Ravie Kathuria

ITS COMPLICATED CHARACTER SKETCHES ARUNA: the 39-year-old Aruna, born to an Indian father and English mother is the co owner of the international brand DONNA ARUNA. Aruna is a wealthy independent woman who has made it big in the fashion world and is opening retail showrooms across the world along with her gay partner DONNA who she had met 18 years ago when she was leading an active fluid sexual life; she has a reputation of having an active love life filled with several men. She meets Vishnu an Indian architect, through her child hood friend Kamini while on her trip in India and within no time has a torrid affair with him only to break it as she realizes that her childhood friend Kamini has become involved with him. VISHNU: a failed architect who has not seen success so far, in his 37-year-old life suddenly finds himself surrounded with work and success after his big assignment with designing showrooms for DONNA ARUNA in India when Aruna assigns him a big job in exchange for a sexual liaison with her. Vishnu, although a compulsive flirt, gets so besotted with Aruna that he follows her abroad only to get thrown out after Aruna rejects his advances saying she does not want to have to do anything with a man who has two timed her. DONNA: An Australian settled in Britain, Donna is openly gay and has carried her grandmother’s brand into clothing and accessories to make it one of the biggest and best known brands in the world. She has partnered 1 with Aruna whose rich wealthy parents invested hugely in her brand. She had met Aruna 18 years ago at one of her wild kinky party when Aruna was trying to live to the hilt. She loves the non judgmental Aruna even though her lover Beatrice is extremely jealous of her association with Aruna who feels that the onetime fling 18 years ago could turn into something more serious as Donna seems to be too emotionally invested in Aruna. DUKE: paralyzed and on a wheelchair, the Duke has had several affairs before Aruna agrees to marry him after her trip back from India. The Duke is however, extremely possessive and jealous and suspicious of Aruna and her various flings with men. He knows that her reason for marrying him are to hit out at his sister Beatrice who is Donna’s lover whose equally jealous rage have resulted in a lot of humiliation for Aruna. BEATRICE: the gold digger sister of the DUKE, and Donna’s live in partner and openly gay hates her brother for being homophobic. It is however, Aruna she resents more than anything in the world as she seems to take Donna away from her most of the time. She knows Aruna’s history of having lived an active sexually fluid life and her one-time threesome with Donna and her lover. She feels Aruna is evil incarnate as she has agreed to marry her brother the Duke just to spite her and now lives in his opulent castle. She knows Aruna cannot be loyal in bed to anyone and keeps telling this fact to her brother. KAMINI: A furniture showroom entrepreneur who lives in India and who is responsible for bringing Aruna and Vishnu together as she is the one who had introduced Vishnu to Aruna while on her trip to India. 2 FREIDA: the elder step sister of the Duke and Beatrice and has been with Beatrice’s from her mother’s time. It is rumored that she was once the life of the kinky parties that Donna’s mother held and a known philanderer with numerous affairs with various ladies from high society. Now in her 60s, she is a stoic person who seldom talks but hides a murderous rage against her step siblings. ZOEY: the kind woman in Donna and Aruna’s circle who is the one bringing peace in the family of Donna and Beatrice. She has been a submissive slave to Donna from her teenage years and her strong submissive streak makes her become a slave to any woman with authority. She is as submissive with Donna as she is with Beatrice and Aruna. She is a dress designer and makes most of her money by the crumbs thrown at her by Donna and Aruna. She is timid, loyal and very submissive to the wealthy powerful ladies, including Frieda, whose cruel streaks leave her in tears. It’s Complicated Genre: Erotic Psychological Drama / Fashion Noir / Aristocratic Thriller Setting: London, Auckland, Mumbai Episodes: 13 (limited series) CORE THEMES  Power games in fashion and aristocracy  Queer love vs toxic possessiveness 3  Class divide, betrayal, and emotional manipulation  Seduction as a form of control  Unstable triangle: Donna – Aruna – Beatrice  Vishnu as both pawn and disruptor KEY RELATIONSHIPS (CORE DYNAMICS) Aruna & Donna – Old Flames, Complicated Co-Owners  18 years of intense friendship, business partnership, and a brief but unforgettable threesome.  Donna is emotionally loyal to Aruna and often ignores her partner Beatrice’s warnings.  