What will it take?

My first question was going o be "What will it take for Krishna to change?" But I know that the first counter question is going to be, "change what?" So I thought that perhaps we should first look at his present psychology, not the good aspects😃, just the not so nice ones for now😕. Those aspects of his personality that are motivating his present behavior.

His Escapist attitude:

Krishna never likes to see the things that distress him. In spite of the fact that he is NOT a bully, he has looked away blindly from his families bullying and oppressive ways. He has now witnessed abuse, murder, and inhuman cruelty in front of his eyes. He has seen how the very people responsible for the devastation of a person's life, have had the gall, the audacity to add insult to injury, who don't hesitate to twist the knife into the fresh wound both physically and psychologically. He has seen that even if Kesar had died that day his family would have stood and watched.

What more is he waiting for? What will it take for his conscience to smote him? Uska zameer kab aur kaise jagega? If his conscience is speaking up and he is still not listening to it, then it is terrible because the conscience is a sensitive thing and if you kill it then you will go downhill so fast that it will be extraordinarily difficult to grasp it after that.

His selfishness:

Krishna has always been selfish. We found this cute on many occasions. When he says "Humri bibi sirf humri seva garegi, poore muhhale ki nahi" Or when he says "tum keval Humri chinta karo poore Illahabad ki nahi" We know Krishna wants his wife's entire affection and attention on him. He does not want her to spend her energies on anybody else. This is quite cute and charming when he vies with Chandu or Aadarsh. But to resent attention for poor desperate Kesar! A woman who is not even treated as human by the people around her! A woman who is no doubt still in a very weak physical condition. (I am sure Pratigya is so worried because Kesar is still bleeding from the injury and this is very bad for her health) To resent that his wife is spending time to take this woman to the hospital is so unforgivable selfish, that you begin to question Krishna's heart.

We all think of Krishna as a man with a great loving heart, a undeniable kindness. When is this kindness going to expand beyond the narrow confines of the people who are most important or USEFUL to him? Does only love motivate kindness? Then what about humanity? Insaaniyat kya cheez hai?

His arrogance:

Again this is an attractive trait. Whether it is the" Krishna, Krishna!" soundtrack or him arrogantly telling his family that he will marry Pratigya, and nobody can do a thing about it, all of that was very entertaining. But the fact is arrogance is only attractive if it is supported by courage. He was arrogant earlier because he thought his family would never thwart him. But now he knows that they might sacrifice him if he pushes them to far. So how does he react to that? Does he lose all his strength against them? So was he just bluffing when he said that he can walk away from them?

He has now turned his arrogance on to Pratigya. Why? Is it because he now thinks that she is the easier target for his anger and bullying? That because she loves him she will give way. That Parivaar ke saat dal nahi gal rahi hai tho biwi ke saat try kartein hain? So basically all that arrogance is just a drama to make other people behave in a way that makes his life easier? What about turning that arrogance to pride, deciding once and for all what is right and having the courage to stick to that stand, irrespective of whether it brings loss or gain to him personally?

So the question is this. When is Krishna's arrogance going to stiffen his spine with real pride? When is he going to make a stand based on what he really believes rather than on what makes his life more easy? How much more does he need to be pushed before his pride is called to the forefront.

His sense of Justice/fairplay or the lack of it:

From the minute he saw Pratigya pick up that puppy he knew what kind of character she had. He always called her a sherni and said that he was proud of her. All this while, when there was no real threat to him, his position and his survival he continued to make support her and make her feel special. This also coincided with a period when he was trying to impress her with the greatness of his love. One more than one occasion he has remarked as to how she always does what she wants and the impossibility of her not doing what she thinks is right. So what has changed now? Why does he think he can shout at her and threaten her into keeping quite, when all she was doing was taking her SIL to the doctor? Why would she listen to him now? WHY? Just because she does not want to lose his love? Is it fair to try and manipulate her emotions like this when you know that it is totally against her nature to be selfish and ignore a person in need. That she cannot be happy like that? Why ask her to change now?

So when will Krishna realize that it is grossly unfair to bring Pratigya to this house with promises of a great happy life and then take away the only thing that makes her truly Happy – the right to the freedom to speak her mind and do the right thing. When will he realize that if he promised her happiness then he must at least allow her to do what she wants if not support her, instead of trying to thwart her himself? Does she have to leave him for him to understand? I really hope not! Because it will mean that again his selfish need to have her back is kicking in, not his sense of fairness!

All of the above is to say these things -

• I sincerely hope that Krishna is able to listen to the voice of his conscience all by himself, rather than come to an understanding of right and wrong only when he is directly affected. Because I would like the change in Krishna to be internal and comprehensive rather than circumstantial and limited.
• Krishna will always be a little selfish. He is too much of a dominant survivor to be anything else. But I hope that he is able to differentiate between a certain healthy self-centeredness and a cruel selfish neglect of others
• I hope that his arrogance is backed by an ability to follow his own gut irrespective of the cost, Rather than a attempt to cow other people down to serve his interests, whether it is his family or Pratigya.
  
• I hope his innate sense of fairness kicks in before he has lost his wife's respect. Because Pratigya can even forgive self-centeredness but she has the deepest disrespect for a bully. If Krishna behaves like Shakti, ie if he trying to pull Pratigya down to his level of inability instead of rising to hers then she will lose respect for him. Even her love cannot prevent this. And I personally will find this more tragic than anything.😭😭😭

Krishna's much-vaunted portrayal as a devoted and selfless lover's days seem to be coming to an end. All good things must come to an end But I am wondering on how the CV's are going to depict Krishna's character outside the bubble his single-minded pursuit to gain Pratigya's love. I have found Krishna to be s singularly one-dimensional character, outside his easy charm and sharp wit, and perceived best through the lens of an amourous young man with only romance in his mind. But, since we are not watching Blue Lagoon with Brook Shields and her beau's coupled development away from all arms of society, I find Krishna to be seriously deficient in all his other relationships to the point of appearing as boorish, callous or simply clueless.

Is Krishna a good son? A good son would never have thrust a wife like Pratigya to a household like the Singh's without first contemplating all the perilous outcomes that can arise out of such a bone-headed move. Did he imagine Prats will be like a voiceless, spineless traditional village belle and soak up all of Amma's taunts and tortures with equanimity? Or did he imagine his Amma to be like Nainaji who will tearfully accept a headstrong, strong-willed woman like Prats and find a reason to accept her with love and warmth? Did Krishna ever think of about his parents wishes and dreams that they had nurtured about their beloved son? Did he ever wince before openly throwing his lot with Pratigya and drawing battle-lines against the order and set rules of his home and setting up his parents as adversaries in their own back-yard? Will it be too much of an academic point to debate that had Krishna tried to strike a more nuanced and sensitive approach in the initial days of his marriage things would not have come to such a point of no return?

IS Krishna a good friend to Chandu-Tunna? When he left his home, Chandu-Tunna's families were the only one to lend him clothes and sustenance. C-T are always there to help him, during his days of joy and nights of grief. They help Pratigya when she had no one besides her when Krishna went missing. But, is Krishna's attitude towards Chandu-Tunna that of a friend on equal footing, ready to accept and share everything in life together? To me he comes across as someone who treats them as hapless lackeys, ready to do his bidding whenever necessary and just provide company when his mood is amenable.

Is Krishna a good brother? Apart from giving unsolicited sermons on her proscribed role in her maayka, I have never really seen him spare any thoughts about Komal's well-being. I think Shakti, vile as he is, has more of sibling love than Krishna ever did. I have already written a lot about Krishna's sad lack of empathy and compassion where Kesar didi is concerned. He never showed even a whiff of common human kindness during her darkest days.

I hope with the current turn of events, the CV's show the devolution of Krishna's character as a more well-rounded and balanced one, outside of the one-point agenda of being a lover boy. If that means temporary disagreements between Kriya I wouldn't mind/

Originally posted by: Relda

Krishna's much-vaunted portrayal as a devoted and selfless lover's days seem to be coming to an end. All good things must come to an end But I am wondering on how the CV's are going to depict Krishna's character outside the bubble his single-minded pursuit to gain Pratigya's love. I have found Krishna to be s singularly one-dimensional character, outside his easy charm and sharp wit, and perceived best through the lens of an amourous young man with only romance in his mind. But, since we are not watching Blue Lagoon with Brook Shields and her beau's coupled development away from all arms of society, I find Krishna to be seriously deficient in all his other relationships to the point of appearing as boorish, callous or simply clueless.

Is Krishna a good son? A good son would never have thrust a wife like Pratigya to a household like the Singh's without first contemplating all the perilous outcomes that can arise out of such a bone-headed move. Did he imagine Prats will be like a voiceless, spineless traditional village belle and soak up all of Amma's taunts and tortures with equanimity? Or did he imagine his Amma to be like Nainaji who will tearfully accept a headstrong, strong-willed woman like Prats and find a reason to accept her with love and warmth? Did Krishna ever think of about his parents wishes and dreams that they had nurtured about their beloved son? Did he ever wince before openly throwing his lot with Pratigya and drawing battle-lines against the order and set rules of his home and setting up his parents as adversaries in their own back-yard? Will it too much of an academic point to debate that had Krishna tried to strike a more nuanced and sensitive approach in the initial days of his marriage things would not have come to such a point of no return?

