It’s not often that you get to watch a mainstream TV series with brown girls as the leads, where they are not reduced to caricatures or tokenised. Instead, the characters are feisty, elegant and proud of their Indian heritage. One of the most-watched shows on Netflix, Regency-era drama Bridgerton has created ripples with its second season by attempting a near-authentic representation of South Asians in the Sharma sisters.
Kate (her actual name is Kathani) and Edwina Sharma are half-sisters, played by two actresses of Tamil descent, Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran. In the show, the girls' father was a tradesman, who fell in love with an earl’s daughter, Lady Mary (Shelley Conn), after his first wife died. Kate is his daughter from his first marriage, and Edwina is his daughter from Lady Mary.
As season two begins, the sisters arrive in London to find a suitor for Edwina, because of a trust fund promised to Kate if her sister marries into English high society.
The show has received both bouquets and brickbats from Indians, Pakistanis and the South Asian diaspora, many of whom have appreciated the show’s deviation from stereotypical Indian beauty standards of fair-skinned women. Many have also appreciated the inclusion of Indian-inspired jewel-toned fabrics, paisley shawls and authentic jewellery — from the traditional jhumkis (earrings), to necklaces and bangles.
The scenes featuring Kate tenderly oiling her sister’s thick, black hair, the depiction of the haldi (turmeric) ceremony — a pre-wedding ritual for brides in North Indian weddings — and background music from 2001 Bollywood hit film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, all went down well with Indian audiences. Kate disliking English tea, and adding cardamom and spices to give it flavour, also struck a chord with most Indians, for whom drinking chai is akin to a sacred ritual.
Delhi journalist Reem Khokhar says: “I think it was great to see brown faces on a hugely popular international show. And for me, it was particularly refreshing to see sultry, darker-skinned women because even Indian cinema, mainly Bollywood, has lighter-skinned actresses. Both Bridgerton actresses are Tamil and it was wonderful to see more diverse representation.”
Marriage for Indian women is still a pressure for many, much like the scenario portrayed in the series, something that is still considered essential to raise a woman’s status, and is a societal obligation. Many dark-skinned Indian girls have been taught to be ashamed of the colour of their skin growing up, which is seen through the sales of whitening creams and bleaches in the country.
“Kate’s independence is refreshing and represents what many Indian girls are doing today, pulling away from patriarchal norms and pressures,” says Arti Khanna, a teacher in Bangalore.
However, South Asia is home to a medley of more than two billion people across countries including India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It is a heterogeneous potpourri of cultures, languages, traditions and histories, with so many little nuances. India itself has more than 30 states and more than 22 languages and even more dialects. So, for a show to get representation absolutely right, is not easy. Unless it delves deeper into personal histories, racial backgrounds or history, it can only be superficial and not transformative.
Pallavi Sethi, who works in the field of news and misrepresentation in London, says: “When I saw the trailer for Bridgerton season two, I was deeply excited to see the makers cast a South Asian lead and introduce the Sharmas, an Indian family, into the historical Regency period drama.
“Alas, I was a bit disappointed once I started watching the show. The bungled mix of different cultures remained painful to watch. For a show that heavily relies on its historical vocabulary, it mixed up many Indian words and, therefore, inaccurately depicted my beautiful country.
“For instance, Sharma is an upper-caste North Indian last name, but the girls refer to their father as ‘appa’, the Tamil version,” says Sethi. “Then Kate calls her sister bon, which is sister in Bengali. It's hard to believe the makers with enormous budgets couldn't do their research, so some of this seems intentional. Still, I'd love to know the reason behind this decision, or error, as I see it. If there's one thing I would tell the makers for their next season it’s that misrepresentation can be as bad as non-representation.”
Khokhar doesn't necessarily agree. “I know there has been a lot of nit-picking about their names, the use of the words ‘bon’ and ‘appa’. Yes, it would have been nice to have more accuracy, but to be honest, the show has such diverse casting for the Regency period, which managed to help me suspend my disbelief enough to look past colour and just enjoy them as characters.”
“What is the correct representation of an Indian person?" asks Indian journalist Veenu Banga, who lives in Florida. "Look at the diversity in our country, from Assam to Kerala. Besides, despite the ‘inaccuracies’ if we may call them that, who’s to say that there was not an Indian girl who was an ace horse rider and excellent all-rounder in the sport of the day? After all, we did have Rani of Jhansi.”
Something the show ignores is political complexity and colonial tensions. Priya Satia, a history professor at Stanford University, said she was conflicted by the show's depictions.
“Inclusive casting ‘worked’ in Hamilton because it was a retelling of a national myth of founding fathers who, we know, were white and almost all slave-owners. The casting of black and brown actors was a kind of radical reclaiming of that myth by those excluded from its lofty principles at the time,” says Satia.
“We know that the aristocratic class at the heart of Bridgerton drew its wealth from slave ownership and other colonial activities. But the show never becomes a fully fictional world in which we can accept free casting as a kind of reclamation, inversion or radical act of inclusion ... The Sharmas are not British people who happen to be brown; unlike the other non-white characters in the show, they are brown because their father was Indian. By giving skin colour meaning here and also playing on the colonial stereotype of brown women as objects of exotic-erotic desire, while at once denying the reality of racial feeling at the time, the show whitewashes Britain's bonds with other parts of the world as devoid of racial or colonial dynamics of any kind.”
Criticism aside, many South Asians do resonate with the feelings of Angie Tiwari, a yoga and meditation teacher from London, who says, “Growing up, I only ever saw South Asian women on Goodness Gracious Me. As amazing as that show was, it was problematic that South Asian women never appeared across mainstream media.
“When they did, they were mostly fairer-skinned, a nod to colourism, a direct result of colonialism and a display of favouritism towards Eurocentric beauty standards. Watching two darker-skinned South Asian women take the lead in Bridgerton signals a new era of inclusion, and while it's certainly overdue, it's never too late to make all generations with South Asian heritage feel seen."
Satia disagrees, however. “To be sure, it is a wonderful and revolutionary thing, for UK audiences and South Asian audiences still conditioned by colonial racism to favour fair skin tones, to be presented with a romantic lead of luminous dark-skinned beauty.
“But making her Indian rather than British disrupts the fictional world in which such free casting might have been a purely liberating move, so that the show's portrayal of British-Indian bonds winds up aligning worryingly with the way imperial apologists persistently misrepresent that past.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
