A Suitable Boy is an adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel of the same name. (Photo: Netflix)
BBC One’s miniseries A Suitable Boy will release on Netflix in India. The TV series is based on Vikram Seth’s novel of the same name. A six-part miniseries, it is directed by Mira Nair on a screenplay by Andrew Davies.
Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal, and Ram Kapoor play pivotal roles in the miniseries. The story in the book was about happenings in four families over a duration of 18 months. The series is set in North India a few years after Indian Independence.
The official synopsis of A Suitable Boy reads, “1951. In a newly independent India, passionate literature student Lata Mehra defies tradition, and her meddling mother’s wish to choose her a husband. Torn between family duty and the excitement of romance, Lata embarks on a journey of love and heartache as three very different men try to win her heart. Also threatening to break with tradition is the charming but directionless Maan Kapoor, whose romantic entanglements begin to jeopardize his father’s political career. As Lata and Maan attempt to shape their futures, India too is coming of age. Only a few years after independence from British colonial rule, tensions are high as its people prepare to campaign and vote in their first democratic general election.”
Vikram Seth’s book, handling a giant cast of disparate, unique characters, tackled issues and themes like the conflict between modernity and tradition, religion-based prejudice, generation gap, and so on.
Tabu plays the role of a courtesan called Saeeda Bai in the series, with whom Khatter’ character (Maan Kapoor) becomes infatuated, causing a lot of conflict.
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The book remains one of the longest works of fiction in the English language with 1,349 pages.