of their pairing.
Shivaay is evidently more in touch with how he feels, but he stubbornly refuses to accept it or show it. Annika feels something but does not know what she feels.
It's an interesting dynamic, and I look forward to how it develops.
Omkara
Omkara utterly baffles me. At face value, this is a character that I want to like. At the outset of the series, I had immense admiration for him. He appeared to be a wise, sensitive crusader of truth and morality. He seemed to me, a God amongst men.
However, that quickly changed.
As time passes, Omkara, in my opinion, appears to be the most flawed Oberoi child. I don't attribute this to his history of substance abuse because I admired him for being able to overcome his setbacks and move forward in life. I liked that he is self-made.
With that said, I find little else to appreciate about him.
He is indecisive. He doesn't know what he wants. He lives in a delusion. He is gullible and easily manipulated. He values his own ideologies above all else and is too morally rigid, at least that is what it seemed. To an extent, he is a hypocrite. He demands the truth but is a liar, himself.
What did he say to Ishaana? He said, "If I had to choose between my family and the truth, I would pick the truth."
Well, apparently not. Though it is still unclear as to what he is covering up, it is evident that to protect Priyanka, he is hiding something. The guilt, remorse and fear on their faces are enough to prove that.
An omission is as good as a lie. For me the lying is not the issue, it's Omkara's holier than thou attitude.
You aren't a saint, Omkara, so why present yourself in a better light? Why won't you admit who you really are? Or don't you see it, yourself? Self-deception can be incredibly destructive, which might be the reason he turned to drugs in the first place. Escapism isn't the solution to anything, which is why he requires a strong female lead who will give more direction to his life.
I am happy that the writers have ventured down this dark road. At least, now I will not hold him on some sort of pedestal. His flaws make him more human, which will hopefully, allow his fans to accept another flawed character opposite him.
Rudra
The most intriguing, Oberoi brother is Rudra, who we quite unanimously typed as an ESFP.
He is extroverted sensing like Shivaay and feeling perceiving like Omkara. Rudra is a harmonious balance between his brothers, and time and again he represents this through his ability to see both sides of an argument. Peace loving, forever seeking harmony, Rudra is always the person who halts a disagreement between his brothers.
Of the Oberoi brothers, Rudra fascinates me the most. He is undeniably compelling, and though he appears childish and immature, I think last night's episode proved - just how much depth there is to his character. His outward actions do not let on, that he thinks of Saumya so highly. One of my favourite RuMya moments was the scene when Rudra dubs her as his best friend and when she questions this sceptically, he explains very honestly that once he is friends with a person, they are automatically his best friend.
I like that he values people equally. He is immature at times and prefers aesthetic beauty only to maintain his social status. Internally, he understands that outward beauty is irrelevant to character, which he voices in the last episode. Rudra proves that he is perpetually the showman. He does not just put on a show in front of outsiders, a show of false bravado and humour when there is a lot more hidden in the recesses of his mind.
He tells Saumya, that even if she isn't hot, he valued her for her innocence and honesty. He desired her friendship because he wanted meaningful companionship. He wanted her for her pure heart because that is what he truly values.
I think that is beautiful.
So far, Shivaay is willing to forgo Annika's, pure heart, because she is not of his social standard. If not of his immediate family, Omkara too is quick to turn on people if his own values are at conflict. Rudra, on the other hand, proves to be the most mature. Even though he is outraged, he does not abandon Saumya when she clearly needs his help.
Rudra is underestimated by everyone at Oberoi Mansion. He is viewed as the baby of the household, still young and naive. However, like he angrily protests yesterday that he, "is not a kid," really, he isn't. Rudra deserves a lot more credit. Though he often misses the bigger picture, he is more observant that Shivaay and Omkara. He notices minute details that others often miss. He has always been perceptive to Saumya's grief and cannot bear to see others hurting.
I have my heart set on the RuMya pairing. I am glad that Saumya is getting more screen space at the moment so that her character has more room to develop. From the outset, she has appeared to be an ENFJ , and I adore her generous, caring nature.
I know that it is a long way away, but eventually, I would love to see Rudra trying to build Saumya's self-esteem rather than always poking fun at her about her weight. Saumya is not as confident as lets on, and I want Rudra to understand this and help her on her journey. Once they have fallen in love, I want to see Rudra trying to get to the root of Saumya's weight issues to make her healthy rather than skinny. I would love to see him tell her that he loves her like she is - soft, beautiful and warm-hearted, but at the same time, want her to be healthy so that she is able to be with him as long as possible.
It's one thing to realise that she is beautiful, which I know that Rudra eventually will, and it is another, to make her feel beautiful. In the long term, I hope Rudra makes Saumya feel beautiful.
ACP Randhawa
On a lighter note, I am totally digging this ACP Randhawa. There's something super sexy about his attitude. He just doesn't give up, this man. He reminds me of Tyrion Lannister and at times Jack Sparrow. He's witty, charismatic and argumentative. He cannot resist a challenge, which is why I am typing him as an ENTP so far.
We typed Tej as an ENTJ and Jhanvi as an ISFP - polar opposites, and likewise I think that Ranveer-Priyanka's relationship would be one of opposites as Priyanka is an established ISFJ. They look great together, and I hope that Ranveer is able to give Priyanka the security and stability that she desperately desires.
- Okay, so that was a long rant! I imagined this as a brief Rudra appreciation post, but it quickly got out of hand! I won't blame you if I bored you - but for those of you, who stayed to the end, I thank you.
<333 Paridhi.
Anupamaa
