Famous Bollywood director-producer Sudhir Mishra has ignited controversy regarding the massive popularity of the British show Adolescence on Netflix India. He recently posted his views on social media, wondering how the show became the top-trending series in India. His statement has renewed arguments about the changing preferences of Indian viewers and the type of show that they enjoy watching.
Sudhir Mishra’s Reaction to ‘Adolescence’
Sudhir Mishra, the filmmaker with a string of critically acclaimed movies and unapologetic opinions, spoke his mind on Adolescence through his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
He posted:
“How is ‘Adolescence’ the number-one show on Netflix India? All conventional wisdom and ideas are against it. Indians are not supposed to enjoy slow-paced films. This show, with its seemingly flawed scriptwriting, defies every storytelling rule taught in film schools. It declines instead of rising. But this is the best news I’ve heard in years.”
His response indicates a change in Indian audience tastes, refuting the belief that only commercially oriented, fast-moving stories fare well in India.
Why Did Sudhir Mishra Raise This Question?
Mishra’s remarks came on the back of acclaimed filmmakers such as Hansal Mehta and Shekhar Kapur heaping praises on Adolescence on social media. The show, a four-part British mini-series directed by Philip Barantini and co-created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, traces the nail-biting saga of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who gets nabbed for having killed his classmate. Having just four parts, the series has been complimented for presenting nuanced storytelling as well as presenting realistic adolescence.
However, a few social media users pointed out that Indian audiences watch mainly British or Western content due to its popularity elsewhere. In rebuttal, Mishra said:
No, good taste cannot be abandoned. Good wine may be overlooked for being ‘elite,’ but great storytelling should never be done away with. Rather than bring it down, we must take the masses to a higher plane. If we wish to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world and compete with the world, this is the direction to head in.”
What This Means for Indian Content
Sudhir Mishra’s comment brings to the forefront a very important debate regarding the progression of storytelling in India. Indian cinema and web shows have traditionally gravitated toward commercial aspects such as melodrama, song sequences, and quick-paced storytelling. But with the success of Adolescence, it seems that audiences can accommodate more unorthodox, slow-paced stories that focus on character development and realism.
This transition can be a wake-up call for Indian filmmakers to try their hand at storytelling that is bold, raw, and emotionally powerful. Rather than blindly aping formulas used in the mainstream, artists may now be able to create content that can connect with audiences worldwide without compromising its origins.
Sudhir Mishra’s observations on Adolescence, being a highly rated show in India, are an eye-opener for audiences and filmmakers alike. They go against years of conventional thinking on what does and doesn’t work in Indian entertainment and sets the stage for more varied stories. Whether the trend continues only time will tell, but this much is certain—Indian audiences are changing, and so must the material being produced for them.