Aruna uses Donna’s emotional weakness to her advantage—offering sexual tension but not intimacy.  Their fashion empire DONNA ARUNA is symbolic of their tension: built together, yet always fragile. 🧨 Aruna & Beatrice – War of the Wives  Beatrice hates Aruna’s fluidity and believes Aruna is manipulating Donna and humiliating her.  Aruna marries Beatrice’s brother, the Duke, just to anger her.  Beatrice launches smear campaigns against Aruna, feeding info to tabloids, police, and lawyers.  At heart, Beatrice is insecure about Donna’s obsession with Aruna. She suspects Aruna wants it all. Aruna & Vishnu – Sexual Revival & Self-Destruction 4  Aruna seduces Vishnu impulsively during her trip to India.  She gets possessive, then cold, throwing him out after learning of his night with Kamini.  He follows her abroad, where rejection becomes obsession.  When they rekindle, their chemistry becomes more animalistic, dangerous—threatening her public image. The Duke & Aruna – Marriage of Vengeance  The Duke offers Aruna luxury and revenge over Beatrice.  He’s bitter, homophobic, and jealous, yet dependent on Aruna for dignity.  After Aruna rekindles her affair with Vishnu, he plots to cut her off from inheritance.  His mysterious death in the castle becomes the major turning point of the season. 💎 Donna & Beatrice – Queer Empire on the Rocks  Once a deeply bonded couple, now strained by jealousy, old secrets, and Donna’s loyalty to Aruna.  Beatrice threatens to leave unless Donna severs ties with Aruna—Donna stalls, causing a scandal. 5  Their fights escalate into vicious, emotional blackmail, sexless intimacy, and public humiliation. 🧨 Zoey – The Quiet Manipulator  Soft-spoken but perceptive. Loyal to Aruna, but quietly in love with Donna.  She’s the only character allowed in all rooms, hears all secrets.  By the finale, she plays a key role in revealing the truth behind the Duke’s death. 🐍 Frieda – The Step-Sibling with Blood on Her Hands  Hides behind cold silence.  Bitter toward both Duke and Beatrice—blames them for her failed inheritance.  Has a secret past with Donna’s grandmother and knows where the skeletons are buried—literally.  She's the long arc villain hiding in plain sight.  🗺️ 13-EPISODE BREAKDOWN EP 1: "Shadows at the Gate"  Vishnu arrives at Donna Aruna London HQ and is thrown out. 6  Flashbacks of India, Kamini, and the torrid affair with Aruna.  Cut to Auckland: the icy castle, the cold gates, and the Duchess who turned her back. EP 2: "The Castle, The Cracks"  Vishnu meets the paralyzed Duke.  Aruna refuses to see him, but nostalgia brews.  Donna and Beatrice arrive at the castle for the Duke’s birthday—sparks fly. EP 3: "Dead Flowers, Fresh Flesh"  Aruna rekindles her affair with Vishnu in secret.  Beatrice and Donna argue over Aruna’s involvement in the brand.  Frieda watches from the shadows. EP 4: "Brand Breakup"  Beatrice confronts Donna: it’s her or Aruna.  Donna announces that Aruna is no longer co-owner of the brand.  Aruna declares war—publicly launching her own rival label. EP 5: "The Bedroom Blueprint"  Vishnu is given the outhouse; he and Aruna indulge in increasingly violent sex.  Donna breaks down emotionally in Zoey’s arms. 7  Frieda slips a forged document into the Duke’s safe. EP 6: "The Kamini Revelation"  Kamini returns—now running a luxury furniture line.  She blackmails Aruna over the past affair.  Flashback: Kamini’s abortion, her betrayal, her descent into alcoholism. EP 7: "Silks and Sabotage"  Vishnu’s showroom designs are mysteriously leaked.  Beatrice manipulates tabloids to scandalize Aruna’s “affairs.”  Frieda threatens the Duke over his will. EP 8: "Heirs & Heiresses"  The Duke tries to reclaim control.  Donna kisses Aruna. Beatrice walks in. All hell breaks loose.  Zoey overhears plans for removing Aruna legally from the estate. EP 9: "The Poisoned Garden"  The Duke accuses Aruna of slow poisoning.  A public scandal erupts. Police raid the castle.  Aruna is detained overnight. EP 10: "Death in the Drawing Room" 8  The Duke dies in his wheelchair. Everyone becomes a suspect.  Aruna is arrested.  Frieda smiles faintly. EP 11: "The Will"  Donna and Beatrice fight for control over the brand.  Vishnu is offered money to disappear. He refuses.  The Duke’s will is read. Aruna inherits everything. EP 12: "Final Threads"  Frieda’s past exposed: she had a secret affair with Donna’s grandmother.  Zoey finds the evidence: Frieda killed the Duke.  Beatrice tries to kill Zoey but fails. EP 13: "It’s Complicated"  Frieda is arrested. Donna leaves Beatrice.  Aruna wins the estate.  Vishnu proposes to Aruna—she declines.  Final shot: Aruna walks alone through the empty castle, now hers. 🌟 POSSIBLE SPIN-OFF OPTIONS  "Donna: House of Silk" – Donna rebrands post-Aruna. Beatrice gone, Zoey now at her side. 9  "Frieda: The Silent Duchess" – Frieda’s 1950s backstory with Donna’s grandmother as a queer thriller.  "Zoey’s Notebook" – All secrets Zoey has collected in a scandalous fashion tell-all. SERIES TITLE: It’s Complicated Genre: Erotic Drama / Psychological Thriller / Power & Betrayal Episodes: 13 Setting: London, Mumbai, Auckland EPISODE GUIDE EPISODE 1 – “Unwelcome”  Vishnu, an ambitious but struggling architect from India, is humiliated when Aruna refuses to meet him in both London and Auckland.  We see his flashback meeting with Aruna via Kamini in India.  Initial sparks and sexual tension between Aruna and Vishnu.  Ends with Vishnu discovering Aruna now lives in Auckland. EPISODE 2 – “When Kamini Cried”  Dive into the sensual but emotional triangle: Kamini introduces Vishnu to Aruna, unaware of the chemistry. 10  Aruna seduces Vishnu. Then Kamini, out of jealousy and confusion, sleeps with Vishnu.  Aruna finds out and lashes out at both, leading to her sudden departure from India. EPISODE 3 – “The Castle Gates”  Back in the present: Vishnu receives the insider tip from Zoey.  He gains entry into Aruna’s palatial Auckland castle.  He meets Aruna’s disabled husband — a wealthy Duke.  The shock: Aruna is married. EPISODE 4 – “The Duke’s Game”  Vishnu processes the revelation. The Duke warns him.  Aruna is furious to learn Vishnu showed up again.  But his persistence reignites a fire in her — she agrees to a private meeting.  A slow-burn erotic build-up begins again. EPISODE 5 – “Old Flames, New Fires”  Aruna and Vishnu begin an intense, dangerous affair.  Vishnu is no longer vulnerable—he’s dominant, selfassured.  Flashbacks to Aruna’s past with the Duke and her link to Donna revealed. 11  The Duke watches them with suspicion. EPISODE 6 – “Sister of the Duke”  The Duke's aristocratic sister, EVANGELINE, learns of the affair.  Evangeline’s secret past with fashion mogul Donna is exposed.  She manipulates Donna to cut ties with Aruna.  Boardroom drama, corporate betrayal begins. EPISODE 7 – “The Brand Cracks”  Donna publicly severs business ties with Aruna.  The “DONNA ARUNA” brand splits. Media frenzy.  Aruna spirals, then announces her engagement to Vishnu.  Kamini, watching from afar, re-enters the story in disguise. EPISODE 8 – “The Outcast Returns”  Kamini appears in Auckland under a new name, now a business consultant.  She meets Vishnu secretly, warning him about Aruna’s manipulative streak.  Kamini reveals she had an abortion after their encounter — a child that could’ve been Vishnu’s. EPISODE 9 – “The Duke’s Last Move”  The Duke accuses Aruna of poisoning his food. 12  A legal war begins: divorce proceedings, estate arguments, Aruna's inheritance in question.  The Duke signs a new will—but dies that night. EPISODE 10 – “Murder in the Castle”  The Duke is found dead—Vishnu is suspected.  Police interrogate all castle residents.  Tensions rise: Aruna’s inheritance is frozen. She’s named the primary suspect.  Kamini is seen speaking privately with the lead detective. EPISODE 11 – “Under Her Skin”  Aruna is arrested. Vishnu tries to prove her innocence.  Evidence begins to point toward Kamini.  Flashbacks reveal Kamini had been in touch with Evangeline — and might’ve plotted revenge. EPISODE 12 – “Betrayals & Burials”  Kamini’s motive: revenge against both Aruna (for betrayal) and Vishnu (for abandoning her).  But twist: Evangeline manipulated Kamini too.  Aruna is released on bail. She confronts Donna, who reveals Aruna’s darkest secret — her identity isn’t real. EPISODE 13 – “It’s Complicated”  Final revelations: 13 o Aruna’s real name is Ranjini—a runaway orphan who reinvented herself with Donna’s help. o Vishnu realizes he was just a pawn in an elite circle of toxic power games. o Kamini is found dead in an apparent suicide— leaving a letter for Vishnu. o Aruna leaves Auckland. Her castle burns down mysteriously. o Final scene: Vishnu gets a letter with an old photo of Aruna, Donna, and Evangeline—smiling. KEY THEMES & DRAMATIC ELEMENTS  Erotic Power Play: Between Vishnu and both women.  Psychological Drama: Between childhood friends, past trauma, buried secrets.  Corporate Intrigue: Breakup of the Donna Aruna brand, internal sabotage.  Murder Mystery: The Duke’s death is a layered whodunnit.  Reinvention & Identity: Aruna is a self-made enigma, hiding a poor, painful past. MAIN CHARACTERS  Aruna / Ranjini: Fashion mogul with a buried past, dangerous allure, and fatal secrets.  Vishnu: Ambitious architect caught between love, revenge, and survival.  Kamini: Emotionally unstable, intelligent, used and forgotten — becomes a tragic antagonist. 14  The Duke: Paralyzed patriarch, obsessed with control and legacy.  Evangeline: Power-hungry sister with deep-seated hatred for Aruna.  Donna: Billionaire fashion magnate, cold, calculating, bound by a love-hate with Aruna. 15