Posted:
Buckle down, folks, this one's a long rant. And full of what I think will be quite unpopular opinions. š³ But I just had to get this out...
So, the one thing I'm majorly disappointed to notice this week is that BI seems to be completely glossing over the fact that Zain was physically abusive to Aaliya. I know the general consensus in the forum is that the scene after the Kurbaan Hua dance was "intense and passionate", but while I can agree that Harshad/Preetika have really good chemistry in the scene, I couldn't enjoy that scene at all, seeing how Zain was manhandling Aaliya, twisting her arm, pushing her around, and then grabbing her by the hair. All this while, Aaliya is seen to be in pain, even saying so repeatedly. Her saying that doesn't seem to affect Zain at all though. He's just seen to grab her hair even harder, and demanding answers. Finally, it's her screaming and struggling to free herself that makes him let go by throwing her against the pillar.
I'm sorry, was I supposed to see this scene as romantic, because all I saw was the female lead sobbing and gasping and in obvious pain? (Excellent work by Preetika in this scene, btw. ššš I could really feel the sheer discomfort and terror of being in a situation like that). Which part of this is the romance again??? š
I am well aware, this situation is not something new, especially in the world of desi serials. For more than a decade now, heroes have been grabbing the heroines, and pinning them up against walls, and snarling at them. It's the regular "go-to" ~~INTENSE scene. But are you trying to tell me that physical violence is the only way to generate intensity in between the leads during a conflict? Isn't this shoddy, and downright irresponsible writing, that your female lead has to be physically intimidated for you to show passion between the leads?
Even after all this, I was hoping against hope itself that this issue would be addressed in the next scenes. But nothing! The fact that Zain was drunk seems to "explain away" his behaviour, like "Oh, he was drunk, he wasn't in his senses, he can't be held responsible for his actions when drunk..." But that has never been a valid reason for any kind of misbehaviour, and isn't in this case as well. Forget even a hint of remorse on Zain's part, even Aaliya doesn't seem concerned or upset that she was thrown around like a rag doll by her husband in a public place. Her reason for leaving to Bhopal is merely that Zain needs "space to think"??!?! He manhandled her, doubted her intentions with Zubair, said things like "Sochta hoon tumhe chod hi doon", "Jao, chod diya", and HE'S THE ONE WHO NEEDS SPACE? She's completely okay with being treated like this? š The last two days (yesterday, and today) episodes show neither Zain nor Aaliya focusing on anything other than their own egos, and childishly fighting with each other's imaginary versions. So this whole issue is being treated like some small, silly tiff between newlyweds??
In this one aspect, I feel Aaliya's character is written even more poorly than Zain's, as in she acts as a doormat when it comes to his bad behaviour. This isn't the first time he's been hurtful, but when does she ever let him apologize? Every time he feels a little bad and just starts to raise his hands to his ears, she'll run in slow motion and hastily pull them down, as if he has absolutely no need to apologize. I get it, it's a running gag or whatever, but lets not forget why it started, she was offering to apologize just to manaaofy him, not because she was actually at fault, and Zain knew this too. Thus, him not letting her apologize is ok. But Zain has been genuinely hurtful time and again, why shouldn't he apologize? Ego is one thing, which has no place in a relationship. But dignity and self-respect is quite another, and Aaliya deserves an apology for Zain's repeated transgressions. And putting up the word "Sorry" on the wall in lights just isn't enough. What's the meaning of the word, when you have no genuine remorse and keep hurting the person again and again? And what he did this time was no trivial matter, he actually hurt her physically.
Seeing that we live in a time where violence against women is in the spotlight (not just in India, but internationally as well, see: Elliot Rodger & the UCSB massacre, just this week), I think it's completely irresponsible for the show to depict violence against the heroine, and then not to even address it ever again, just glossing over it completely. At the very least show Zain reflecting on the things he did, rather than just seeing an imaginary Aaliya taunting him about watching cricket with Zubbu or whatever. Now tomorrow, the I Love Yous will be said, and the fact that something like this happened will be completely forgotten. I had higher hopes from BI, seeing that it was different from shows I'd seen so far. This kind of stuff was expected from an Ekta show circa 2004, where crappy sensationalism was what seemed to get eyeballs. But we are in 2014 now, and I'm really disappointed that BI is being so regressive and no different from a crappy K-show from 10 years ago.
Maybe I'm expecting too much from a desi serial. But am I, really? This is a medium/show that reaches millions, not just in India, but internationally as well. Isn't it time that content providers took some responsibility for the stuff they show 5 days a week? Are we doomed to keep watching misogyny like this in the name of entertainment? I understand that liberties have to be taken with fiction, in order to entertain. But when you, as writers and producers are mindful to show religious issues with the required tact and delicacy, why do you not extend the same courtesies to social issues as well?
TL;DR: Zain was physically abusive, no one (writers, character of Aaliya) but me cares?
