Excellent post!
With regards to forced marriage...Uma is no better or worse than heroes from other serials.
There is a major difference though...
Uma is a religious person. Although some of his beliefs are extreme, his being a man of faith is not something to be looked down at as such. In fact, it is this same faith that makes him better than all the heroes you mentioned.
Heroes of other shoes married by force out of hatred, to punish the girl, or some personal gain of their own. Some even made it clear that they would dump the girl when their purpose was fulfilled. They never even once thought about the future of the girl they married.
Unlike these other heroes...Uma married Kanak with the full intention of committing to her for life, to make her happy, to give her the full status of a wife, and make her a 50-50 share holder in everything he owns.
Other heroes also don't force themselves on their wives...but it is because of hate or the disdain they feel for them...or because they don't want to give the wife her proper status in their lives.
Uma on the other hand feels for Kanak...he is attracted to her...yet his dharam gives him the strength to exercise self control. So he definitely gets brownie points from me...his character and his intentions are well above the heroes of other daily soaps.
Unfortunately...his strongest characteristic...his staunch faith...has caused so much trouble for him...that his heroine is about to walk out on him.
