No longer are actors from India relegated to playing a waiter or driver in foreign shows. With American series Bridgerton 2, they are slowly and steadily carving a niche

Mona

Kate Sharma (played by Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) arrive in the UK with their mother, Lady Mary Sheffield Sharma (Shelley Conn), in search of love and marriage in American series Bridgerton 2. The dark-skinned Kate being the leading lady is something that even mainstream Indian cinema shies from doing! Not just the looks, Bridgerton is also warming desi hearts with an elder sister oiling younger one’s hair, haldi ceremony or a simple didi, as Edwina calls Kate! Only it comes with its share of discrepancies; Kate and Edwina’s dark skin tone is jarring with ‘Sharma’ a typical North Indian upper class surname, Ghalib is pronounced more as Ghaleeb, Murli becomes Murali!

Going international

Indian characters have appeared in various British and American shows, as early as in 70s with Jamila and Ranjeet in Mind Your Language (1977). Some of the popular ones have been Rajesh Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory (2007—2019), Mindy Lahiri in The Mindy Project (2012—2017), International Emmy-winner The Kumars at No. 42 (2001—14), and lately Devi Vishwakumar in Never Have I Ever (2020). While the accented tone, arranged marriages and the attitude of Indians settled abroad has largely been stereotypical, there has been a slight move away from the norm lately.

While The Mindy Project was not focused at the Indian representation, Kaling’s latest Never Have I Ever has been received rather well for its Indian representation. Yes, the sarees stay, and just like Bridgerton 2, representation of the diverse India remains a challenge.

Heartening move

About time desis get mainstream, feels actor Trupti Khamker, “Not only for the stereotypical Indian characters, but also generic characters that could be a part of the narrative. We are getting global and Indians actors are good at their craft, and so can add much more value to the characters they play.”

Bhaavna Arora, whose book Undaunted: Lt. Ummer Fayaz of Kashmir, is getting a big screen outing, adds, “It’s good to see Indians getting into the main league. I have been in love with Two and A Half Men, and in such a long show to get a glimpse of Indians only as a taxi driver or waiter was heartbreaking. Bridgerton finally brings that satisfaction that we have Sharmas as part of the main plot.”

Over the years we have seen some desis giving extraordinary performances onscreen. Be it Priyanka Chopra, Kunal Nayyar or Aziz Ansari. “Sharma girls have brought their characters to life in a beautiful way and I don’t think they were in any way less than the other actors of the show,” says actor Balraj Syal.

American actor Edward Sonnenblick says, “Indians are such an intrinsic part of the cultural fabric of so many countries, it’s time they make it to shows across the world. The number of roles may soon grow exponentially.”

‘Miss’ representation

Actor Karanvir Sharma says, “It’s just like some films portray Sardars. It was a breath of fresh air to see Saif Ali Khan in Sacred Games.”

“I see a huge opening for aesthetic and culture trainers from India who can be involved to make desi characters more detailed,” Trupti points out.

“Let’s not talk about discrepancies when we are talking about creative work. I think it can be overlooked,” says Balraj. “It’s good to talk about such misconceptions, but we can focus more on the positives,” he adds.

Favourite list

Karanvir Sharma is looking forward to seeing Dhanush’s role in The Gray Man, but for now sticking to the Sharmas in Bridgerton. Rajesh Kutthrapalli (Kunal Nayyar) was Trupti’s favourite for the longest time. “Lately I am very impressed by Devi from Never Have I Ever. Full marks to being an authentic South-Indian.”Edward Sonnenblick likes Aziz Ansari,“He’s got a similar sense of humour to my own.”Mindy Kaling has been Balraj Syal’s favourite. “I loved Mindy in The Mindy Project and also Never Have I Ever,” he says.

Global fame

AnupamTripathi grabbed global fame for playing Ali, a Pakistani migrant worker in South Korean survival drama Squid Game.