#asuitableboy

[jadorezindagi]

A Suitable Boy

Having worked in a bookstore for much of my uni life, I was definitely aware that Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Body was something special. But it did not intrigue me enough to delve into the 1500 pages long acclaimed novel. So, when I heard about the BBC mini-series, I was quite excited to find out what the fuss was all about. The excitement grew even more when Mira Nair’s name was mentioned. A maker par excellence, I was really keen to see her flaunt her talent in this long film format. And that she did. The fact that A Suitable Boy still manages to stay with you long after the 6th and final episode concludes, despite its glaring flaws is a huge compliment to the maker.

What are those glaring flaws you ask? Well, on a key aspect of a piece of cinema, language. Set in 50s India, the characters speak English. This was clearly done to make the 6-part series BBC audience suitable (pun intended). I’d like to think the sophisticated BBC crowd could have read subtitles if it meant a more authentic piece of cinema. You simply loose me when you have Indian-accented actors, who are playing villagers nonetheless, converse in English. Then of course there are the Western accented actors whose Hindi is debatable and who just seem out of place. What is worse is the English dialogues are penned rather amateurishly. I am not going to lie, parts of felt like the characters were rehearsing for their high school play. 

The other glaring flaw is that some of the actors simply get carried away at times with the melodrama in the script. Their characters come off caricaturist and I am pretty certain this was not the intention. The biggest offenders here are Sahana Goswami, Vivek Gomber and Mahira Kakkar.

What impresses is: 1. the complex layers of emotions explored on the screen, 2. the subtle yet powerful underlying themes bursting at its seem, 3. the depiction of the struggle of cultures in pre and post partition India, 4. the political background in which the story is set and last but not the least, 5. the scary familiarity of the 50s Indian politics to the current day politics in India where religion is the biggest weapon in a political party’s arsenal (this last one was perhaps an intentional outcome).  

Mira Nair encapsulates all of the above in what is a gripping 6-part series that would have been fit for the big screen thanks to its sweeping shots, flawless costumes and captivating performances.  However, it is about time makers did not hold back the punches with web or TV content. Why should we be limited to close up and simplistic shots on the small screen? Why can’t we have layered sweeping shots of grandiose locations and breathtaking landscapes? I do not think I appreciated it any less here than I would have done on the big screen. Here’s hoping A Suitable Boy creates a new norm.  The fact that Mira and DOP Declan Quinn achieve this in what I understand is a humble budget is a real feat.

Coming now to the best part, performances. Vikram Seth penned a storyline of too many characters to count (Some say 100).  This means you’re spoilt with great performances (and that sometimes you need to take notes while watching, in case you lose track). The performances that stood out were that of Ishan Khattar and Ram Kapoor. Why those? Well perhaps because the two male actors really surprised me with performances that is incomparable to any of their previous works. Ishaan shows an unseen level of maturity as the complicated Maan Kapoor whilst Ram Kapoor as Maan’s father delivers a beautifully layered performance that truly lets one understand the conundrum of Mahesh Kapoor. Next up on my list of accolades is Namit Das, Tanya Maniktala, Aamir Bashir, Ranvir Shorey and Vijay Varma. Of course I need not even say that when Tabu is onscreen I find it very difficult to concentrate on any other performer. Once a scene stealer, always a scene stealer. 

The problem with the 6-part series is that notwithstanding it’s a 6-hour long piece of cinema, you wanted more. I wanted to know more about Saeeda Bai’s story. Her history, her pain and how she leads a life of compromise or does she in fact find happiness? I want to know more about Nawab of Baitar and Saeeda’s story. I want to know more about her and Maan’s love story.

Speaking of Maan, the boy deserves his own series too. He’s so wonderfully complex. Equal parts passion and naïve. 

Perhaps the most boring of the characters is Lata Mehra. She’s the lead in search (or rather her mother is in search) of the Suitable Boy, yet I was not invested in whether she finds him or not. I am invested in the individual storylines of each of the candidates, but I could not care less as to how they feature in Lata’s story.  

A Suitable Boy definitely deserves a watch. It’s a Mira Nair gem that impresses despite obvious flaws. It is so wonderfully rich with emotion, culture, drama and complex underlying themes that it and its characters are bound to stay with you much after the series concludes.

