X
  • 2020
  • TV-14
  • Acorn TV
  • 2020
  • TV-14
  • Acorn TV
A Suitable Boy

Summary Set in North India in 1951, 19-year-old Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala) deals with her mother (Mahira Kakkar), who wants to marry her off to a man of her choosing. While Maan (Ishaan Khatter), a relative by marriage, falls for courtesan singer Saeeda Bai (Tabu) in this Andrew Davies adaptation of the Vikram Seth novel. [Premiered origina...

  • 2020
  • TV-14
  • Acorn TV
  • 2020
  • TV-14
  • Acorn TV

A Suitable Boy

Season 1 Premiere: Jul 26, 2020
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
73
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Summary Set in North India in 1951, 19-year-old Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala) deals with her mother (Mahira Kakkar), who wants to marry her off to a man of her choosing. While Maan (Ishaan Khatter), a relative by marriage, falls for courtesan singer Saeeda Bai (Tabu) in this Andrew Davies adaptation of the Vikram Seth novel. [Premiered origina...

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
73
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
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Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
73
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Dec 3, 2020
Echoes of Austen, and Dickens and Shakespeare, enliven the six glorious hours of A Suitable Boy. [7 -20 Dec 2020, p.8]
By Matt Roush FULL REVIEW
90
Dec 3, 2020
A fascinating period piece that fuses elements of romantic drama and political thriller and wonders to what extent “we can make our own happiness,” “A Suitable Boy” is an engrossing achievement.
By Roxana Hadadi FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 27, 2020
Once those first nuts and bolts [introducing characters and the plot] were in place and it allowed itself to relax, I found it a luscious, zesty pie of a drama, directed by Mira Nair to be beautiful and cinematic at every opportunity.
By Carol Midgley FULL REVIEW
70
Dec 7, 2020
Lata’s quandary becomes the show’s central focus—which is for the best, because it plays to Nair’s strengths without taking Davies too far out of his comfort zone. ... Much weaker, unfortunately, is the secondary story line that follows Maan. ... But to the extent that A Suitable Boy transcends escapism, it’s because [Nair] brought the substance along with the sparkle.
By Judy Berman FULL REVIEW
60
Oct 27, 2020
After the early exposition, understandable given the number of characters, the programme settles into its stride. Where The Luminaries was gloomy and difficult to follow, A Suitable Boy is bright and comprehensible, thanks to Davies’ well trained eye for structure and Nair’s unobtrusive direction. While they can’t resist the hoary old attractions of trains and temples – there’s even a Holi festival thrown in – they build a semi-plausible world with a clear story.
By Ed Cumming FULL REVIEW
58
Dec 7, 2020
Unfortunately, “A Suitable Boy” lacks the comedic touch of “Downton Abbey” or the critical lens of “The Crown,” languishing somewhere in the middle and coming up short. Without a defined perspective on the class and religious conflict it uses as a narrative backdrop, “A Suitable Boy” feels like frothy fluff — yummy in the moment but easily forgettable and won’t fill you up.
By Jude Dry FULL REVIEW
50
Dec 7, 2020
Nair splashes us with jiggly sex scenes and unsubtle camerawork. The potency of Seth's story remains intact; Davies and Nair's stylization nearly clobbers it.
By Robyn Bahr FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company:
  • Lookout Point
  • Production Scope
Initial Release Date: Jul 26, 2020
Number of seasons: 3 Seasons
Rating: TV-14
Genres:
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Awards

Royal Television Society, UK
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Toronto International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Ivor Novello Awards
• 1 Nomination

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