The Forgotten: The Original Villain of GHSP
"[A story] is
only as good as its villain. Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat
from [story] to [story], only a great villain can transform a good try into a
triumph." ~ Roger Ebert
Dev the Villain
The villain,
the antagonist, the bad guy: Every story, not matter how big or small, needs
one and every story is incomplete without one. Without a villain to oppose the
hero, the story is lackluster and the hero is left without a job. Yes, the hero
may romance the heroine in various locations and settings, steal a few kisses, but
that is not exactly being heroic, now is it?
Villains simply make the story interesting. You might find their actions
despicable and morally repugnant; you may very well hate them with every fiber
of your being, yet, they engage you. They are complex and well rounded
characters that have much depth than their exteriors care to reflect. They are
often associated with dark and troubled pasts or an injustice of some sort. A
realistic villain is one whose motivations and extremism are described by their
experiences.
Dev Khurana
was built to be the perfect the villain. When Dev made his entrance as a
suitable groom for Geet, the audience was instantly drawn to him. There was
something appealing about him. At face value, he was the prince charming and
every girl's dream. He was "rich", stylish, and yes good looking. His smirk
could make your heart skip beat and leave an eerie feeling at the pit of your
stomach simultaneously. He was believable as the hero. However, underneath it
all was a man with a dark soul; he is a master charmer, a womanizer, a
pathological liar and an opportunist. He is a man who gambled away his wealth
and tricked a young girl into a fraudulent marriage for money. He schemed, he calculated and exploited a
girl's innocence for his advantage and he never repented, not even for a second.
Dev Khurana was the devil in disguise.
A man is a
product of both nature and nurture. When Dev is considered, both nature and
nurture has blessed him with the worst of their qualities. He is truly a
product of his father, the elusive Papa Khurana. He is a womanizer and his
promiscuity knows no bounds. He cheated on his wife with Geet and then he turns
around and does to same with Meera. His
upbringing clearly didn't make up for the disastrous genes in his bloodline. He
is the Khurana that never belonged, the black sheep, and a pariah of sorts to
his own family. He was not Dadi's favorite and most certainly not his father's.
He didn't have the control over the family wealth or as a matter of fact
neither did he have any say in it. His upbringing made him resentful and
selfish. Nonetheless, Dev is a chameleon in many ways. His true nature is
concealed.
When Maan cut off his funds and made him a true pariah, his true colors surfaced. Dev is innately an exploiter. He used everyone in his life to his advantage. He used Maan for his money. For Dev, Maan had the equivalence value of an ATM with unlimited funds. He used his wife Naintara; he used her to come up with a plan of a fraudulent marriage. He used Daadi, by taking advantage of the fact that she loved him. Finally, he used Meera. Meera was his saving grace when he once again became a pariah. He used her and manipulated her into helping him. Not only that, Dev is an opportunist. Dev will take advantage of any opportunity to achieve whatever he can get out of it, with no regard for principles or consequences. Being intimate with Geet was an opportunity that presented itself to Dev, an opportunity from which he simply couldn't walk away. Intimacy was not part of the plan, but it didn't matter to Dev. Naintara might have been the mastermind behind the plan, but she didn't ask him to be intimate with Geet. He is selfish and it is intrinsically true to his character. Dev Khurana was intricately sketched to be the perfect villain.
Villain vs. Saint
Dev as a villain makes sense. His foundation was all perfectly laid out to be the villain; the ultimate villain who will give Maan a run for his money, a true evil genius. A story is that much more engaging when the hero and the villain are siblings, much like Cain and Abel. The Good vs. Evil, Light vs. Dark. It is the conflicts and variations among characters that captivate the audience, not homogeneity. Dev as the Devil had and still has so much potential. However, potential is nothing without execution. The execution of the villain Dev fell flat. On the flip side, Dev as a saint makes no sense. He has no foundation to make a convincing positive character. It's an absurdity to even remotely consider Dev in such light. He was the man who plotted and exploited a young girl's innocence for his advantage, and that makes him irredeemable. Forcefully trying to make Dev a positive character has made him a limbo character. He is neither good nor evil. Dev today is a coward who can't stand up to his wife or own up to his mistakes as his own doing. Dev Khurana, the suave, sophisticated and the original bad guy of GHSP, is lost in a world of creative confusion, lack of vision and lack of dedication to a character that is very much vital to the story. Dev Khurana is in oblivion. Does the same fate await to his actions? Are his actions also, forgiven and forgotten?
