As fans laud Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’s ‘sensitive man’ Ram, here’s what the showrunner has to say about the female gaze on TV

I’d say some wonderful women!

Also a played by a guy who is surrounded by and a product of some amazing women who have inspired & encouraged him at different points in life. https://t.co/xYVdrPdooa

— Nakuul Mehta (@NakuulMehta) March 5, 2022

The writer-producer added that this was also the brief they gave to Nakuul Mehta to play the character in a soft manner rather than be the ‘angry young man’. She said, “I don’t think any woman wants a man who is angry or shouting. Yes, it might be fun to watch that sometimes on screen but never in reality. Also, with Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, it’s a story of a middle-aged couple who are together without love. There has to be companionship so that it can become love eventually. There are a lot of times when as a woman, you just want someone who can do chores with you, remember to be around. That bojh should be divided and not put on you.”

When asked if Bade Achhe Lagte Hain has found many takers because there was a woman’s gaze, Mukta Dhond laughed and said, “I think if there is a sensitive man, he will get it right too. With this show, I think there has always been a women’s team, even with the previous season. Also, it’s a very evolved show, where the woman is not an abla naari. She is a contemporary woman who speaks her mind and wants a man who does not shout but understands. That was the man we wanted to write about. That’s what we forever hope for in our partner.”

Jo pal Priya ne kisi ke saath nahin bitaaye, unn lamhon ko Ram ke saath jee rahi hai wo! ♥️ Dekhiye #RayaKaSafar #BadeAchheLagteHain2, aaj raat 8 baje, sirf Sony par!#BALH2 @ektarkapoor @nakuulMehta @disha11parmar pic.twitter.com/Y0WLZyg9i0

— sonytv (@SonyTV) March 7, 2022

We often find ourselves criticising how men stalking or being aggressive is romanticised on screen. Talking about the trend, the showrunner said that given there are many women producers, and evolved men around, TV shows and characters are seeing a change. “My man is the most evolved but I think there are many sensible writers and producers, who are taking efforts to write a new-age man. I can just hope that men too realise what women want and shape their leads accordingly.”

On one hand, while Mukta helms a thoughtful, progressive story, she is also the brain behind Naagin 4 and 5, that’s termed regressive and senseless by many. Stating that it’s fantasy, she replied, “It’s an atrangi show. There is no limit and it’s as unreal as Bade Achhe Lagte Hain is real. It sometimes becomes really fun to do that too. It acts as a good break. I have grown up reading Indrajal comics and creating those stories stems from there. That world is as fun to me as Harry Potter.”

Heaping praise on producer Ekta Kapoor, Mukta Dhond mentioned how she has written the biggest romance on television. Adding that it’s always fun to work with women, Mukta said, “There is a lot of faffing, sarcasm and of course discussion of intense romance. The best part is that we all have a perspective of how romance should be. It’s been seven-eight years with Balaji Telefilms and it’s been a lot of fun.” As Mukta also works with her sister Nikita Dhond, we asked about their working equation. She replied, “We fight a lot. But we have done some really good work together. In the middle of a meeting, if I tell her off, she sometimes goes, ‘I am not your sister, but a writer’. But it’s great fun.”