South Asian Streaming Guide: February 2024
As the volume of streaming options continues to grow, I’m making an effort to be more intentional with my choices - less mindlessly watching Love Is Blind, more seeking out work created by and centering the South Asian community and other communities of color. As I do so, I’ll be creating monthly streaming guides for Kahani Digital to spotlight projects that deserve our attention. Check out February’s recommendations below.
I’ve read the David Nicholls book and seen the 2011 adaptation with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, and still, One Day devastated me just like I knew it would. This new version makes some key changes, with several characters now being people of color, most notably Emma Morley being played by Ambika Mod (shoutout to Amber Grappy as Emma’s best friend, Tilly, as well). I was curious to see if the actors’ backgrounds resulted in changes to the story, but aside from a passing reference to Emma’s mother being Hindu, the show mostly stays away from acknowledging the characters are no longer white. Don’t let that deter you from fully immersing yourself in the world of Em and Dex though. This is a beautifully told story that I managed to watch in, I hate to do it, one day.
Created by writer and director Lulu Wang, Expats is not an easy watch. The show follows three American women living in Hong Kong whose lives become entangled after an unfathomable event. Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary’s (Sarayu Blue) wealthy existence is juxtaposed with Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) barely getting by. The show also spotlights Margaret and Hilary’s helpers, Essie and Puri, and the immigrant community that makes its living supporting the rich. What brings all of these narratives together is an exploration of trauma, family, and expectations from a distinctly female point of view. I binged five of the show’s six episodes, which in hindsight, I do not recommend; Expats is meant to be savored.
If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to see a Wes Anderson film set in L.A.’s Little India,” Four Samosas is for you. This 2022 indie film from writer and director Ravi Kapoor follows Vinny and his friends as they set out to stop Vinny’s ex from getting married by stealing the diamonds that will pay for her wedding. Part comedy and part Ocean’s 11-style heist, Four Samosas packs a lot of charm into its less than 90-minute runtime. With scenes set at a sari shop, a threading salon, and a cash & carry grocery store, it also puts South Asian culture lovingly on display.
