I wrote this on another thread, but it also fits well here.
I'm a silent member for many reasons. One of them being that I joined iF when I was a teenager and realized that the fellow forum members of the show I used to watch were more into their favorite couple/on screen pairing than they were into the storyline. My first major stand/post on IF was when in an Ekta Show the male lead slapped the female lead and it didn't go down well with me but so many other forum members were okay with it because the male lead was "dreamy" "handsome" etc. That is when I realized how many people forget to disassociate the actor from the character.
I think the best of actors are those who portray a character in such a manner where we don't see the actor at all when watching the show, movie etc. The best of actors are the ones where they can portray 100% the character and 0% of themselves as an actor. We forget who is playing the role and get submerged into only the character.
I also think the best of viewers are those who watch the show, movie, etc. without any biases for their favorite couple, actor, etc. They are submerged in the storyline from the characters and storyline point of view. A great example of this is Ranveer-Deepika in Padmavaat. How many people were rooting for Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavaati to be together, solely because they ship Ranveer-Deepika? I would hope and assume none.
That is how I feel about "Maunal" or "Shaditi". Sure they pair well on screen. Sure Mauli and Kunal had an amazing marriage in the first few episodes of Silsila. But as a viewer and woman, can I really say I want them together solely because of their electrifying chemistry? No. Not with the way the storyline is portrayed and being presented.
These characters are 1D characters and a figment of the writers imagination. The actors try their best to bring them to life but can only do so much, if the writing is bad. Fans tend to analyze every intense look the actor gave and read it for something, that perhaps it is not.
That being said, Kunal has taken endearing actions towards uniting Ishaan and Mauli. That is great. Give credit when it is due. But he still hasn't apologized for the EMA or done anything which hints towards him regretting it.
How many remember that even after he found out about Mauli's pregnancy and Nandini asked him to go back to Mauli, he once said to Nandini, that he can still be a good father/hands on father without being with Mauli? Or the amount of times he told Mauli that he is no longer her Kunal, that he loves Nandini, that he hasn't done anything wrong because we can't control who we love (the whole divine love)?
As is the title for this thread, "Kunal has not redeemed himself", that is 100% on point. He hasn't. And to be honest, the only way he can is by debunking the whole pre-leap concept of the show which was that "love just happens" and sometimes you don't have control over it, etc. How will the writers manage to do this when the promotions of the show even rested on this "love just happens" concept? It's a really hard sell.
Not only would the writers have to give him amazing dialogues to redeem himself at this point, those dialogues would have to justify that perhaps he never loved Nandini to begin with, he started missing Mauli soon after his marriage with her, etc. Something which shows that he didn't fall in love with Mauli only after Nandini died. Something that shows that she isn't second best or a rebound.
For all those members who say that EMA's happen in real life, the man realizes his mistake and comes back to make his marriage work, etc. I agree. This does happen. But it happens soon after the EMA, while the mistress is still alive. He choses his broken marriage and wants to repair it after the guilt has hit him. In this, Kunal is being shown to fall in love with Mauli only after Nandini's death. Had a Maunal reunion happened pre-leap, during the phase when Dida was trying to unite Maunal through all the pooja's and the sindoor scene, etc. and had Kunal realized his mistake then, then the whole "I'm trying to repair my broken marriage" would have made sense. Kunal realizing Mauli is his true love, even when he has the option of Nandini, would have made sense. Instead the storyline focused on Kunal's lack of remorse, having dates with Nandini, sending her video messages when she tried to break up with him, etc.
That being said, I don't want a Maunal reunion. Nor do I want Mauli to stay alone. I think it takes more strength to fall in love again and begin to trust someone again, and that is why I truly hope the writer steers the story line towards Mauli falling in love with Ishaan. And had Drashti not left the show, I assume this is what the storyline would have been focused on. An insecure Nandini (as articles have already stated) and an insecure Mauli who finds it hard to love again, but eventually moves on with Ishaan. Why change the storyline and try to sell a Maunal reunion solely because Drashti left?
And I hope that Ishaan too sets his mother and Sweetie in place so that Mauli can reunite with Radhika and Dida (obviously not live with them, but reunite with them and continue to have them in her life).
As for the rest of the relationships (Mishti-Kunal, Pari-Mauli) I hope they end on good terms as well. Because Pari is truly not at fault for any of this, nor is Mishti. And in the real world, parents do share joint custody and it is possible to be on good terms and have an amicable relationship with your ex.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
