A Suitable Boy: A lavish but flawed adaptation of 1950’s India
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
A Suitable Boy: A lavish but flawed adaptation of 1950’s India

Glitz

Rakshanda Rahman
04 November, 2020, 10:25 am
Last modified: 05 November, 2020, 05:02 pm

Related News

  • Horror movies to watch
  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage, tame and underwhelming
  • The Lost Daughter: Is motherhood always that great?
  • Allu Arjun is terrific, ends 2021 with one of the most entertaining movies of the year
  • Anirban’s successful adaptation of Shakespear’s Macbeth

A Suitable Boy: A lavish but flawed adaptation of 1950’s India

Mira Nair’s “A Suitable Boy” is predictable and overtly stretched sometimes but the beautiful screenplay and credible acting by the cast make up for the flaws in the script

Rakshanda Rahman
04 November, 2020, 10:25 am
Last modified: 05 November, 2020, 05:02 pm
A scene from the miniseries ‘A Suitable Boy’. Photo: Collected
A scene from the miniseries ‘A Suitable Boy’. Photo: Collected

Although "A Suitable Boy" has been praised for bringing together Mira Nair and Andrew Davies, the BBC miniseries based on Vikram Seth's novel of the same title fails to create a lasting impression as it mostly caters to a White audience.

In the introductory scene, the protagonist Lata feeding a monkey and buffalo emerging out of a village lake only represents the Westerners' notion of India's "exotic culture". 

Watch the trailer of "A Suitable Boy" here 

There are bits and pieces of the characters interacting in Hindi and Urdu, but most of the dialogues are delivered in English. 

"A Suitable Boy" has an amazing cast and the screenplay and the sets were wonderfully crafted but the predictable story and the overstretched plotline made it quite unbearable after two or three episodes.

However, the crackling chemistry between the evergreen Tabu and the charming Ishaan Khatter was beautifully represented in the movie without appearing as perverted or awkward between the two fine actors. 

Plot

The movie basically revolves around Lata (Tanya Maniktala), a 19-year-old literature student who is constantly prodded by her mother, Rupa, to find a "suitable boy." 

The young lady has three charming men vying for her attention, there is the handsome Kabir Durrani, the famous writer Amit Chatterji, and the pragmatic Haresh Khanna. 

We see the mischievous but child-like Maan (Ishaan Khatter) whose lack of ambition gets him in trouble with his father Minister Mahesh Kapoor. 

The young and wild Maan falls in love with the endearingly beautiful but charming Muslim courtesan Saeeda. 

Maan's infatuation with Saeeda creates a rift between him and his father who is trying to contest in India's first democratic general election.

Communal disputes 

The newly independent India saw the tugs of communal dispute and the rise of tension between the Hindu and Muslim community. 

The establishment of a temple in front of a mosque and the outburst of violence in rallies between the two religions somewhat reflected the current conflicts in India. 

The movie alludes to the Babri Masjid demolition. Vikram Seth's novel was published in 1993, a year after the mosque was destroyed. 

Cast 

Newcomer Tanya Maniktala did a commendable job as Lata, her beautiful smile and expressive eyes made her role quite refreshing. 

The scene stealer in the series has got to be Ishaan Khatter and Tabu's love story. 

The exchange of shayari and ghazal between these two only heightened the intensity of their intimate scenes. 

The most wonderful and realistic acting was indeed done by Geeta Agarwal Sharma as Maan's mother. 

Her acting in the final scene will haunt you long after you finish watching the series. 

Tabu as the beautiful courtesan Saeeda Bai, oozes grace, strength, vulnerability and sensuality so naturally that it simply takes your breath away. 

Danesh Rizvi as Kabir also did a fabulous job in the series. He was able to beautifully depict Kabir's loneliness and his strong love for Lata. 

Unfortunately, some of the finest actors of this time: Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, and Vijay Raaz were simply not utilised in the movie due to minimal screen time. 

