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Having worked in a bookstore for much of my university life, I was definitely aware that Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” 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.

One of the BBC’s most ambitious and cinematic TV series ever makes its highly-anticipated Stateside debut on Acorn TV this December: A Suitable Boy, an epic tale of life and love set in vibrant 1950s India in the first screen adaptation of the classic, bestselling, 1,349-page novel of the same name by Vikram Seth. A Suitable Boy will premiere exclusively on Acorn TV in the U.S. and Canada with two episodes on Monday, December 7, 2020, and weekly episodes every Monday through January 4, 2021.

With a dynamic cast of India’s most well-known actors alongside rising stars, this six-part, six-hour drama tells the story of spirited university student Lata Mehra as she 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.

A Suitable Boy is a vast,...

Review While Tabu and Ishaan Khatter shine in their respective roles, the English dialogue sticks out as unpalatable.Geetika MantriScreenshot/NetflixIndian parents’ desire to find a suitable match for their children is the stuff of legends – you’ll find references in folklore and mythical tales, in documented history, in fiction and in reality. So when you hear the phrase A Suitable Boy, it’s not hard to imagine what it will entail. In this case, the plot is premised on a widowed woman determined to find a match for her young daughter. Based on Vikram Seth’s massive novel, the BBC adaptation of A Suitable Boy, directed by Mira Nair and written by Andrew Davies, released on Netflix on Friday. With a runtime of six hours split into six episodes, the series follows Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala), a young English literature student in the fictional town of Brahmpur, whose mother,...

One of two things happen when Mira Nair tries making an Indian film in India. She crafts a story that is beautifully authentic and inspired by India that is (think Salaam Bombay! or Monsoon Wedding). Or, she tries recreating an India that was, in which case the outcome is beautifully plastic (think Kama Sutra).

Mira Nair's new web series talks of an India that was. The show diligently tries to belong to the former lot, but tends to gravitate to the second category.

Maybe it was the challenge of adapting Vikram Seth's book of the same name. A massive work of fiction comprising nearly six lakh words would seem difficult to capture in six episodes.

Or maybe, just as it was blatant in the case of Kama Sutra, Nair was out making an Indian film in India for the West.

The trouble with A Suitable Boy is despite so much story to tell,...

Mumbai, Oct 15 (Ians) Actor Ram Kapoor says his role in the upcoming series, A Suitable Boy, came with various shades and challenges.

In the series, he plays Mahesh Kapoor, father to Maan, the protagonist played by Ishaan Khatter. Mahesh is a veteran politician, who is fighting to set things right in the country and bring harmony. With the project, Ram reunited with filmmaker Mira Nair after working with her in "Monsoon Wedding" and "Words With God".

"It was a challenging role. My character has multiple shades and layers. He has a vision for everything -- the country, his sons, himself. I feel that he is one of the most truthful characters in the series. He is trying to do the right thing," Ram said.

"That being said, he also has his flaws. His relationship with his younger son, Maan, is quite real and raw. I had a great time shooting with Ishaan.

Actors Ram Kapoor, Shahana Goswami and Vivek Gomber have joined the star cast of filmmaker Mira Nair's upcoming "A Suitable Boy".

They have joined the previous-announced cast members -- Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, newcomer Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal, Namit Das, Gagan Dev Riar, Danesh Razvi, Mikhail Sen and Mahira Kakkar.

Also Read:?Tabu, Ishaan Khatter join Mira Nair's 'A Suitable Boy'

A Lookout Point production for BBC One, "A Suitable Boy" will be the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's international bestseller of the same name. It has been penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies.

The six-part adaptation is being directed by Nair and filming has already started at locations across India including Lucknow.

"A Suitable Boy" tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya) in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to...