Shamsher is not a hero: Dur-e-Fishan Saleem on Danish Taimoor’s character in ‘Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi’

Many dramas nowadays use popular but problematic tropes that do not sit well with the viewers, or at least the critics. We are hinting towards controversial or tricky themes and sometimes toxic characters that leave a bad message if glamourized and glorified. Despite the influx of such characters in our drama serials, it is not often that we see actors speak about them without sugar-coating their words. However, Dur-e-Fishan Saleem recently addressed the issue during a Q&A session on her Instagram.

Dur-e-Fishan is currently starring opposite Danish Taimoor in Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi, which sees the latter plays an entitled and abusive character — Shamsher — who is hell-bent on marrying her. His character seems disturbing and ruthless, and in no manner is romantic. However, the makers don’t realize that sometimes their unintentional passionate portrayal of such men set the wrong standards for the youth.

It so happened that a user asked Dur-e-Fishan as alarming query:

“Danish ki tarah zabardasti kisi larki ko pyaar karun to wo mujhse pyaar karne lagegi kya? [If I enforce my love upon a girl just as Danish did, will she start loving me back?]”.

The actor quickly responded with a firm ‘NO’. “Nope. Shamsher is not a hero. He is the antagonist of the drama. His actions should only be seen to be learnt from, not followed. Love is not synonymous to possession,” she wrote.

Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi revolves around a middle class girl, Mehak, who is stalked vehemently by a rich, narcissistic brat Shamsher. The guy is from a powerful family and is willing to do anything to possess Mehak, who hates him. The story is simple enough and it is quite evident that such men are a nuisance and should not be considered heroes. So, why is it that young boys still think that resorting to stalking, kidnapping or violence is acceptable?

This is not the first time that Danish has played a rich brat obsessed with a woman from a lower social status. He had a similar roles in Deewangi and Ab Daikh Khuda Kya Karta Hai. It is not just Danish, but several other actors have played this role of “angry young man pining for a woman” and here is where the problem arises.

While trying to showcase what a man should NOT do while pursuing a woman, dramas often reinforce that men are unreasonable beings that cannot understand ‘no means no’.  They cannot stand rejection and they will always try harder to own women as their possessions. These recurrent plotlines reiterate that men with power and position “can do anything” to women who are always portrayed as weaklings. It is indeed a relief to hear that the female lead in Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi doesn’t view Shamsher as a hero or anti-hero. And we hope that the writer and director also don’t give him an arc of redemption where all ends well for him.