IS Krishna a good friend to Chandu-Tunna? When he left his home, Chandu-Tunna's families were the only one to lend him clothes and sustenance. C-T are always there to help him, during his days of joy and nights of grief. They help Pratigya when she had no one besides her when Krishna went missing. But, does Krishna's attitude towards Chandu-Tunna that of a friend on equal footing, ready to accept and share everything in life together? To me he comes across as someone who treats them as hapless lackeys, ready to do his bidding whenever necessary and just provide company when his mood is amenable.

Is Krishna a good brother? Apart from giving unsolicited sermons on her proscribed role in her maayka, I have never really seen him spare any thoughts about her well-being. I think Shakti, vile as he is, has more of sibling love than Krishna ever did. I have already written a lot about Krishna's sad lack of empathy and compassion where Kesar didi is concerned. He never showed even a whiff of common human kindness during her darkest days.

I hope with the current turn of events, the CV's show the devolution of Krishna's character as a more well-rounded and balanced one, outside of the one-point agenda of being a lover boy. If that means temporary disagreements between Kriya I wouldn't mind/

Relda! so good to see you again! And boy! you don't mince words do you?😆 Hard-hitting, but necessary. 😃

And I absolutely am with you when you ask "But I am wondering on how the CV's are going to depict Krishna's character outside the bubble his single-minded pursuit to gain Pratigya's love" because it is a question that troubles me equally.😕

What is Krishna apart from his ability to pursue love single-mindedly? What happens to this love once he has earned its reciprocity. Was Pratigya's guts and strong-mindedness only attractive to him becasue he viewed them as challenges to be overcome or conquered? Or is there a genuine respect for her real nature and spirit in him? In the final analysis will he try to conquer this spirit or be the wind beneath its wings?

I don't particularly care about Krishna's virtue as a son. That is a dog-eat-dog world. And good for him if he attempts to be top-dog, as long as he realises that there are other more civilised life-forms wher other rules apply!😛😃

He did not think things through it is true when he married, but great forethought is not exactly his forte. But I hope this lack of planning is at least compensated by a lazer-sharp instinct of what is right and required and the guts to go through with the inevitable. But if now it turns out that not having thought things through, he also does not have the guts to deal with the fall-out, then it will be highly disappointing. (I don't personally think this will happen! I am just reacting to the immediate future and disappointment that he is acting like a petulant brat who has been made to work harder than he had bargained😡.)

I don't think it will happen simply because, Krishna is the agent of change in this show. With his many vacillations, vacillate the sentiments of the viewers. In his redemption, their redemption. You have only to see how closely aligned to his state-of-mind this forum is, to see that only in his change will they allow their own mind-set to change. If Krishna says tomorrow, that Pratigya is right in holding her own, that a woman has the right to her own ideals independent of her husband's interests or needs, then perhaps people will start to believe it themselves. Pratigya as a character is so far above the average person, in her kindness, courage, and righteousness that anything she says will carry little more than dramatic weight. You must see how people cringe when they think they are being imparted a moral lesson? It is in Krishna's change that any real impact on the average viewer is possible. That is the reason the always keep him slightly below par, before they elevate him! It is Krishna and not Pratigya who is the vehicle for their ideologies, the shoulder from where they are firing! I read just yesterday in a column by a filmmaker this quote and thought it highly sound logic in writing characters for screenplay. "It is only the person who is most like us that can rise above us"

But, even knowing all this, we as involved passionate viewer will still feel compelled to protest daily inequities. Ka karien, control nahi hota!😃

I am all for redemption; otherwise what is the point of having a Hindi daily soap, replete with high-strung drama, outlandish situations and perfectly pat solutions. I am just having a hard time accepting a male lead character who has never till date thought about the concept of earning a living. He had been on his own for a couple of days, right? He fed off his friends generous families and survived on hand-me-down clothes. His conscience never raised the spectre of his own inadequacies – of how he couldn't provide for his own wife for even a couple of days without outside help? He sees every other male in his orbit having an outside calling which they fulfill to obtain financial remuneration - his father-in-law, brother-in-law, brother and even then he never questions that there is something wrong in this picture that all he ever does is lounge about idly and play love games with his wife? He is shown to have a sharp mind and strong moral timbre and so this inexplicable lacuna in his character whereby he needs to be gently spoon-fed the concept of work and earning a living is not very palatable to me. I just hope they do not stretch this lighting-of-a-lightbulb scenario for too long. Otherwise I will have to conclude that his mental age did not keep pace with his physical groW*H. There is a medical term for that.