Other
villains may come and go, but Dev Khurana will always be the villain of GHSP.
Dev is the one who made Geet everyone's Parayi; it is her story, for that
reason he is the ultimate villain. Dev's character might have lost its
sophistication, but his actions must not be forgotten. Every story has a
villain for a reason; the villain is the driving force behind the story. The
story continues till the hero defeats the villain, may it be a dragon or a highly
intelligent psychopath with a sadistic sense of humor. Whoever it may be, the
villain always gets the short end of the stick. Good must defeat the evil. Dev
Khurana must endure the same fate, he must be defeated. No matter which way one
tries to spin it, basic nature of people does not change, Dev Khurana is a
chameleon; his repentant act is simply another shade.
The continuation of Dev Khurana: Rebirth of the Villian/Defeat at the hands of the hero
1) Dev Khurana the villain must be reborn. He needs to be out of this current state of confusion and stake his claim as the villain of GHSP.
2) Dev must fight back; he is not a loser who accepts defeat just like that. He is not selfless and no one is buying what he is selling. The Maan has to work hard to defeat Dev. What's so heroic about defeating a villain who already surrendered? Where was the battle between the brothers? We need to see that.
3) We need to see a proper trial, not a rushed version of it. Bring back the old cast as witnesses. Give the Dev track a proper closing.
4) Dev must receive apt punishment. He needs to be tried for fraud, rape, polygamy and any other offenses.
5) Dev and NT join forces to fight Maan and Geet in this trial. It was always the four of them and it should remain that way. Outsiders should not be brought into this battle because it's not theirs to fight. Others may choose sides, but it's not their battle .
Replacing actor 8 months into a serial can be a daunting task, but certainly not impossible. Here are some options to explore until the replacement is found.
1) Dev successfully jumps bail and is in hiding MINUS Meera. He is a fugitive; he doesn't need a consolation prize in Meera. And if he "loves" Meera he wouldn't jeopardize her safety. But the police keep looking for his whereabouts and Maan hires a PI.
2) Dev quits his repentant acts and realizes that he doesn't want to go down alone, and kidnaps NT and runs away with her (She is his consolation prize). But the police keep looking for their whereabouts and Maan hires a PI.
3) Dev jumps bail, and police catches him and puts him in jail.
4) Put Dev back in jail for violating a restraining order taken by Naintara.
5) Dev hires a top notch defense attorney and he is shown working on the case while speaking to Dev over the phone.
6) Dev moves away from Meera, but he keeps tabs with her over the phone.
7)
Arjun
beats the living day lights out of him and it puts Dev in a coma.
Dev Khurana, the story needs you, can't wait for you to be reborn.
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During my extensive study of Dev Khurana, it came to my understanding that he suffers from a mild/moderate case of Anti-social Personality Disorder. Sociopathy is severe form of this disorder. In other words, Dev Khurana is a sociopath in the making.
Characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder may include:
- Persistent lying or stealing
- Apparent lack of remorse or empathy for others
- Poor behavioral controls- expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper
- Promiscuity
- Tendency to violate the boundaries and rights of others
- Aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved in fights
- Inability to tolerate boredom
- Poor or abusive relationships
- Irresponsible work behavior
- Disregard for safety
Other common characteristics of those with Antisocial Personality Disorder include superficial charm, shallowed emotions, a distorted sense of self, a constant search for new sensations a tendency to physically or verbally abuse peers or relatives, and manipulation of others without remorse or empathy for the victim. Egocentrism, megalomania, lack of responsibility, extroversion, excessive hedonism, high impulsivity, and the desire to experience sensations of control and power can also be present. A Sociopath in the making
-Marsh-
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