The Bridgerton addiction

SPOILERS AHEAD....

 

Dearest Gentle Reader,

Bridgerton Season 3 (Part 2) will be aired on Netflix on Jun 13, 2024.  There has been so much talk around this series that even the social media is full of it. There was no escaping its onslaught on the senses -  so much so that I finally gave in, and binge-watched all the previous seasons a couple of weeks ago :)

To be honest, I had perceived this British regency romance series to be sleazy and hence kept away for quite some time. However, I have always been fascinated by the British period books and movies. 'Pride and Prejudice' is one of my favourite romance novels and I have watched all its adaptations. I have also watched a couple of seasons of 'Downton Abbey'.  I missed 'The Crown', however, and am yet to watch the pre-quel of this series - 'Queen Charlotte'.

Each Netflix 'Bridgerton' season is essentially a 'Season' wherein a bevy of debutantes are presented to Queen Charlotte and approved to find the best match for themselves amongst the country's eligible gentlemen. The queen has the habit of naming the most promising debutante as "The Diamond" - someone who is guaranteed to land a titled husband as she has the Queen's blessing. 

In each of the three seasons so far, one sibling each from the Bridgerton family, (consists of Dowager Violet Bridgerton and her eight offspring), makes a bid for suitable marriage. Lady Bridgerton herself had a love match, and is eager for each of her children to find someone they have a spark with rather than settling for a practical compromise. The nerdy Eloise Bridgerton is a debutant across two seasons now, with no sign of a beau thus far. The glamorous gowns, grand balls as well as the sizzling chemistry between the couple-of-the-season, kept viewers hooked throughout. There are many other interesting characters such as the Bridgerton's next-door neighbours - the Featheringtons, the Mondrichs, Lady Danbury, Cressida Cowper etc. who provide ample entertainment via their eye-catching outfits, elaborate hair-dos, witty repartee and interpersonal dynamics. 

What differentiated the plot was the introduction of a mysterious reporter 'Lady Whistledown'  - whose gossip pamphlets were relished for their incisive digs at elite members of the Ton. In an era, where a single woman was not allowed to meet with a gentleman unchaperoned, or to work for a living, this elusive female had managed to dodge the eyes of the Queen herself and continued her spicy revelations season after season! Though her identity is revealed to viewers at the end of Season 1, the characters are still trying to unravel the same through subsequent seasons, adding to quite a bit of drama! 

Another interesting differentiator is that this regency world is quite diverse and inclusive! The Queen herself is coloured, so is the male protagonist in the first season, and the heroine in the second season is of Indian origin. There is a distinct lack of racism in this British Regency era - truly a parallel universe! The ladies' attire is revolutionary for fabrics, colours and hairstyles that have never been seen in any British regency series before. They swing from silk in one season to colourful chiffons and see-through gloves in the next. The series has been adapted from Julia Quinn's books by the same name but the show has taken many liberties. There is no attempt made to stick to historical accuracy, given that its a fantasy romance series in the Regency era. The music for the dances has instrumental versions of many contemporary chart-busters viz. Material Girl(Madonna), Cheap Thrills(Sia), Diamonds (Rihanna) and Wildest Dreams (Taylor Swift).

The youngest of the three Featherington daughters, and best friend of Eloise Bridgerton - Penelope, is a short and plump wallflower who has debuted two seasons ago but has little chance of finding a husband. She has always had a crush on one of the Bridgerton men - Colin, but has been friend-zoned by him. Incidentally, she is the anonymous Lady Whistledown, only known to her accomplice, the local modiste. Her short name 'Pen', and last name featuring 'Feather', are excellent puns given that she is a scribe! Season 3 Part 1 was all about Penelope's determination to free herself from her dominating mother. She revamps her style, and engages Colin's mentorship, to win a husband for herself. The twists and turns that she encounters in this quest has made the audience anticipate the next part with bated breath. There are many other parallel threads ongoing, the pace is fast, and a hot air ballon has been added to the mix for additional adventure! The Season ended on an almost-romance between Penelope and Colin. 

Many interesting characters jostle with each other to be the favourites viz. The Queen herself, Lady Danbury, Lady Violet Bridgerton, Lady Portia Featherington, Duke Simon Basset, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton etc. Even the Featherington's housekeeper, Varley, came across as a wily yet loyal servant. My favourite is Penelope, for the complex layers in her character, and her boldness in carving out a career as well as romance for herself despite her nondescriptness. The upcoming season highlights the much-awaited betrothal of Penelope and her beloved Colin - promising fireworks due to her big secret.

