Sony SAB brings forth the very crucial topic of domestic violence by shining a light on Koel’s (Simple Kaul) journey with her toxic husband Abhay (Karan Veer Mehra) on Ziddi Dil Maane Na. A topic less discussed and explored, the show portrays the story of many women across the country through Koel’s life. The show is at a crucial juncture as it portrays a new side to Koel and her past. Koel’s terrible past walks into the academy making her relive the hell she escaped from once. Abhay’s arrival leaves Koel’s running back to where she started as she goes through a deep emotional turmoil. She is left with no choice as Abhay comes with legal help this time for their son Nikhil’s (Nirbhay Thakur) custody. Simple Kaul shares her honest thoughts on the subject and experience of shooting for the upcoming episodes.
Simple Kaul essaying the role of Koel talked about her initial thoughts on this change in Koel’s life and said, “The latest episodes have been a challenge for me because we are projecting a completely different side of Koel and her life. In the beginning, I had not been briefed about this side of her; it came up much later in the story, so it was something very new for me and it came with a lot of responsibility as well. The current track made me pay much closer attention to something that was otherwise only at the back of my mind. My focus was on understanding her toxic past and the emotions that came with it, and then relating those to her present and how those would come about in the episodes.”
Simple Kaul while further revealing the trajectory of the show said, “Koel’s daunting past of domestic violence lands up in front of her again as Abhay, her very controlling husband tracks her down at the academy and comes with police and his legal team to get his son’s custody. This brings up a lot of past trauma for her and she is also worried about the safety of her son. She is at a difficult crossroads. Either she gathers strength to stand up against the violence for her son’s sake or succumb to Abhay’s dominance and abuse. So, it is going to be insightful to see how her story evolves and how the other trainees get involved in the matter.”
Sharing her thoughts on this concerning subject, Simple said, “Domestic violence is not much talked about or discussed around us, and we are bringing forth this much relevant topic in hopes that people pay attention to it and reflect upon it. The makers have tried to showcase this very emotionally heavy subject in a way that everyone can watch it and take something of importance with them. Koel’s story is the story of a lot of women across the country and domestic violence plagues our society. I will be forever grateful if even one woman stands up for herself after witnessing Koel’s story. Every woman has the strength to own their life and be happy, they just need strong support and courage to do so, and I hope Koel’s story can be that pillar of strength for women who are going through a similar situation in life.”
Talking about how Koel’s role has impacted her, she said, “Playing this character made me understand Koel’s and the experiences of many other women very closely. It hasn’t been the easiest to essay such an intense storyline. I am experiencing Koel and her life. I am grateful to have an amazing support system throughout this process. My co-star Karan has also been great in making me feel comfortable otherwise it would have been difficult to shoot something of this gravity.”