A Suitable Boy — 1951 to 2026: Has Anything Really Changed?
I know I am late to the party, but recently I finished watching Mira Nair’s version of A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, published in 1993. After watching it, I realized how nothing at the core has truly changed in so-called modern Indian society. You can draw direct parallels straight from the 1950s—when the story is set—all the way to today. Look at Lata Mehra. She’s a promising graduate in a freshly free, post-Partition India. She’s strong-headed, full of questions, but has this soft, reminiscing elegance to her. She is adamant that she will find the perfect boy for herself, but she also asks the one question women still ask today: How can you ever be sure who is actually perfect for you? Then comes her worrisome mother, adamant on finding her a suitable boy. Decades later, Indian parents still do the exact same thing. Graduation is done, so let’s immediately go find a good rishta for you. Lata’s situation honestly resembles the modern dating world so much. She finds herself confused...