From Farjad to Rocky: 7 onscreen green flags to appreciate on Valentine’s Day

Ladies, take notes!

It's Valentine's Day, and you know what that means: red roses, red balloons, red hearts, according to the balance of probability, and women become magnetically attracted to men brandishing the reddest of red flags. With that in mind, we bring to you: men with the green-est of green flags. Here they are listed, in no particular order. Guys, take note. These are the gentlemen you need to study if you want any measure of success.

1. Phil Dunphy - Modern Family 

Loyal husband, and a devoted father, starving for even the tiniest hint of approval from Jay. He connects individually with each of his children and goes the extra mile to keep Claire happy. He stays true to himself by refusing to give up his monster movie in favour of a boring French movie, even if it means it will bump up his ratings in the eyes of Sanjay Patel’s parents. The good cop to Claire’s bad cop, Phil is the burst of sunshine that keeps his family glued together. 

2. Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory 

On the surface, Sheldon belongs nowhere near this list. He comes with a thousand and one flaws. He controls the thermostat with an iron fist. He fights to the death the arrival of a new dining table. He writes roommate agreements and expects blind allegiance to them.  He thinks MIT is a trade school and Amy’s field of neuroscience is wishy-washy nonsense. But Sheldon finds a way to make up for it all. He gives up his Star Wars ticket for Amy’s birthday, he agrees to not belittle Howard during their project together, and by the time he accepts his Nobel Prize, he publicly acknowledges that he would be standing there without the saint-like tolerance of his wife and friends. 

3. Aditya Kashyap - Jab We Met

A decade and a half after the release of Jab We Met, Shahid Kapoor’s Aditya remains the gold standard for so many women. Aditya swallowed his own pride and helped Geet overcome her issues without a single hint of macho-ness, Aditya ignored his love for Geet and helped her overcome her issues. He put Geet’s needs above his and truly deserved her love by the time he got it. 

4. Rocky Randhwana - Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem ki Kahaani

Rocky unlearns classic male toxicity drilled into him from his dysfunctional family from birth up until the time he meets Rani. He battles his toxic, misogynistic father for Rani, understands that it is okay for men to dance, and even learns to do his own laundry with nary a grimace.  

5. Abhishek Tripathi - Panchayat

After moving into the village, all Abhishek wants is to be left alone to work hard and study hard. Unfortunately, he is surrounded by idiots and forced to deal with the needless problems they create. He makes friends, comes to terms with his village life, and continues to strive for academic success. Not unlike Spongebob Squarepants (whose only goal in life is to become a manager), Abhishek just wants to earn an honest living. It is a noble pursuit so lacking in his toxic male onscreen cohorts obsessed with masculine dominance. 

6. Farjad - Fairytale

Compared to Jane Austen greats Mr Darcy and Mr Knightley, Farjad remains a firm fan favourite amongst Pakistani drama buffs. Like Mr Darcy, Farjad can fix his mistakes when they are pointed out to him. Complete with a solid moral compass and absolutely brimming with empathy, Farjad is an inspiration who is willing to go the extra mile for the people he cares about. What more could you want?  

7. Hamza - Mere Humsafar

Surrounded by the usual gang of toxic males populating Pakistani dramas, Hamza stands out by mere dint of being a decent human being and doing the bare minimum. He did what husbands are, by definition, supposed to do: provide love and support to his wife and let her see that she, too, was worthy of respect. Of course, with so many failing to even reach the bare minimum, it is nice to see at least one male achieving the bare minimum status. 

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