Until the Mahi-Mom story, I always saw Manav as the self-obsessed, manipulative, childish and pesky character they have portrayed him to be. But then with that one story, something changed.
Admittedly, the story wasn't as inspiring, motivational or even heart-rending as it was set up to be but the way Manav packaged and presented it did wonders for it.
It also put Manav in a new light for me. His attitude still leaves much to be desired but as a news presenter, he has skills we haven't seen yet. There is a reason he has been with KKN for as long as he has, that he is as he puts it, the face of the channel and why he thought he deserved the editor-in-chief post.
In one of the previous episodes, during an arguments between Kabir-Manav it was pointed out that Kabir alone can't carry the entire channel. This is where Manav steps in. Crass and annoying as he may be, Manav does do wonders with human interest stories and as he tells Ananya, there is a market for it. People crave hope. And Manav is the perfect person to deliver it.
Khalid may be extremely business-minded but he knows people well enough too. Manav has been complacent and at home with KKN to the point where getting promoted to EIC appeared to be the natural transition for him. By hiring Kabir, he's hit two birds with one stone. While Kabir brings one amazing show after another taking the ratings up to the second position, he's also rekindled the drive and fire in Manav. Already we can see him trying harder to get good stories and cover them better. That he has issues with Kabir, only keeps both of them on the edge and giving their all to their job - something Khalid enjoys, something that's good for KKN too.
There may a stark difference in the type of reporters they are, the kind of men they are but they are both experienced. That small instance with both Kabir and Manav asking Richa and Ananya respectively to contact Bhavna was a stark and obvious reminder of the kind of people they are. Different as their approach may be, their goals were the same. Don't tell anyone. Find a clue or a lead, get an interview or just a byte. Bring it to me. Which shows that Manav may not be a lot of things, but he is a good reporter or at least a good presenter.
I also find some of his interactions with Ananya informative. He may have issues with Kabir and he may look out for his own best interest but he isn't a vindictive person. Just a self-absorbed one. Yet in amidst all that, once in a while, he shows his human side and makes me believe there is more to him than just his immaturity and imprudence.
As a smart and intuitive editor-in-chief, it would be a good call on Kabir's part to assign human interest stories to Manav. If they can get over their tashan and barely hidden rivalry and stop ruffling each other's feathers long enough, they have the potential to get the channel to the number one spot together.
P.S. Also hello! My name is Kashish and this is my first post on the forum. I'm loving this show so far. It's refreshingly different with great acting and a good script. Also, I haven't seen today's epi yet, so couldn't make reference to that.