“A Suitable Boy,” a mini-series adapted from the book by the same name by Vikram Seth, examines the pursuit of love in a post-Partition India. It follows characters like Lata and her Muslim lover Kabir, and Maan Kapoor and his lover, courtesan Saeeda Bai, as they embark on their respective journeys; and in Maan’s case, a pretty wide age difference. Both Maan and Lata’s family members, on the other hand, embark on a journey to find them a suitable match, and thus throw a wrench in their love lives via the age-old practice of arranged marriage. However, things go from bad to worse when Lata and Maan’s personal lives threaten to spill over into a political atmosphere where religion and politics go hand-in-hand to create a potentially toxic cocktail.
“A Suitable Boy” starts off slow to establish the many characters, their personalities, and relationships with their respective religious and cultural beliefs (as Lata and Maan both walk a tightrope between succumbing to their feelings and disappointing their strict parents). However, as the series gradually picks up pace, one can’t help but fall in love with characters such as Maan and Lata and want to root for their dreams and passions despite what society throws at them. I also related to Lata, since it was easy for me to root for her as she tries to move up in the world as an independent young woman, free from familial, societal, and patriarchal pressures.
“A Suitable Boy” is a perfect project to be helmed by one of my favourite filmmakers, Mira Nair, since at times it feels very much like an amalgamation of her earlier works, in particular her lesser known short film “Migration” and the critically acclaimed “Monsoon Wedding.” These works, like “A Suitable Boy” also explored themes such as arranged marriage vs. love marriage in India and depicted young characters who were starved for love and neglected by their husbands and family members alike before finding themselves drawn into passionate affairs with older love interests (and vice versa). And much like one of the subplots in “Monsoon Wedding,” one of the episodes in the series even addresses how sexual assault within the family is often hidden away like a dirty secret, especially by female relatives who might be afraid to speak out against male members who have a tendency to be domineering in the household.
Just like Nair’s previous offerings, “A Suitable Boy” features characters who speak Urdu, English, and Hindi, thus catering to both the Indian and international audiences. It also touches upon the impact of the West and the superstition on Indians, as well as the casual racist micro-aggressions and classism that characters like the sultry, free-spirited and modern Meenakshi are subjected to. The best example of this is at the hands of Rupa (Lata’s mother) who often looks down upon her simply for being a Chatterjee from Calcutta, and at one point, Rupa even rejects a suitor for being ‘too dark’ during one of her many unsuccessful searches for a suitable boy for Lata. The show does all of this without any sugarcoating.
It’s also as clear as day to me why the show ruffled feathers with the Indian government, which is forever besotted with religion and getting away with their own endeavours, such as illegally demolishing mosques to make way for temples and thus inciting violent riots—especially since there is a similar event that finds centre stage in this show. In fact, even on IMDb “A Suitable Boy” drew ire for being a ‘piece of propaganda’ for its depiction of inter-religious romance, which in a way, just reflects how the book and the show itself mirror the backwardness of the strict religious fanaticism and blind government sympathisers in India and their inability to stomach beliefs that are different from their own in a “free” country.
The show even touches upon the tense relationship between the government and the common people, specifically with the farmers who are under the dominant thumb of greedy landowners who have contacts with powerful politicians, much like the ongoing farmer protests in Punjab.
As with most of Nair’s works, “A Suitable Boy” too boasts of some gorgeous locations, set designs, and a colour palette comprising of warm and beautiful yellows and oranges.
In addition, the series touts an impressive cast comprising of both young newcomers as well as seasoned veterans. The two leads, Tanya Maniktala and Danesh Razwi, are both revelations as Lata Mehra and Kabir Durrani respectively. Rasika Dugal plays Savita, Lata’s sister, and her relationship with Lata is well-sketched out and their interactions come off as natural and sweet. But for me, it would be Ishaan Khattar and Tabu who both breathe life into Maan Kapoor (or as he’s lovingly called ‘Dagh Sahib’) and Saeeda Bai. Their chemistry threatens to overpower everyone else’s, and they’re experts at chewing the scenery. The young Khattar delivers a fine performance, striking a fine balance between charming lothario and a childish prankster. The story also occasionally shifts focus to Maan’s close friendship with Firoz, a Muslim played by Shubham Saraf, although it steers clear of delving into their possible homoerotic tendencies towards each other.
Namit Das too is endearing as Haresh, the owner of a shoe factory and leather empire, a potential suitor for Lata and a possible rival to Kabir. Vivaan Shah holds fort as Varun, the black sheep of the Mehra family who tends to be as rebellious as Lata when intoxicated. Despite his limited presence, Randeep Hooda with his sensual drawl is effective as Billy Irani with whom the sultry and modern Meenakshi (Shahana Goswami) is having a passionate affair. Ram Kapoor and Manoj Pahwal also leave a mark as a politician and a landowner respectively who are both at loggerheads. While Mahira Kakkar has the tendency to under-act and is a tad hammy in the first few episodes, her acting as well as the character she plays (Lata’s strict typical Indian mum) soon grew on me as the show progressed and as she begins to grow a tad more supportive of her daughter. A scene where she stands out in particular is when Lata silently tries to convey to her the creepy sexual advances of her uncle towards her and her cousin Kiran.
A small criticism, but I feel what mars the series a tad however is that at times the melodrama of some scenes threatens to overshadow the multiple important topics that it wishes to cover…or rather uncover. But, all-in-all, “A Suitable Boy” is a much- needed show that suits today’s time when any progressive step is often erased out of existence by a less than progressive government or a society that is too set in its ways to allow progress.
*”A Suitable Boy” is available to watch on YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Amazon Prime.
