Maan Singh Khurana
An Extensive Case Study
Maan Singh Khurana. He is a man of many qualities with different facets. He is handsome, rich and famous. He is a recluse, who is reserved but kind hearted as well. He is a perfect man, who is an ideal lover for women across the globe. He is smart, intelligent and every woman's dream. However, this seemingly perfect man also has many flaws. The flaws that becomes evident when you get closer and look deep enough. Maan Singh Khurana is a troubled man. A man who is suffering from a lot of issues in his past which occasionally manifest itself in his conduct. He is a man of many layers and every layer has secrets embedded in it. In short, Maan Singh Khurana has problems which need to be examined closely to understand his character.
Every Man is a Product of his experience, so is Maan. I believe Maan has lived a very distressed life so far that has made him the man that he is today. He is a man in need to be understood and dealt accordingly. In other words, Maan is in dire need of a therapist and psychiatric help'so here is my explanation why:
- Ambivalent and Avoidant Attachment Issues: Attachment issues are an essential part of human beings mental make up. John Bowlby, a renowned psychologist has done extensive research on Attachment issues. According to him, Attachment is "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). Marie Ainsworth, another psychologist created a strange situation paradigm to analyze the attachment between children and their parents. According to her paradigm, research in this area indicates that patterns established in childhood have an important impact on later relationships. Keeping this Paradigm in mind, Maan seem to be suffering from Ambivalent and avoidant attachment issues.
The criterion of Ambivalent Attachment has three distinct characteristics:
a) Reluctant to become close to others; Maan always refuses to get close to people; he is always curt with Dadima, the most important person in his life. He was extremely wary and distant from his brother Dev. In fact, he doesn't even have friends; he has an office staff instead who he is working for a considerable period of time with but still has to struggle to be cordial with. For example, the whole series.
b) Worry that their partner does not love them; Maan is very insecure in forming a bond. He was so anxious that Geet didn't love him before he even himself admitted to having any feelings for her. He went to lengths to prove to himself and get her to admit her love for him without ever expressing his own love for her. For example, testing Geet over and over again during Pari's cameo
c) Become very distraught when a relationship ends; it is extremely evident that Maan was very distraught and bears deep scars from his previous break up. For example, break up with Sameera.
The Criteria for Avoidant Attachment are stated below:
a) May have problems with Intimacy: we have witnessed it many times. Maan does not like to become emotionally intimate with anyone. In fact he hides important things from his Dadima, the most important person in his life. He also doesn't confide everything in Geet either, even though he is madly in love with her. For example, Geet still doesn't know that Maan has a brother named Vicky, or He was in a relationship with a woman named Sameera previously.
b) Invest little emotions in social and romantic relationships: this is one is very tricky, it took Maan a long time to come to terms with his feelings for Geet and to accept them. However, he still remains a social recluse. He doesn't have friends and he doesn't interact with anyone but his family and Geet.
c) Unable and Unwilling to share thoughts and feelings with others: Maan is always unable to share his most private feelings with anyone. He can never confess to dadima how much he was in love with Geet. Similarly, he can't even properly confess to Geet how much he loves her. For example, I m still waiting for an EXPLICIT I LOVE YOU!!!!! And He hasn't also confessed about Sameera to Geet.
2) Defense Mechanisms: Defense mechanisms are one way of looking at how people distance themselves from a full awareness of unpleasant thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Maan have used them through out the series so far, I am only going to mention the two most commonly used by Maan:
- Projection: Projection is the misattribution of a person's undesired thoughts, feelings or impulses onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses. Projection is used especially when the thoughts are considered unacceptable for the person to express, or they feel completely ill at ease with having them. For example, him being continuously angry at Geet in the Indian Paints office, where Geet should have been mad at him for following her like a creep.
- Denial: Denial is the refusal to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful event, thought or feeling did not exist. It is considered one of the most primitive of the defense mechanisms because it is characteristic of early childhood development. Many people use denial in their everyday lives to avoid dealing with painful feelings or areas of their life they don't wish to admit. For instance, Maan used denial to convince himself that he didn't have feelings for Geet.
3) Narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
a. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements). For example, Maan Singh Khurana does not need anyone.
b. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. For example, Maan Singh Khurana's Fiance demands.
c. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions). For example, The Dhabba incident.
4) Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People with OCD may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals. For Example, being Obsessed with the girl you are in love with. Stalking the object of your desire consistently, even when you tell yourself that you hate her.