Here's hoping that the subsequent seasons live up to the hype!

The Great Indian democracy

What a week! I like to think of it as the "Karma in action" week. The term is inspired by a recent conversation with a 'friend' who challenged me to read the Bhagwad Gita in depth. Well, it rests on the tenet of Karma - something that was lost sight of by all the advocates of Hindutva lately. 

On Jun 1, 2024, the Loksabha elections in the world's largest democracy concluded in 7 phases amidst heatwaves both climactically as well as politically. The forecast was pretty much decided in the favor of the incumbent party (Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP) and the result on Jun 4th was anticipated to be just a formality before celebrations could commence for them.

But the Jun 4th vote count created history, not just in hailing BJP as the third consecutive ruling government of India, but in giving this party and its leader - Narendra Modi, a massive reality check.

The ruling party BJP's losses across seven major states negated marginal gains in others, and contributed significantly to it netting 62 fewer seats as compared to the 2019 election. The party got a total of 240 seats, below the 272 required for a parliamentary majority and a continued clean saffron stint. Meanwhile, the opposition alliance, which goes by the acronym INDIA, far outperformed expectations, collectively winning more than 230 seats.

It is the first time since Modi was elected back in 2014 that the BJP has not won a clear majority on its own despite is current campaign cry of 400-plus throughout. It faced astounding losses in two key states - Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. In the former, the reinstatement of Ram mandir in Ayodhya failed to give the expected dividend. Indeed, the most striking feature of the secret ballot was the rejection of the Hindutva doctrine. And in Maharashtra, the coalition that the BJP had brought about by breaking up the existing local government failed to gain them the elusive state yet again. The BJP's "politics of humiliation" bred discontent for the party among voters. Also, their indifference to the real issues on the ground, viz. farmers' discontent disheartened the people. There was a distinct lack of dignity throughout the election season; quite possibly that turned the tide for the majority vote.

The BJP had centred its campaign around the cult of prime minister Narendra Modi - its party manifesto being "Modi's guarantee". It rested on hardline Hindu nationalist policies, creation of an impressive brand with the Indian diaspora and the world, a mammoth infrastructure push and the promise of a major economic upgrade. Somewhere along the way, the formidable "Modi wave" had been dented by problems such as high unemployment, inflation and the BJP's myopic view on local issues plaguing individual states viz. Maharashtra, Manipur, Punjab etc. Their battle cry against one minority(Muslims) spooked the Dalits too, who feared that the existing Constitution which gives them some edge in the rising unemployment landscape, will be threatened by the 400-plus margin.

The biggest losers were the pundits and pollsters who had almost unanimously predicted an overwhelming victory for PM Modi and BJP. Their exit-poll predictions were so far off the mark in several states that one prominent pollster, appearing on India's popular English channel, burst into tears on camera when the actual results were revealed.

After intensive discussions with the two allies of BJP - Telugu Desam party (TDP) and Janata Dal United (JDU) led by Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar respectively, the BJP formed the government on Jun 9, 2024. The new PM and cabinet ministers were formally sworn in by the Indian President - Draupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapati bhavan, in an impressive ceremony. Rahul Gandhi has been nominated as the Opposition leader post the gains in the election. Gandhi's Congress party's election results defied analysts' expectations. A resurgent and confident opposition is the need of the hour to keep the wheels of democracy turning.

It has been most interesting to see the media FINALLY rise to the occasion after having been stifled for so long. Interesting post mortem and debates have taken the internet by storm in the wake of this historic election. Many theories have been propounded and countless conjectures put forth. The new coalition government will ensure that BJP will need to consult and collaborate with its allies, as well as the opposition, before making any further radical decisions. 

While Modi has always been the only real contender for the post of PM of India, hopefully this wake up call will unleash a revamped PM as he lives up to yet another challenge with his signature aplomb. I began my second career innings in Jan 2024 as an author. I like to call it my 2.0 version. Modi 3.0 will see a new version emerge of PM Modi, one that will adapt to the demands of this new government and fresh struggles. 'Restart' is the name of the game : unlearn, learn and re-learn!

The true winner of this saga is undoubtedly the Indian voter - who has ensured that our democracy is alive and kicking!! Cheers to the awakening of the Indian voter.