Monday, December 7, 2020

A SUITABLE BOY (Acorn TV Exclusive Series), Episodes 1 and 2 of 6

"Groundbreaking" - The Guardian

This BBC One sweeping period drama hit is the first television series directed by Academy Award-nominated film director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake) and adapted by Emmy-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies (Pride & Prejudice, Les Miserables) of the eponymous global bestseller by Vikram Seth - one of the longest novels in the English language. This intimate, epic tale of life and love set in vibrant 1950s India tells the story of a 19-year-old spirited university student, Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala), who comes of age in North India, at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election. Lata seems to have her life already mapped out thanks to old traditions and an overbearing mother (Mahira Kakkar), who wants to find her a suitable husband, but torn between romance and responsibility and inspired by rebellious writers and daring new ideas, Lata is determined to decide her own future. Meanwhile, wayward Maan (Bollywood leading man Ishaan Khatter) wants every drop of excitement from life, but when he becomes infatuated with the glamorous courtesan Saaeda Bai (Indian screening legend Tabu, The Life Of Pi), the consequences could be catastrophic. (2 EPS, 2020)