The Evolution of South Asian Women in British Film and TV
From "Bend It Like Beckham" to "Polite Society," Here's How South Asian Women Have Evolved On Screen
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One of the joys of Netflix's "Bridgerton" adaptations has been its embrace of colourblind casting, inviting people of colour into a genre in which they have rarely been represented.
While other Indian-themed period dramas exist, "Bridgerton" introduced Kate and Edwina Sharma into Regency England in series 2 by changing the race of the characters from the source material. The casting of Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran highlighted cultural similarities between the Regency period and Indian culture.
Because the original characters in the "Bridgerton" books are not Indian, the TV series could feel like it's not actually a representation of South Asian women, but the characterisation of Kate and Edwina contradicts this. They bring their lived cultural identity to the characters, without ever making it their core personality trait. In many ways, this is a more accurate portrayal of what it means to be a South Asian woman than depictions that focus too much on differences in race and culture.
Kate and Edwina are invited into this glamorous world and are given opportunities that Indian women are rarely given in the media: they get to dance at balls, they get to wear elaborate gowns, they get to be seen as sexy and desirable.