Anshuman Rathod. Who is he really? I'm fairly new to the show and this man really goes out of his way to befuddle you. He's a contradiction within himself. It's not easy to get inside his head, and in the hands of a lesser actor I would easily write him off as an ass. Iqbal however does full justice to him and for that I am very grateful.
You know the thing that makes Anshuman so dangerous is because of the mask he wears. On the surface he will seem like a nice guy, fairly decent even but the story of his heart is something else. I've always read about the cold, ruthless businessman in too many romance novels but I've never actually witnessed it onscreen. Anshuman makes you see what ruthlessness is really about. How easily he can play with Paakhi's feelings! Not in a physical way ofcourse, just on an emotional front.
He is indifferent yet caring, cold and yet also kind. He hides his true emotions well, but there are moments when he isn't pretending. Manipulation is practically his middle name yet he can be so utterly sincere sometimes that you actually feel like making excuses for him. He believes she can't fit in his world, yet when she succeeds in the same he can't help but be impressed by her. He can exploit her feelings and walk away untouched which, interestingly is only because he never lets himself truly think about the consequences his actions will have on a heart as pure as Paakhi's. He never dwells on this. He is far too obsessed with the idea of getting her to leave to think much of anything else. If he would he probably wouldn't be able to carry the faade half as well as he is able to. You can see why he is such a successful businessman you know? If he weren't so smart, if it weren't for his ability to judge this entire situation with a certain rationality and if he couldn't close his heart to her and use only his mind then he would have never been in this field. Impressive really, how the writers paid heed to this detail too and included it as a part of his overall characterization. Otherwise you see practically everyone being a business tycoon without any rhyme or reason to it.
What redeems him is that he never takes physical advantage of her. He simply wants to be rid of her, nothing more. He doesn't lead her on too much. Also, he can never hurt her openly. He doesn't have that in him. He would rather let other people do the dirty work for him, be it Maa jee, Lavanya or Ayaan. He cares quite a bit about walking out of a mess untainted and despite his intentions he still wants to be the good guy which is such an interesting contradiction in itself and in this I can't help but be reminded of what Girish said in the first episode about praise and accolades being a rush, a high for Anshuman. He would rather something happen on its own than having too much of a hand in it and in this he is almost soft. I was quite amused when he decided to drink that glass of milk on their wedding night simply because he didn't want to be rude or unkind towards his new wife. Also how he was so thoroughly nervous about the whole thing! =))
It was such a refreshing change when Paakhi was supposed to leave the house after the tennis competition fiasco and for once.. for once he could not look her in the eye while lying to her. (On a random note, that scene was a complete beauty!)
He is determined not to like her but you can see that her simplicity and purity is finally starting to touch him. The way she takes care of him and loves him, expecting little in return is breaching past the walls he has built around his heart.
It might only be for a few seconds but when he sees her sincerity, her love and concern for him you see something stir within him, he realizes what he is doing to a soul as beautiful as this girl's and in those moments we see him run away. From her, from his guilt and from the feelings he is clearly starting to have. He can be such a smooth talker but the awkwardness he can't help but feel when she wants him to praise her is so adorable! The way he just becomes tongue tied and can't lie his way through is another one of his redeeming qualities and something I absolutely love about him.
All in all, he just manages to be so fascinating. There are moments when you don't like him, I personally feel like slapping him sometimes but then at the same time he also intrigues you over why he is the way he is. What I appreciate as well as that the makers don't build too many romantic notions about him, if he is wrong he's wrong.
Also, the fact that in some incomprehensible way, Paakhi is actually his equal is what makes their story worth a watch. She's interesting in herself and I quite like her determination and patience when it comes to him. One day she will make sure that he loves her back and I for one, can't wait for the day it hits him that he has fallen in love with the girl he so dearly wanted to be rid of. That ofcourse, is a ramble for another time. I'll limit this one to Mr. Rathod only.
And yes, this marks my first post on the forum. Thank you, Iqbal Khan for nailing the subtle nuances of Anshuman's character. And, kudos to the makers for capturing the story in such a nice way!
Looking forward to more. :)
Maham.
Fan Fictions
