“A Suitable Boy” is not the first web series to be adapted from a well-known novel. However, Mira Nair’s latest directorial venture is the BBC Studios’ first major series developed without any major European characters.
This fine adaptation of the eponymous novel by Vikram Seth is a treat to watch, with its intricately stitched scenes and perfect pairings. The series, with the backdrop of a newly independent India in the 1950s, has a refreshingly easy flow to it.
Netflix’s newest release captures the essence of 1950s India through its characters and does full justice to the beautiful story of the novel without losing sight of the humane side of the characters.
Adapted by Andrew Davies, the narrative of the series revolves around four families of post-partition India. It captures human emotions deftly through a colourful, musical and emotionally charged screen space, replete with intense vagaries of young love and the dilemmas within the families during the transition of India from an oppressed country to a land of the free.
From personal history to political agenda, the filmed adaptation of “A Suitable Boy” perfectly captures the complexities of the characters and narrative as portrayed in the original novel.
The story starts with Rupa Mehra searching a suitable groom for her daughter Lata. In a parallel storyline, a young Maan Kapoor is captivated by the charms of a beautiful and enigmatic courtesan Saeeda Bai. The story follows the struggles of these two youngsters.
Lata, portrayed by the talented Tanya Maniktala, has to choose a suitable groom for herself from three different options presented to her by her family.
The series, made of six 60-minute episodes, opens with the setting of Lata’s sister getting married to Maan’s brother. What follows is her mother’s search for a perfect groom for her youngest daughter and Lata’s search for her independence from societal pressures and expectations in a changing Indian society.
Guided by the expert and imaginative direction of Nair, backed by an ensemble cast of seasoned and young actors, portrayed with a backdrop of vivid colours and eclectic music, the series is a beautiful take on an even more beautiful story.
Immaculate costume designing and production design gives viewers an authentic feel of mid-20th century India. The series successfully transports viewers back to the days of yore when people were adjusting to the idea of a sovereign India. The mix of languages used in the series – a refreshing blend of English, Awadhi, Hindi and Bengali – aptly delivers the image of a multicultural and diverse society of post-Raj India.
To sum it up, Nair’s maiden attempt at directing a TV series with ‘A Suitable Boy’ is a complex and engaging piece of cinematic storytelling.
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