Totally my opinion regarding some iconic shows on TV and their MLs. I have followed a very few for limited episodes and coincidentally all of them were trendsetters. I dont like to see Ekta serials because they are too misogynistic or crazy. I like the ones where male characters are strong and support the female, and not just be furniture in the story set up.
What I observe from Hindi/Indian serials is that they still establish 'marriage' as the center of woman's world. And TV being women's arena, they try to capture the challenges of a woman in joint family scenario. In that process they also show men being arrogant, egoistic and faltering. The wife brings a change in them which I think shows the character strength of the female. Giving up on a marriage is easy, but rising up in a relationship and bringing new laws in the family needs patience and strength. And the Indian soaps potray that. Some soaps which made me think and really fall in love with indian soaps are these.
1. Saath nibhana saathiya 1: I hated it when it started. Ahem is the worst ML I could think of. But the way their progression was shown, even though he remained selfish and arrogant for his family, there was a tremendous character arc. Gopi bahu made a mark in the Indian psyche because the way she transforms from an uneducated timid girl to the head of a big family is applause worthy. She doesnt raise a voice nor she resorts to emotional blackmailing. Ahem cant help but fall in love with her. The same man who needed support from mother and wife, raises two girl children alone! Angry with the wife that she chose someone over them, but not falling out of love with her. Gopi bahu was a doormat in the intial episodes but later a powerhouse woman. And Ahem adds to her journey. As a person he might not be the best, but the transformation is what gives the message.
2. Diya aur baati hum: I wanted to see this from the promo date because of the concept and seen it till Sandhya goes missing. Another gem of a story. ML is the best till date, Sri Ram jaisa. silent supporter of wife and her dreams. But sandhya was no less. Coming from an educated family and getting adjusted to an orthodox family, she showed strength in living her dreams and making a balance with her orthodox family. The best thing I liked in that story is that Suraj never asks her to adjust for his family. He has zero expectations on her. That is amazing. Here also, Sandhya brings changes to the family slowly without forcing them to change or lecturing them to the extent of proposing a marriage between Suraj's sister and Zakir(hamara Neil bhatt). Thats where the story turns into something that gives back to the society. Till date I think only Suraj was a flawless ML :D not sure though
3. Balika Vadhu: In my opinion, this is a much needed and thought provoking story that did make an impact on the society. Shiv is a modern partner that every girl wants in the present generation. but taken early in the story. If at al there is a story that shows the strength of a female, BV comes in top ten. I think this is one of the first soaps where people demanded the best ML for Anandi and got served with Shiv 😊. He is the idealistic husband material, so there is no more to add to him. But I dont think any 'perfect' ML can move the story forward.
All three MLs above never cheat their wives, always loyal to their wives. steadfast in love!
So, in short what I wanted to say is Virat Chavan for me is also very positive ML in my opinion. He loves his wife to bits, but he has this strong sense of duty and helping nature that impedes with his judgement. He goes to extreme lengths to protect others that he forgets that his wife needs answers. He thinks, (I believe) that Sai cant understand his mindset. So he ends up hurting her. Sai also has deep rooted insecurity when it comes to Virat. So any female in his life, will trigger panic in her. There is some underlying distrust that both need to address, which they fail to leading to unwanted tribulations. I hope they show Virat as a modern husband (deviating from KD) who makes Sai an equal partner in his decisions and not devalue her due to her age or anything. He has potential to become iconic pati like Shiv or Suraj!
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