[pareshani-piya]

"ishq se pet nahi bharta" -Bibbo to Saeeda Bai [season1 episode2]

"there are many other sorrows in this world besides love" -Rasheed to Maan Kapoor [season1 episode3]

[videotapenews]

Published in 1933, the book is considered to be one of the finest works of the author, Vikram Seth. It is also known to be one of the longest novels ever published in the English language. The novel has 19 parts each of which deals with a different subplot. On 5 November 2019, BBC News named it on its list of ‘100 most inspiring novels‘. As of 26 July 2020, a drama series adapting the novel is out on BBC TV.

[ayetlerim]

vintage vikram seth et. early grey. . . . . #nowreading #teatime #picoftheday #raceagainsttime #vikramseth #asuitableboy #bbc #reading #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjcow7jQo4/?igshid=1067scel6hngj

[malaikaabbas75]

“A flame goes up. Why? Because it yearns for its greater form, which is the sun. A clod of mud falls down. Why? Because it yearns for its greater form, the earth. The air in a balloon escapes if it can. Why? To join its greater form, the outer air. So also the soul in our bodies longs to join the greater world-soul. “ #asuitableboy #vikramseth #readingaddict #deepthoughts #thoughtful #addicted_to_details #lostinreading #lostinreverie #keepreading #curiosities https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5IGpKHsN3AuPCNNo0FfisQPcApQzgTrw1bfM0/?igshid=wvt9xo0r4wqj

[gagbrag]

A Suitable Boy: Tabu And Ishaan Khatter To Be A Part Of Mira Nair’s Next

Yes, Ishaan Khatter’s next project will be with the internationally acclaimed director Mira Nair. For her next project, Mira has decided to adapt Vikram Seth’s novel named A Suitable Boy. Earlier, Ishaan is expected to be a part of Vishal Bharadwaj’s upcoming movie. However, things have changed now. Ishaan has decided to part with director Vishal Bharadwaj due to creative differences. In this project of Mira Nair, talented actress Tabu will be seen also.

Expressing excitement of being a part of Mira Nair’s project, Ishaan has said “I hope I can satisfy Mira’s vision and give the global audience the character they deserve in Maan Kapoor (Ishaan Khatter’s Character).”

In the past, Tabu has collaborated with director Mira Nair on her movie called The Namesake. On the occasion, Tabu has said “Having worked with Mira previously in The Namesake, I am looking forward to another creatively challenging experience.”

Regarding the show, Mira Nair has said that she wants to showcase the history and dreams of India through it. She has said, “I’m deeply honoured to be the one bringing this intimate, epic tale of an unseen India to the world.” The story is set in 1950’s when first poll is being organized in democratic India. It talks about an energetic student from a university named Lata who is going through her own journey of love and self discovery. On the other hand, Maan Kapoor played by Ishaan wants to enjoy his life as much as possible in spite of disapproval from his politician father. Maan is also infatuated by courtesan named Saaeda Bai played by Tabu.

Shooting of Mira Nair’s next on The Suitable Boy is going to start from September. Lucknow and Maheshwar have been choosen for the shoots. It will be series for BBC.

[imagesgirlscom]

Tabu to play courtesan in ‘A Suitable Boy’ adaptation

Tabu to play courtesan in ‘A Suitable Boy’ adaptation - The actress has now signed up to do Mira Nair’s screen adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel titled, A Suitable Boy. Tabu is back to work after taking a long break. The actress, who has been choosy about what she wanted to do, is now signing on projects at a quicker pace. The actress has now signed up to do Mira Nair’s screen adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel titled, A Suitable Boy. Written for the screen by Andrew Davies, the series for BBC will also star Ishaan Khatter. “Tabu signed the project not just because she was getting to reunite with her The Namesake director Mira, but she loves the character of Saeeda Bai — the courtesan from Vikram Seth’s novel. This is also the first BBC series that is being made without a single British actor in the cast. Ishaan has been signed on to play the role of Maan Kapoor,” a source said. The surprise addition to the cast is 22-year-old newcomer actress Tanya Maniktala, who was earlier seen in a web series, Flames. Tanya will play the role of Lata Mehra. Mira had wanted a big star to play that role, which somehow did not work out. “The role of the young girl at the heart of the story will be played by a major Indian movie star but I can’t reveal her identity right now,” the filmmaker had said in May. Earlier, it was rumoured that Ishaan was opting out of the project, but he has now signed on the dotted line. Tabu to play courtesan in ‘A Suitable Boy’ adaptation Read the full article

