There is a scene where Anu is trying to persuade Abirami to wear jeans instead of her usual saree and says that obese women are wearing what they want, and she must not be hesitant to wear western outfits as she has a petite figure, implying that women must have a certain body type to wear what they want. Other subjects like the lack of acknowledgement of women’s emotional labour in marriages, consent and single parenthood are briefly touched upon throughout the series.ĭespite the progressive ideals the show embodies, there are certain aspects that are quite regressive and problematic. He provides a refreshing change to the conservatism and misogyny expressed by their other family members and constantly encourages his cousin to stand up for herself and not pay attention to their family’s emotional blackmail. Sethu (played by Abdool Lee) is Abirami’s cousin and a party worker for a left leaning political party.
Nosey neighbours who try to question Abirami’s late working hours under the guise of concern are quietly shut down by Siddharth. Even friendship between men and women are portrayed in a matter-of-fact manner and any attempt by a character to imply that two people of different genders were more than friends is immediately thwarted.Īlso read: Thaali sentiment to justifications for rape: The bizarre world of Tamil serials But as the show progresses, the two women become close friends and it is Harshita who helps Abirami find a job and speaks up for her friend while the latter’s family accuses her of ‘ruining’ their reputation. When the couple move to Chennai, Abirami takes an instant dislike to Harshita, their neighbour, because she is in an open marriage and consumes alcohol in public. And this is evidently disliked by Abirami’s family and husband who assume that she is a corrupting influence and does not have the former’s best interests at heart. Abirami's closest friend Anu (played by VJ Parvathy) is a fiercely outspoken and independent woman who stands by her friend, come what may.
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The treatment of friendships in this series is noteworthy. Over time, she realises that working outside home is not just an economic necessity but has given her an identity apart from that of a full-time mother and she does not want to quit her job, no matter who approves or disapproves. For instance, when Abirami gets a job, she is riddled with guilt because her children are alone at home and she is willing to quit because Siddharth and his family do not approve of it.
The transformation in her character is gradual and often a little too slow, but organic and realistic.
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While she tolerates his berating and verbal abuse like all ‘good women’ are expected to, this does not last for long because she reaches a saturation point and makes decisions that would have been too ‘controversial’ for Tamil serial heroines. Their marriage is evidently unhappy and anxiety inducing (at least for the viewers) as Abi has to constantly walk on eggshells around Siddharth to not upset him or his family. Abirami (played by Shali Nivekas) is an obedient and a submissive woman who is not given an opportunity to speak her mind as her family makes all her life decisions for her, including her marriage to Siddharth (played by Kaushik).