My two (hundred, thousand) cents. Your thoughts?
So, the one thing I'm majorly disappointed to notice this week is that BI seems to be completely glossing over the fact that Zain was physically abusive to Aaliya. I know the general consensus in the forum is that the scene after the Kurbaan Hua dance was "intense and passionate", but while I can agree that Harshad/Preetika have really good chemistry in the scene, I couldn't enjoy that scene at all, seeing how Zain was manhandling Aaliya, twisting her arm, pushing her around, and then grabbing her by the hair. All this while, Aaliya is seen to be in pain, even saying so repeatedly. Her saying that doesn't seem to affect Zain at all though. He's just seen to grab her hair even harder, and demanding answers. Finally, it's her screaming and struggling to free herself that makes him let go by throwing her against the pillar.
I'm sorry, was I supposed to see this scene as romantic, because all I saw was the female lead sobbing and gasping and in obvious pain? (Excellent work by Preetika in this scene, btw. ššš I could really feel the sheer discomfort and terror of being in a situation like that). Which part of this is the romance again??? š
I am well aware, this situation is not something new, especially in the world of desi serials. For more than a decade now, heroes have been grabbing the heroines, and pinning them up against walls, and snarling at them. It's the regular "go-to" ~~INTENSE scene. But are you trying to tell me that physical violence is the only way to generate intensity in between the leads during a conflict? Isn't this shoddy, and downright irresponsible writing, that your female lead has to be physically intimidated for you to show passion between the leads?
Even after all this, I was hoping against hope itself that this issue would be addressed in the next scenes. But nothing! The fact that Zain was drunk seems to "explain away" his behaviour, like "Oh, he was drunk, he wasn't in his senses, he can't be held responsible for his actions when drunk..." But that has never been a valid reason for any kind of misbehaviour, and isn't in this case as well. Forget even a hint of remorse on Zain's part, even Aaliya doesn't seem concerned or upset that she was thrown around like a rag doll by her husband in a public place. Her reason for leaving to Bhopal is merely that Zain needs "space to think"??!?! He manhandled her, doubted her intentions with Zubair, said things like "Sochta hoon tumhe chod hi doon", "Jao, chod diya", and HE'S THE ONE WHO NEEDS SPACE? She's completely okay with being treated like this? š The last two days (yesterday, and today) episodes show neither Zain nor Aaliya focusing on anything other than their own egos, and childishly fighting with each other's imaginary versions. So this whole issue is being treated like some small, silly tiff between newlyweds??
In this one aspect, I feel Aaliya's character is written even more poorly than Zain's, as in she acts as a doormat when it comes to his bad behaviour. This isn't the first time he's been hurtful, but when does she ever let him apologize? Every time he feels a little bad and just starts to raise his hands to his ears, she'll run in slow motion and hastily pull them down, as if he has absolutely no need to apologize. I get it, it's a running gag or whatever, but lets not forget why it started, she was offering to apologize just to manaaofy him, not because she was actually at fault, and Zain knew this too. Thus, him not letting her apologize is ok. But Zain has been genuinely hurtful time and again, why shouldn't he apologize? Ego is one thing, which has no place in a relationship. But dignity and self-respect is quite another, and Aaliya deserves an apology for Zain's repeated transgressions. And putting up the word "Sorry" on the wall in lights just isn't enough. What's the meaning of the word, when you have no genuine remorse and keep hurting the person again and again? And what he did this time was no trivial matter, he actually hurt her physically.
Seeing that we live in a time where violence against women is in the spotlight (not just in India, but internationally as well, see: Elliot Rodger & the UCSB massacre, just this week), I think it's completely irresponsible for the show to depict violence against the heroine, and then not to even address it ever again, just glossing over it completely. At the very least show Zain reflecting on the things he did, rather than just seeing an imaginary Aaliya taunting him about watching cricket with Zubbu or whatever. Now tomorrow, the I Love Yous will be said, and the fact that something like this happened will be completely forgotten. I had higher hopes from BI, seeing that it was different from shows I'd seen so far. This kind of stuff was expected from an Ekta show circa 2004, where crappy sensationalism was what seemed to get eyeballs. But we are in 2014 now, and I'm really disappointed that BI is being so regressive and no different from a crappy K-show from 10 years ago.
Maybe I'm expecting too much from a desi serial. But am I, really? This is a medium/show that reaches millions, not just in India, but internationally as well. Isn't it time that content providers took some responsibility for the stuff they show 5 days a week? Are we doomed to keep watching misogyny like this in the name of entertainment? I understand that liberties have to be taken with fiction, in order to entertain. But when you, as writers and producers are mindful to show religious issues with the required tact and delicacy, why do you not extend the same courtesies to social issues as well?
TL;DR: Zain was physically abusive, no one (writers, character of Aaliya) but me cares?
My two (hundred, thousand) cents. Your thoughts?
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