[ashaloves-blog]

Its been a couple months ... of reading while walking through the city, in the streets and on the trains and I finished it 🤗🤗 #ASuitableBoy #VikramSeth #GoodReads (at Sydney, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxE3z0mno14/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=242vn3mg5h57

[wilkyphotography]

#vikramseth his house in #Salisbury #asuitableboy (at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Sports Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtGxnZIgvjT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1q8bre3r7sffg

[nara-akhmedova]

#Asuitableboy by Vikram Seth

[merrative]

ReadTreats by Merrative - 'The magical journey of Historical Fictions' . . This week we feature an article on 'Character arcs from book adapted series A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Netflix that blew my mind' which throws some light on the characters from the epic Indian saga written by Vikram Seth and now adapted as a television by @bbc and @netflix_in. In books, we talk about the Sunday discussion around 'Thousand Splendid Suns' by @khosseini, a detailed review of 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' by @ocean_voung and a beautiful parallel drawn between two books, A City Happens in Love by Ravish Kumar (@ravishndtv) and 1984 by George Orwell. In articles, we discuss about how you read and an analogy of your eye movements and a wonderful interview with a bookshop manager of Liberia, a London bookshop. Issue XIX of our newsletter is full of diverse topics that you don't want to miss! . . . This is a weekly newsletter that will feature posts contributed by our community and all the cool stuff that we find that a reader like you would enjoy! . . . Check out the newsletter and join the conversations: link in bio! . . https://merrative.substack.com/p/a-suitable-boy-vikram-seth-indian-history . . Wish to sign up for the ReadTreats newsletter? - sign up to merrative.com to receive weekly updates (no spamming!) 🤘 . . . . . Featured reads and discussion: . @_shivansh_mishra @tea_with_c @rishabh1406 @indeedanchal @harshalachavan7 @deep_sarbadhikari . . . . . . . Join conversations around books & articles you've enjoyed reading with like minded readers at: merrative.com . . . #merrative #newsletter #asuitableboy #vikramseth #indianhistory #historicalfiction #netflixandchill #bbc #netflix #momentmarketing #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #khaledhosseini #athousandsplendidsuns #onearthwearebrieflygorgeous #oceanvuong #london #bookstores #indianculture https://www.instagram.com/p/CHUc6N3r1sm/?igshid=xuaoy820c62o

[the-accidental-accountant]

Can't get over this scene where a love struck maan strikes up a conversation with saaeda!! Does love really make us so hopeless? Does it make us do crazy things? Do we even feel what is love is anymore? If you have not read #asuitableboy By @vikramsethfanclub Do it NOW!! #Repost @tabu.arabfc (@get_repost) ・・・ Saeeda Bai and Maan first conversation in ASB 🤍✨ . رح احاول انزل معظم لقطات تابو من السلسلة ❤️ . أول حديث لسعيدة باي و مان من السلسلة 🥺 . #تابو #تابو_بالعربي #tabu #ishaankhattar #asuitableboy @tabutiful @ishaankhatter #booklover #book #bookish #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks (at Delhi, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEYWxEhApN_/?igshid=4lizg91mv0rw

[don-lichterman]

He has nice eyes, but is that enough? 🥰 | A Suitable Boy - BBC

He has nice eyes, but is that enough? 🥰 | A Suitable Boy – BBC

Subscribe and 🔔 to the BBC 👉 https://bit.ly/BBCYouTubeSub Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 https://bbc.in/iPlayer-Home Lata is attracted to a mysterious boy in the library but her best friend Malati can’t work out if she actually likes him. A Suitable Boy | Episode 1 | BBC #BBC #BBCASuitableBoy #BBCiPlayer #ASuitableBoy All our TV channels and S4C are available to watch live through BBC iPlayer,…

[ramana999]

FIR Against #Netflix Officials registered by MP Polic Over Temple Kissing Scenes in ‘A Suitable Boy’ #AsuitableBoy

[malaikaabbas75]

#asuitableboy #vikramseth #deepquotes #deepthoughts #awed #readingisfundamental #reading #thoughtsinwords #thoughtful #imaginationiseverything https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ujChqH5aSq7sWXGqkEE_-gq1Bhx4D65NDQ140/?igshid=1jz4ehm2ob5d0