The Indianness of 'Bridgerton' Season 2 - Bang On In Some Aspects, Blunders In Others

Ever imagined ¡°Sharmaji ki Beti¡± would make it to a royal family drama Netflix show? Well, Bridgerton has made that possible.

Bridgerton has represented Indians and male fragility in a very special manner this season. Be it the production design or a touch of a Royal Indian wedding, Bridgerton Season 2 has given some reason for Indian fans to cheer this season but there are some aspects of the show that also bothered many people on the internet. Let¡¯s have a quick assessment of the Indianness of the new season of Bridgerton.

The Indianness of Bridgerton Season 2 | Image credits: IMDB

Talking about the added Indian ecstasies of the new season of Bridgerton, Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran are playing the Sharma sisters in the second season of Bridgerton. From addressing the elder sister as ¡®Didi¡¯ to playing the title track of Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham in the Haldi ceremony, the second season of Bridgerton just knows how to attract Indian viewers.

In another quickly fleeting scene, we see Kate Sharma adding spices to her tea and enjoying a ¡®masala chai¡¯. It is the small details that make all the difference in the show, the Sharma sisters are seen oiling hair before sleeping at night, a proper Indian tradition that has made its mark in a show belonging to Regency-era England. However, children from a Sharma family calling their father ¡®Appa¡¯ felt very weird.

The Indianness of Bridgerton Season 2 | Image credits: IMDB

This isn¡¯t the only problem with the Indian representation of the show, there are many things that the show got wrong about Indians. There is a mention of Edwina knowing the language Hindustani and Marathi. Hindustani is an amalgamation of Hindi, Urdu, and North India which was very prevalent during the 1800-1900s but Edwina mentions that she is from Bombay so how does Edwina know the language when she never belonged to Deccan or the Northern region of India.

Another reference that was wrongly used in the show is of the famous writer Ghalib. In a scene, Edwina asks Anthony if he has read books of Ghalib. Netizens trolled the show on this reference as Ghalib was only 16 years old and he didn¡¯t write anything during the period in which the show is set.

Whatever may be the case, Indians getting such a great central representation in a show like Bridgerton is an extremely significant move. Many shows and films try to give an Indian representation but only a very few make this element a part of the central theme. Netflix¡¯s Never Have I Ever also did a good job in Indian representation by casting Maitreyi Ramakrishnan for the role of Devi Vishwakumar. Bridgerton takes a step further with the characters of Kate and Edwina. They are so perfectly curated and they accept themselves for who they are even if the representation becomes stereotypical in places.

The Indianness of Bridgerton Season 2 | Image credits: IMDB

Overall, Bridgerton¡¯s new season has started ruling the trending charts of the OTT space worldwide again just like its first season. The enemies-to-lovers trope of the show may be a clich¨¦ but it¡¯s still making good impression all around the globe. The concept of diversity in Regency-era London is becoming more exciting with themes of inclusivity season by season.