I set out to watch this show with great anticipation, as it was set in my hometown of SIMLA ( erstwhile summer capital of India under the British rule). To my great disappointment, it hardly evokes any excitement or nostalgia. The plot is engaging and the makers have taken great care in representing all strands of history ( both British and Indian version), yet from a perspective of an Indian, this show ends up as yet another stereotypical drama about the glorious days of British Raj ! What hurts the most is the setting itself- the producers didn't even bother to look at actual town of Simla. As the stereotype goes, India is a tropical country, so a town situated in foothills of Himalayas appears to be a tropical rain forest ! The native tongues used by the Indian cast predominantly belongs to southern parts of India, rather than the hills in the north. The reason the British made Simla their summer capital was its stark resemblance to the British climate and geography. All in all, watch it for its plot, set against a historical backdrop, but beware as it perpetuates the stereotype of India. I would much rather pick a Merchant Ivory production !
Review of Indian Summers