The movie reflects the confusion and dilemma of post-independent India as it strives hard to find its own identity. 

Mira Nair's "A Suitable Boy" is predictable and its episodes can seem overtly stretched sometimes but the beautiful screenplay and credible acting by the protagonists make up for the flaws in the script. 

If you want to enjoy a beautifully shot movie with gorgeous locations and a touch of romance then you will surely enjoy the cinematic adaptation of Vikram Seth's novel "A Suitable Boy". 

 

A suitable boy / Movie Review

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Photo: Collected
    Bangladesh among top 20 prospective solar farm capacity nations
  • The war has blocked Ukraine’s grain exports by sea, cutting off vital supplies for countries from Somalia to Egypt.Photographer: Islam Safwat/Bloomberg
    Russia is winning from the global food crisis it helped create
  • PM for protecting environment during implementation of development projects
    PM for protecting environment during implementation of development projects

MOST VIEWED

  • A collage of Ellen Barkin and Johnny Depp. photo: Collelcted
    Johnny Depp's ex-girlfriend Ellen Barkin testifies about his 'controlling' behaviour
  • Top YouTube Movie Channels. Photo: Collected
    Top YouTube movie channels to watch full length movies online free
  • Aimee, Emma, and Asa from season 2. Photo: Collected
    ‘Sex Education’: A must-watch series for Bangladeshis
  • Miracle in Cell No. 7: Heartwarming Story inside a Prison Cell
    Miracle in Cell No. 7: Heartwarming Story inside a Prison Cell
  • Conjuring movies in chronological order of events. Photo: Collected
    How to watch the Conjuring movies in chronological order of events
  • The White Tiger. Photo: Collected
    3 lessons from the movie ‘The White Tiger’

Related News

  • Horror movies to watch
  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage, tame and underwhelming
  • The Lost Daughter: Is motherhood always that great?
  • Allu Arjun is terrific, ends 2021 with one of the most entertaining movies of the year
  • Anirban’s successful adaptation of Shakespear’s Macbeth

Features

Psycure has received various awards for their extraordinary contributions to promoting Sustainable Development Goals. Photo: Courtesy

Psycure: Meet the organisation serving the underserved university students (and beyond) with mental healthcare 

8h | Panorama
Underlying problems such as school dropouts need to be addressed first before taking a legal route to stop child labour. Photo: Reuters

‘Child labour in a country like Bangladesh is primarily a development issue, not so much of enforcement’

10h | Panorama
The balcony railings of the Boro Sardar Bari in Sonargaon. Made of cast iron, these railings feature vertical posts with intricate designs on top. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

The evolution of railing and grille designs

1d | Habitat
A Russian army service member fires a howitzer during drills at the Kuzminsky range in the southern Rostov region, Russia January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov/File Photo

3 months of Ukraine war : Miscalculations, resistance and redirected focus

1d | Analysis

More Videos from TBS

Poet Nazrul Islam’s 123rd birth anniversary observed

Poet Nazrul Islam’s 123rd birth anniversary observed

15m | Videos
Soaring commodity prices put pressure on budget

Soaring commodity prices put pressure on budget

4h | Videos
The alarming effects of the global food crisis

The alarming effects of the global food crisis

7h | Videos
Mangoes from Satkhira going to Iraq

Mangoes from Satkhira going to Iraq

9h | Videos

Most Read

1
Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge
Bangladesh

Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge

2
A packet of US five-dollar bills is inspected at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington March 26, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
Banking

Dollar hits Tk100 mark in open market

3
Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi
Bangladesh

Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi

4
BSEC launches probe against Abul Khayer Hero and allies
Stocks

BSEC launches probe against Abul Khayer Hero and allies

5
The reception is a volumetric box-shaped room that has two glass walls on both the front and back ends and the other two walls are adorned with interior plants, wood and aluminium screens. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Habitat

The United House: Living and working inside nature

6
Illustration: TBS
Banking

Let taka slide

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab