Well few days back I came across a comment in some social media where a guy said a girl should be married early else she would have physical relationship with men if she ain't married till 30. I was quite irked as I myself is an adult and yeah pretty much single for the whole life. It's not like I never craved for love when I was a teen but as time passed and my studies and all expanded I got busier and then I just stayed single.
So Manmeet saying at 28 that she doesn't have anyone to her parents when her parents doubted her felt extremely close to home.A girl can easily stay single till her passion gets fulfilled. And when she was ready to settle, biggest problem that arrived is the social status of a women in society. The men never backed down to make her feel secure, and the guy she liked and was saying yes took for granted she would move to Dubai with him.
Choices: Manmeet being strong and a rational being she is sacrificed her liking and said a no to the marriage. It's not like she never involved her emotions with the guy but she suggested that his 3 months were wasted not hers. She didn't mention about her three months coz it was worthy. This whole time investment on the guy made her realise that there's an invisible shield guarding most men's brains where they are taking women for granted. She always wanted to be a mother but didn't wanted to waste her energy in relationships which might be energy draining.
Difference from other Indian Television Female Leads:
1. She is Highly Rational (Be it for her education or 8 years of struggle in Mumbai alone, she is extremely rational. Her rational side made her let go of attachments and she could say a NO when she saw a Red Flag with the guy she was fixed to marry)
2. She is an Adult (She is a lady at 30s hence she wasn't shown as someone who sees the world with Rose Tinted Glasses. She has fare share of stress as a working male lead is shown in other serials)
3. She knows how to handle situations ( To be honest daddy yadav is a person who can't be handled light handedly as he is the prime investor and she knows that. The tone down of her behavior shows enough work ethics which none of working female leads are shown to know)
4. She knows her authority ( the way she set up office rules and bending herself down and respect others profession like the municipal officer shows her enough as a person who knows how the world works.
5. She has strong family support ( Though after Anmol's birth her father seem angry, but it never seem like she lost her complete family support. For the whole life her father is shown patriarchal but her father never dragged her to any mandap.He is a true father who is bonded with his daughter and respected her decisions whenever she said no to any guy. He let her be alone in Mumbai to work for her dreams though he said that Architecture is a field of guys. Well most female leads are shown to have some pompous family or a very bad family who treats the FL like a pushover but here her family feels like a True Support. Especially her mother accepting Anmol and never judging her daughter. Manmeet has a strong backbone of a family)
6. Her being an affectionate mother ( When a woman is shown strong in the television series especially Indian, they are either shown a emotionless who doesn't value sentiments of others or someone who is arrogant. But here Manmeet stops showing her emotions to her office staff as she is their superior and to be reliable she can't show her weak side. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have emotions, her emotions are shown every time Anmol is involved and also her family. To be someone one can look up to we should not forget that she isn't someone who has any tragic past. She was given full affection by her parents which made her more stronger and a person one can look up to. She has her family's shoulders to cry on so no one who relies on her especially her office family has to see an insecure Manmeet)
7. Manmeet is not someone to be trampled over( Being someone who spent 8 years of her life climbing the ladder to success with getting fame for her work and working ethics, no one seems to be interested in her personal life. Whereas in other serial being a single mother becomes a big issue even concerning their career, here she strongly accepts her motherhood and when she is known for her work no one judges her. The biggest reason I guess it's for the authority she impose and her work being more of an asset that none needs to be concerned about her personal life. Other female leads mostly gets trampled over and Manmeet doesn't seem to be an individual who would get trampled over easily. She has a clean canvas in her working field making her more strong of a person which makes others think twice before someone looking down at her)
8. Her doesn't fall short (she wasn't shown to be someone who wears flowing dupatta everyday to get her stuck to some rich man. But she is the rich girl who don't cry for any man's affection. No one says about her character and even if they would think anything they won't be able to say it loud for her public image. They look at her with respect as she is an asset and she gets the money that is worthy of her talent. She is highly respected and she stands tall with her own capabilities)
Mostly the biggest wrong thing a parent could say to a girl child is that, a Prince will come for them or this isn't their real house, their real house is sasural. Such words from childhood makes a woman more inclined towards the emotional life when men are taught to earn and be ambitious but that doesn't mean they don't seek any emotional attachment. But men has better growth of mind as they are given opportunity to explore both their ambition and emotions when girls are pushed towards only the emotional peripheral. Men seems to enjoy action, mystery thriller when women are stereotyped only to like romantic stories. You might have seen many women talking about love, husband and family and if you ask them about their electrical bills and insurance they would just stare blankly at you.
A character like Manmeet Shergill could only exist when she has not only been given freedom but also wasn't restricted for being ambitious. And if you go through women life in India, mostly will consider the Basic Things which Manmeet's character got in drama as big privileges.
Hence the society and family determines a girl being Abala or Sabala... Abla is not a Good Word tbh, it means someone who isn't strong. Not everyone wants to climb the ladder of success but those who wants to neither society nor family should stop.
If one starts being kind to our gender, one day will definitely come when every house would have a MANMEET SHERGILL in their household: Unapologetic, Independent, Strong, Respected and most importantly Rational.
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