5) Intermittent explosive disorder:
Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by repeated episodes of aggressive, violent behavior in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation. Road rage, domestic abuse, and angry outbursts or temper tantrums that involve throwing or breaking objects may be signs of intermittent explosive disorder (IED).
- Multiple incidents in which the person failed to resist aggressive impulses that resulted in deliberate destruction of property or assault of another person. How many times have we seen Maan pushing and Pulling Geet? Was twisting her arm during Shimla trip called for??
- The degree of aggressiveness expressed during the incidents is completely out of proportion with the precipitating event. Remember how Maan pushed Geet against the elevator wall when she was just trying to speak to him?? and there are countless other incidences where Maan has been unusually aggressive.
The aggressive episodes aren't accounted for by another mental disorder and are not due to the effects of a drug or a general medical condition. That I cant be sure of'.however, he hasn't shown any drug problems or any other mental condition which would explain his sudden outburst of anger and aggression.
6) Hubris Syndrome:
Hubris Syndrome is a very curious condition. It is commonly known as the "God Complex". According to Clinical medicine, "Hubris syndrome is associated with power, more likely to manifest itself the longer the person exercises power and the greater the power they exercise. Usually symptoms abate when the person no longer exercises power. It is less likely to develop in people who retain a personal modesty, remain open to criticism, have a degree of cynicism or well developed sense of humour." Reminds of Maan, doesn't it?
the diagnosis of hubris syndrome typically grow in strength with time and exercising Power. At least three or four symptoms from the following tentative list should be present before any such diagnosis be contemplated:
* a narcissistic propensity to see the world primarily as an arena in which they can exercise power and seek glory rather than as a place with problems that need approaching in a pragmatic and non-self-referential manner: Remember Maan takes decisions for people, whether it be saving them or telling them that they have to come with him to Amritsar.
* a predisposition to take actions which seem likely to cast them in a good light, taken in part in order to enhance their image : this symptom was indirect, he cared a lot what the people in that conference room heard when Geet rejected him. he is also pretty careful about Khurana khandan ki izzat.
* a disproportionate concern with image and presentation , same as above. He exalted in knowing that he was the most coveted bachelor in town.
* a messianic manner of talking about what they are doing and a tendency to exaltation in speech and manner; Quoting Maan " Geet You Need Me", that little sentence explains a lot.
* a tendency to talk of themselves in the third person or use of the royal 'we'; constantly reffering to himself as Maan Singh Khurana
* excessive confidence in their own judgement and contempt for the advice or criticism of others; how dare Geet save the presentation in front of Mr Chopra? Without seeking consent from Maangod ?
* exaggerated self-belief, bordering on a sense of omnipotence, in what they personally can achieve ; Maan Singh Khurana Sub Kuch karsakta hai'..
* a belief that rather than being accountable to the mundane court of colleagues or public opinion, the real court to which they answer is much greater: have we ever seen him give proper explaination for his behavior to his own beloved Geet?? Did he ever told her why he let Dev out of jail? He thinks he is not accountable to her.
* restlessness, recklessness and impulsiveness; Kurban Hua moment, Announcing wedding in front of the press without asking Geet first and Khoon Bhari Maang
* loss of contact with reality, often associated with progressive isolation; resorting to tai-chi, Maan-chi, wood-chi and recently Hoo Haa, rather then talking to people, making friends.
A pervasive pattern of negativistic attitudes and passive resistance to demands for adequate performance, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicted by four (or more) of the following:
a) passively resists fulfilling routine social and occupational tasks: How many times have we seen Maan actually working in the office??
b) complains of being misunderstood and unappreciated by others : How many times he complains about being misunderstood by dadi and Geet??
c) is sullen and argumentative: LOL do I even have to say anything??
d) unreasonably criticizes and scorns authority : Outhouse fiasco, Complaining about Dadima annoying him.
e) expresses envy and resentment toward those apparently more fortunate: okay maybe not this one !!
f) voices exaggerated and persistent complaints of personal misfortune: Dadima ki Complain ki dukaan is always open for Maan.
g) alternates between hostile defiance and contrition: Defy affections for Geet by manhandling her and then feeling contrite after doing it. Watch Dargah episode before and after.
In Conclusion, all I want to say is that, Maan is a very troubled man. He might be very "dreamy" and all but he really has some issues that need to be resolved. So CVs and Devils I implore you to look closely at your favorite character and try to explore how some of these conditions arose in the first place. Many of these conditions are stemming from childhood and having unresolved issues with parents, caregivers and siblings. So please explore this faade of Maans character and send him for Therapy because in reality he is in need of help.
~Sin~š
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