When Mira Nair came to Mumbai last year for the shoot of A Suitable Boy, there were two things she was looking forward to— guava ice cream with chilli powder and Ishaan Khatter’s acting. The young actor, who was selected to play Maan Kapoor in the six-part BBC miniseries, jumped in joy when he heard that. It was one of the biggest compliments he would get as an actor.
In Vikram Seth’s eponymous novel, if a character could be described as unsuitable, yet fascinating, it has to be Maan. The novel, set in the 1950s, revolves around the hunt for a suitable boy for college-going Lata. But it also captures the essence of newly independent India and the burgeoning hate for Islam in pockets. In the midst of all this, Maan—the younger son of India’s revenue minister Mahesh Kapoor and brother-in-law of Lata’s elder sister Savita—is full of dichotomies.
This story is from the August 16, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 16, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
Cutting-edge chronicle
In his new book, Salman Rushdie's pen is mightier than the knife
