Indian roots, One of the biggest wealth that India possesses is its diverse, elegant and colourful culture. Any country’s proudest heritage is its culture and when the culture is vast, diverse and ages old, it has the possibility of being a subject of intrigue. Over the years, in many ways, Indian culture has been put in front of the audience, sometimes through books, sometimes through movies and in recent years, through series.
Let us look at the movies and series that have done justice to Indian culture!
Bandish Bandits- What is more iconic than Indian classical music? And a concept bold enough to mash up contemporary pop music with Indian classical music of Rajasthan is a genius plot with fresh twists. This 2020 series streaming on Amazon Prime is a must-watch if you want a raw sneak peek into Indian music culture, specifically Rajasthan’s folk and classical music.
The Namesake- This 2006 movie is based on a bestselling novel by Jhumpa Lahiri ‘ The Namesake’. The movie of the same does justice to the book about a Bengali couple who travels abroad and begins a new life in a place they know nothing about. Through the reminiscence of their previous life in India and anecdotes from the past, a lot is discerned about the country and its cultural roots.
Never Have I Ever– Exaggeration of culture to leave a stronger impression is a form of artful hyperbolism and is evident in mostly all Indian representation in American films. But that stigma might have been thrown off by this 2020 American teen drama series Never Have I Ever. The story of Devi, an Indian origin teen explains her typical High School drama with a touch of Indian. They even meticulously added an Indian festival to the series!
Indian Matchmaking- While this could be a wee bit exaggerated version of arranged marriage as seen in India, the sentiments are true. The unrealistic demands made from a family each in such a setting may not be completely untrue but it does ring true to people.
Jodha Akhbar- What better way to get acquainted with culture than indulging in its history? Jodha Akbar is a concoction of love, history, music and outfits and everything Indian! Jodha in Rajput princess attire and Akhbar the kind and devoted Mughal king by Hrithik Roshan. What a perfect combination to behold1
Devdas- A classic love story can say a lot about the people of a place and its culture. Devdas starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit might be it if you want to explore a particular culture
Bulbbul- This 2020 Netflix release starring Tripti Dimri took a large Indian base by storm. The story about historical zamindar families, their ugly secrets, crime and love. From costume, storyline and emotions everything is Indian and perfect.
Time is not a difficult factor during the lockdown and perhaps we can visit or revisit these movies and series to reconnect to our roots and relearn about the beauty of our culture.
