Long post but I have reached a limit. Watching a show like this, you’re bound to get hate or people go personal with you over a mere character. But there is only so much somebody can take.
Following is the reason why I think Malini’s character is badly written and have started disliking her (Not out of context wait)
A: Malini calls aditya in PD in the ninth episode and over hearing a girl’s voice immediately gets worried and starts having doubts like whether he’ll leave me, she voices these when she he comes back.
B: Aditya tells her he’s married to the girl he brought back from PD, she faints, wakes up and believes a bs story about it being a prank (from a guy who has never in his life pranked) despite the girl being very much there and the numerous suspicious instances after this one glaring red alarm.
C: Over the course of their marriage she is shown upset over aditya speaking to imlie or having moments of doubt (pre third pd track) but does not speak with him directly about it instead always says she has complete trust over him and their relationship. Uhh let’s go back to point A and the doubts, seems like mild gaslighting and an inability to face the real problem to me (there’s underlying manipulative tendencies showing)
D: Aditya fights with her over a silly car issue, instead of standing up to him and calling him out on kahin ka ghussa kahin nikaalna. She goes to her mom and accuses her of trying to ruin her relationship, cries to her and does nothing until a third person (imlie) tried to fix their problems. Udhar bhi she takes the credit for the poem and since aditya is speaking to her again so all is forgiven and she never brings it up again because all is well, again running away from solving the actual issue, this relationship would have nearly fallen apart here if not for third person interference.
E: Watches her husband with a girl in a restaurant looking like they’re on a date or something (it was a secret mission to catch bunty bhai) and VERY clearly is hurt and has doubts but goes on talking about bedaagh trust, back to point A and C, again running away from solving the actual issue and lowkey manipulating into feeling guilty (back then I was super impressed by the dialogue and her ke wah wah kitni trusting kitni achi hai, everything that happened this point forward made me change my mind). So basically, they fight she runs to her mom, aditya says two words she’s back.
F: Aditya gets beat up and goes missing for three days and lies about his whereabouts. Malini’s reaction? My marriage is over I am going to stop eating until he comes back. You have to watch this from the character’s pov not the audience who knows the whole story. That breakdown was unnecessary af, especially when his family was worried too. Aditya comes back, barely gives an explanation two words and she’s back and never asks where you were and how you are.
G: She starts developing doubts, subconsciously of aditya giving imlie more than necessary attention. What does she do? Instead of questioning aditya she terrorises the girl (would not have been that much of a problem for me would have called it her character flaw like the others have too, if it didn’t come out as planned and unnecessarily glorified due to that stupid puja scene, don’t want a marriage like my mom so I’ll act like my mom and be strong, thought she’d stand up to aditya but she just meant be openly classist lmao) also the saree lmao she did not give that out of the goodness of her heart it was a taunt.
H: tantrum doesn’t work she leaves home, all the while thinking one word from aditya and she’ll be back, he doesn’t say the word she leaves and finally ‘realises’ imlie ki wajah se hua’ (so previously when she abused her it was just for pulling aditya’s attention?) no thoughts about her own husband ne kya kia just ‘aditya ke liye bhi dar lag raha hai’ as if he’s a kindergartener being misled
F: she tries to kill herself after having only suspicions and him telling her he’s coming to tell the whole truth.. (I can say it was because of other factors too and I do believe her childhood experiences played a part but the timing and that letter.. makes it seem like it mostly was for other reasons, you know what).
G: Aditya still tries to tell her the truth, she still heaves and he’s unable to cause come on who wouldn’t be traumatised and take more caution after what she did. She screams about mujhe koi sach nahi batata, let’s go back to F here too. What?
H: So to get the truth out what’s she gonna do?? Make an elaborate story of being in love with someone else instead of straight up confronting.
I: Can do all the meethi churi taunts towards imlie but also misses her? Did you not just realise this is the girl your husband is in love with? Oh wait yes she does, but aditya is a prize that poor her lost and oh so lucky imlie got ‘meri wajah se usse aditya ko chorna para’ seriously??? not gonna question your husband but wallow in self pity like always and feel bad for imlie lmaaao give me a break (I am sorry but she just comes accross as the rich girl who throws tantrums and when she doesn’t get what she wants she breaks down, when nothing works it’s self pity and ‘mahanta’)
Listen, malini used to be my favourite character and I expected a lot from her character development but she’s just turned out to be a mini version of her mom albeit a weaker one. What’s wrong with that? Anu is entertaining yes, but she’s classist and an abuser. She has no guts to leave that coward of a husband but can physically abuse and terrorise a 19 year old she’s not even sure has any relation to him, all gaon waali aurtein are just besharam for misleading her husband. Malini showed the same mentality. These characters, more so Anu, are the depiction of the woman who instead of questioning their husbands, abuse and shame other girls. If the husbands were to pay them attention they’ll forgive them cheating and other sins. Now you can call this Malini’s flaw like the other characters have too, but the others have consistency and have been shown having guilt and paying for the consequences of their actions. Malini’s flaws are constantly glossed over and she’s forcefully mahanofied. As a viewer that gets frustrating to watch. Plus all of those points above plus a gazillion others show how weak malini and aditya’s relationship was from the start, imlie’s presence just sped up the process that would have eventually happened.
The reason I made this post is because of what I said at the start. I am not gonna be sitting here being called a fake feminist by people who apparently only think feminism is outrage at cheating and is abusing women for being ‘doosri aurat’ etc. Where is this feminism when it comes to imlie? Why not outrage at this teenager’s life being destroyed and concerned over her considering her age and all the gaslighting and manipulation happening around her? Why not outrage when her character is called illegitimate so deserving of the hate? Spare me the moral lectures we all know this isn’t about morality or feminism. Since the values regarding to that keep on fluctuating show to show, character to character. I understand attachment to a character but do not personally attack someone over them, learn to take a show as a show. Yesterday, somebody went and insulted my upbringing and my mother for a freaking character?? That is a limit I am not gonna stand being crossed.
This is a request to everyone. Malini, aditya, imlie or whoever stans and antis. Can we stop with the personal attacks? Everyone is bound to have a difference of opinion in shows like these. My mother has been a dad and a mom to me and I can proudly say she’s taught me the correct difference between right and wrong. You don’t know what someone is going through irl, you can sit behind a screen and curse someone but you don’t know the affect it could have on them. This is only a show, these are only characters. Let’s not make them the start and end of our days and focus to an extent we feel comfortable attacking real people please. One last time, learn to take a show as a show. It’s entertainment. That’s it. A hell of a good show for whatever reasons you watch. Nothing to get so personal over. But draw a line when watching shows, do not cross it. Thank you.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