Originally posted by: Relda

I am all for redemption; otherwise what is the point of having a Hindi daily soap, replete with high-strung drama, outlandish situations and perfectly pat solutions. I am just having a hard time accepting a male lead character who has never till date thought about the concept of earning a living. He had been on his own for a couple of days, right? He fed off his friends generous families and survived on hand-me-down clothes. His conscience never raised the spectre of his own inadequacies ' of how he couldn't provide for his own wife for even a couple of days without outside help? He sees every other male in his orbit having an outside calling which they fulfill to obtain financial remuneration - his father-in-law, brother-in-law, brother and even then he never questions that there is something wrong in this picture that all he ever does is lounge about idly and play love games with his wife? He is shown to have a sharp mind and strong moral timbre and so this inexplicable lacuna in his character whereby he needs to be gently spoon-fed the concept of work and earning a living is not very palatable to me. I just hope they do not stretch this lighting-of-a-lightbulb scenario for too long. Otherwise I will have to conclude that his mental age did not keep pace with his physical groW*H. There is a medical term for that.

Originally posted by: Dyehard

My first question was going o be "What will it take for Krishna to change?" But I know that the first counter question is going to be, "change what?" So I thought that perhaps we should first look at his present psychology, not the good aspects😃, just the not so nice ones for now😕. Those aspects of his personality that are motivating his present behavior.I sincerely hope that Krishna is able to listen to the voice of his conscience all by himself, rather than come to an understanding of right and wrong only when he is directly affected. Because I would like the change in Krishna to be internal and comprehensive rather than circumstantial and limited.

• I hope his innate sense of fairness kicks in before he has lost his wife's respect. Because Pratigya can even forgive self-centeredness but she has the deepest disrespect for a bully. If Krishna behaves like Shakti, ie if he trying to pull Pratigya down to his level of inability instead of rising to hers then she will lose respect for him. Even her love cannot prevent this. And I personally will find this more tragic than anything.😭😭😭

So I sign off hoping for a very quick and full moral recovery for Krishna! 😃

As always,

DYEHARD

Dyehard,

This is an excellent post!

You have asked, very rightly, the questions we, as lovers of Krishna, want to know. Where are the CVs going with this character? It was about now that we expected this man to come into his own – what is stopping him from growing into the man he promised to be, why has he (horrors!) slid back?

Krishna will be redeemed ultimately – this reassures us in this current depressing state. But when? How? These are very important questions – the timing of these events is very significant. This is not a Kekta serial. It is not enough for us to know that 'In The End', Krishna will be a great man. If he lets Kesar go without fighting for her – some spark has already died.

When Kesar was beaten, abused and made to miscarry we asked that Krishna react, that Krishna support her – NOT because Pratigya did so, but for Kesar's sake, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of his own soul and conscience. His stance then was ambiguous and we thought – ok, he's being primed. He will react more unequivocally the next time. Instead, he has taken a step backward!

Why is Krishna bullying his wife? Is he trying to ingratiate himself with his parents so that he can buy more time in his efforts to become an independent householder? This idea has not been sprung on him – his parents' ill treatment of Pratigya has been one long escalating spiral. Krishna has had a lot of time to THINK about starting afresh. He should have thought of it the first time they were homeless for a few days. What exactly is he waiting for? This is not in keeping with the robust man of action we were led to think he was. In wanting to postpone taking an action, is he willing to defang Pratigya, render her as vulnerable as he himself is feeling? 😲😲

Krishna is in danger of losing his wife's respect, and ours. 😭

Bubble

Originally posted by: Relda

I am all for redemption; otherwise what is the point of having a Hindi daily soap, replete with high-strung drama, outlandish situations and perfectly pat solutions. I am just having a hard time accepting a male lead character who has never till date thought about the concept of earning a living. He had been on his own for a couple of days, right? He fed off his friends generous families and survived on hand-me-down clothes. His conscience never raised the spectre of his own inadequacies ' of how he couldn't provide for his own wife for even a couple of days without outside help? He sees every other male in his orbit having an outside calling which they fulfill to obtain financial remuneration - his father-in-law, brother-in-law, brother and even then he never questions that there is something wrong in this picture that all he ever does is lounge about idly and play love games with his wife? He is shown to have a sharp mind and strong moral timbre and so this inexplicable lacuna in his character whereby he needs to be gently spoon-fed the concept of work and earning a living is not very palatable to me. I just hope they do not stretch this lighting-of-a-lightbulb scenario for too long. Otherwise I will have to conclude that his mental age did not keep pace with his physical groW*H. There is a medical term for that.