Season 2: Ep 19 - A review of Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’: Sassy, predictable, hard-hitting.

Shirin Shah and Sheetal Mistry of South Asian Sisters Speak join me to review Netflix’s ‘Never Have I ever’. What initially emerges as trivial teenage satire quickly becomes a bastion of embracing imperfection.

 

We talk about the raw portrayal of miscommunication, resentment and high expectations which so often define South Asian mother-daughter relationships. We explore the struggle between tradition, familial expectations and individuality through Kamala’s decision to choose an arranged marriage over her boyfriend. We also discuss the South Asian diaspora’s interrelationship with its various cultures and faiths, and consider the example of the divorcee who was shunned for marrying a Muslim. We discuss whether this type of “infighting” accurately represents the relationship between Hindus and Muslims today. 

 

While representation is about personal experience, we felt there were several missed opportunities which could have challenged these anti-Muslim and arranged marriage stereotypes instead of vindicating them.

 

Finally, we talk about the side-effects of grief: anger and trauma. Through these themes,  ‘Never Have I Ever’ shows us that protagonists can be flawed. They are human, after all.