A Suitable Boy - TV Series based on Vikram Seth’s novel
A Suitable Boy is an adaptation of one of the longest English novels in history by the same name.
Vikram Seth's novel A Suitable Boy talks primarily about a young girl named Lata whose mother is obsessed with finding a suitable boy for her daughter. Meanwhile, Lata falls in love with a Muslim boy amidst the Hindu-Muslim tensions in the country. Set in 1951 in a post-independence India, the characters of the story are rebellious for the era. But that rebellion is what makes the tale gripping and sincerely beautiful.
Mira Nair, a veteran filmmaker known for her films like A Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake, has directed the upcoming coming-of-the age TV Series, A Suitable Boy. The show is based on Seth's novel and stars actors like Tanya Maniktala, Tabu, Ishaan Khattar and Rasika Duggal among others.
Manikatala, who rose to fame with her role in TVF's Flames is playing Lata's character. From the trailer, it seems that she has worn Lata's subtleness elegantly.
Khattar, whose debut film was Dhadak, is portraying Maan Kapoor's character. Maan is a well-known politician's young son who's in love with a courtesan Saeeda Bai, played by the legendary actress Tabu. Khattar and Tabu's chemistry in the trailer looks terrific.
The show has been written by Andrew Davies, who has previously worked on projects such as Pride and Prejudice and House of Cards.
The aesthetic and classic shots of India shown in the trailer kept me smiling throughout. Since the novel consists of more than 1300 pages, putting it together in a few episodes must have been a task. But if the trailer is anything to go by, Nair and Davies have pieced together one of the most intricate stories exquisitely.
The show is going to air on BBC One on 26th July 2020. Netflix too is going to premiere it but hasn’t announced the release date yet.