TELEVISION
Though Nair tries to touch upon the political bits, it's endearing how she never lets the needle stray away from the "personal" and how this religious tension brings a wave of changes to the characters' lives.
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Tabu, Rasika Dugal, Tanya Maniktala, Vijay Varma Mahira Kakkar, Ram Kapoor, Gagan Dev, Danesh Razvi, Namit Das, Randeep Hooda, and others.
Director: Mira Nair
Duration: 6 episodes
Where to watch?: Netflix
Stars: 3/5
A Suitable Boy is set in a newly independent India in the year 1951, post-partition. The TV series narrates the story of a 19-year-old Hindu Lata, played by Tanya Maniktala, who is under pressure from her widowed mother to find a suitable husband. After an encounter with a Muslim boy named Kabir, Lata falls in love, but their religious differences are at the centre of their love. When Lata’s mother learns of their affair, the relationship is prohibited. Therefore, 'A Suitable Boy' is an intergenerational coming-of-age story, involving four families and more than 110 characters over 18 months, right across India. It is a theatrical representation of a country coming to terms with its new identity.
It is always a challenge when one tends to turn a book into a series or a film. A Suitable Boy written by Vikram Seth came with its nuances, a long book capturing every minute detail about the story that he wants to tell.
On the other hand, Mira Nair's series by the same name as the book, a BBC miniseries condenses the big book into six episodes. Primarily, A Suitable Boy follows two rebellious young adults Lata Mehra played by Tanya Maniktala, and Maan Kapoor played by two-films old Ishaan Khatter as they struggle to discover their identity in a place and in a country which itself is finding its way post-partition and Independence.
Apart from these characters, the series encapsulates more than a hundred characters, many belonging to one of four extended families that are the Mehras, Kapoors, Chatterji's, and Khans.
While watching the series you might feel hard to keep up with the relationship that each character shares, however, given that Vikram Seth's novel is nearly 1,500 pages, it is nearly impossible to fit everything into a 6-hour runtime.
The series has its moments when it touches upon Hindu nationalism, a topic many shy away from, as in the first episode itself it shows a few nuances when an influential Islamophobic zamindar funds the construction of a temple next to a mosque, a police force kills Muslim protestors at the direction of the political elite, and a Muslim-hating politician calls for India to be a Hindu nation.
Though Nair tries to touch upon the political bits, it's endearing how she never lets the needle stray away from the "personal" and how this religious tension brings a wave of changes to the characters' lives.
The other main and probably the most spoken about relationship in the series is that of Tabu and Ishaan Khatter who play Saeeda Bai and Maan Kapoor respectively. Tabu is a brilliant actor which is something everyone is aware of but as soon as Ishaan Khatter joins her in the scene, their chemistry is what lights fires, giving their romance a creepy yet sensual Oedipal edge.
However, even while highlighting a fairly Indian backdrop to its story or at least trying to, A Suitable Boy, directed by veteran filmmaker Mira Nair and adapted by Andrew Davies, plays the majority of its plot points to a "predominantly White audience".
It is important to mention at this point in the review that towards the end of the series where during a particular Hindu-Muslim riot on the day of Muharram, Maan saves his friend Firoz from the hands of a dangerously blood-thirsty mob, it made up for some faults that the series had as it started to pick up after the first episode. Homoerotic tensions between Maan and Firoz are also hinted at but never delved in.
'A Suitable Boy' will go down as a series that played on political and religious tensions with a stunning cast to back it up. The series is vibrant, full of life (sometimes), and an entertaining watch, and though one may find some misinterpretations with how cultures and customs are shown in an India of 1951, performances by Khatter, Maniktala, and most importantly Tabu will overshadow it by the time you finish.
Watch it for Tabu's elegance, it's been decades and still, nothing comes close to it. Also, watch it for Ishaan Khatter's performance, he might be new to the industry but there is no denying that the man's a hard worker, risk-taker, and more importantly, here to stay.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2024: Know date, time and significance of festival
DSP tracks down vegetable vendor after 14 years, reason will leave you surprised
Chennai Rain Alert: Heavy showers expected today, IMD issues warning to 11 districts
Ankur Warikoo shares details about his annual salary, reveals he earns Rs...
Donald Trump chooses Elon Musk to lead THIS new Department, it is...
Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 LIVE UPDTES: Voting for first phase begins
IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh on verge of scripting history, need 8 wickets to achieve THIS massive feat
Bulldozer justice: SC to pronounce verdict today on pleas for guidelines on demolition of properties
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I: Predicted playing XIs, live streaming details, weather and pitch report
Russia plans to boost birth rate with 'Ministry of Sex', here's how
Jharkhand HC issues notice to MS Dhoni in business deal case, asks him to...
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs South Africa match
Meet IAS officer, aka 'Collector Bro', who cracked UPSC exam in 2007, now suspended due to...
Here’s why Chunky Panday wouldn’t stay in Shah Rukh Khan’s house in London
Yash's Toxic in trouble? FIR filed against producers of KGF star's upcoming actioner for illegal...
Meet Dr Priti Challa, Kangana Ranaut film director Krish Jagarlamudi's second wife, she leads...
Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli ties the knot with mystery girl in Delhi temple, first wedding pics out
‘Sometimes I wish I was more tough, more thick-skinned,’ says Aishwarya Rai in viral video
KL Rahul sweats hard in Perth nets ahead of BGT series, WATCH video here
Shahid Kapoor, wife Mira Kapoor rent out their Rs 580000000 luxury Mumbai apartment for Rs...
South Korean actor Song Jae-rim dies at 39 in Seoul apartment
Viral video: Thar SUV gets stuck on railway track after man tries to shoot reel, watch here
Elon Musk's new X post claims Putin must not be blamed for Russia-Ukraine war, instead names…
Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives fame Shalini Passi reveals 'Mom used chilli powder in my...'
My experiences with dating apps
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals how company got its name, says 'we wanted…'
Key Differences Between the Indian Stock Market and Global Indices
Stock prices vs company valuation: Is your stock worth it?
Navjot Singh Sidhu is back on Kapil Sharma's show after five years, but there's a twist
Mukesh Ambani set to invest Rs 65000 crore in THIS Indian state, it will be Reliance's biggest...
Mohammed Shami to return to competitive cricket; star pacer set to play for…
Makoons World School brings a new approach to K-12 education across India
Pakistan Cricket looking to take BIG step on Champions Trophy issue, planning to...
Did Isha Ambani lend Neetu Kapoor her Navratna necklace? Reddit users react
J-K: Gunfight underway between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora
Viral video shows women as 'live mannequins' in mall, sparks fury; WATCH
As Vistara bids goodbye, Air India-Vistara's first flight takes off from Mumbai to...
GATE 2025 Schedule: Exams to begin from February 1; Check full timetable here
CBSE announces BIG changes in Class 10,12 board exams 2025, know details here
Veteran Bengali actor Manoj Mitra dies at 86
Isha Ambani graces Diwali party as she walks with her twins, husband, WATCH
Donald Trump plans to pick Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State: Report
Vadodara IOCL refinery fire: Death toll rises to 2; probe underway
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police arrest accused from Chhattisgarh's Raipur
Delhi reports record high chikungunya, malaria cases in 5 years
Japan's Nara deer's polite bow to Indian woman leaves netizens in awe, WATCH