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From Barun Sobti in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon to Pranav Mishra in Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi, there's a rise of anti-heroes on primetime

The male leads in serials are getting skewed towards exploring their dark side

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The male protagonists in the serials are no longer chocolate heroes, who follow the righteous path and save the damsels in distress. If anything, they are the ones out to create trouble and at times even attempt to kill the heroines! Be it Prem of Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi (ADDNK), Rangeela of Ghulam or Advay of the upcoming Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3, all these guys are arrogant, ruthless and chauvinistic. And yet, it hasn’t dented their popularity. 

As Saurabh Tewary, producer of Ghulam says, “While simple, plain or nice single dimensional characters have their place, the audience clearly needs some variation. That’s why anti-heroes are working. They have worked in films and even on TV.  For instance,the heroes of all my serials whether it was RK of Madhubala, Rudra Pratap of Rangrasiya, or Shaurya of Zindagi Ki Mehek, were slightly anti-heroes. It gives a better story graph. It also creates a Mills and Boon kind of story telling platform. Girls are attracted to guys with shades of grey.”

Aastha Naad, producer of ADDNK feels that TV is a reflection of society. “Boys and men in our society are raised to believe that some of these notorious qualities are not only accepted, but celebrated. Women feel enchanted and such men are considered desirable.” And so, the darker the character, more the enigma and the appeal. 

Barun Sobti — Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3

Here’s a hero who tries to kill the heroine and then saves her! Picture this: The heroine (Shivani Tomar) is in a temple that is lit up with diyas all around. Barun, who is standing behind her, gently nudges her pallu towards a diya so that it catches fire. An unsuspecting Shivani starts screaming, then Barun throws a blanket on her and saves her. In another scene, a Dussehra celebration, Shivani is on stage and Barun is taking pictures. He asks her to move right in front of an effigy of Ravan, which has started burning. Just when it is about to fall on a shocked Shivani, he goes up and carries her away to safety! The serial is yet to start, but if you think this has put off the viewers you couldn’t be more wrong. Barun’s dark character has the girls intrigued and his brooding looks only add to the mystery.

Pranav Mishra — Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi

Every other love story starts with the girl and boy sparring with each other. But in this serial, the hero Prem (Pranav Mishra) and the heroine Tejaswini (Jyoti Sharma) are fighting relentlessly with the former trying all tricks to torture her. From trying to get her thrown out of her college to kidnapping her, he has done everything to get rid of her. He walks around with a swagger throwing his weight around as he is the son of an influential person, while she being the daughter of a honest, martyred cop, protests against injustice. In an episode when the two are caught by tribals, who are hell bent on sacrificing two people on chandragrahan ki raat, he tells them to kill her and spare him! With such a hero, who needs a villain!

Paras Arora —  Udaan

He is not an out-and-out anti-hero, but his character Vivaan has enough grey shades to tilt his character towards the negative. He started out as a goody-goody boy in love with Chakor (Meera Doesthale), but it remained one-sided as she got married to Sooraj (Vijayendra Kumeria), while he ended up tying the knot with Imli (Vidhi Pandya). However, he still loves Chakor, and suspects Imli of cheating on him! He thinks she is having an affair with Sooraj and carrying his child! Having taken to alcohol he has started doing all sorts of bad things including forcing children into bonded labour at a gun factory. Imli and the audiences are now waiting for his redemption.

Gaurav Khanna — Prem Ya Paheli Chandrakanta

As the ruthless prince Prince Virendra, and the son of the villainous Maricha, he’s only concerned about getting the magical key. In the process, he kills innocent people, disguises himself as a commoner in Chandrakanta’s Yasha Mahal to steal the key. When she falls in love with him, he does not reciprocate. Not only that he does not reveal his identity and she feels cheated. But lately he’s realised his father’s vile ways and the killer is on the way of becoming a protector.

Param Singh — Ghulam

Name the crime and he has done it, save for murder! From abducting the heroine Shivani (Niti Taylor), to  dragging her tied to a bike to making her dance on glass pieces, this ghulam, Rangeela (Param) has done everything at the behest of his master! After making life hell for Shivani for over five months, this anti-hero is trying to change his ways. What’s more despite all the pain he caused her, Shivani has fallen in love with this badass! 

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