Indian web series “Made In Heaven” returned to Prime Video after a four-year gap with solid and resonating stories. Canceled thrice due to COVID, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar is happy to finally share her spectacular series with the world, and the audience globally has accepted it with open arms.
One episode, which struck a chord with the audience, is titled “The Heart Skipped A Beat” directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. The episode follows the story of Pallavi Menke, a Dalit activist set to start her tenure as a professor at Columbia University.
But back home, in India, she’s still battling the issues of caste and the discrimination she and her family face, even among the educated elite.
Soon after the show premiered, the episode exploded on the internet with praises for Ghaywan, who shared that the experience was “cathartic.”
He tells ET Canada, “There is so much of my growing up years in it. These guys had an idea initially about what sort of character they wanted to represent. And it goes back to the example of Dr. BR Ambedkar — when the most well-read person in our country, coming from Columbia University, thought he’d be welcomed with a lot of praise. Still, he was literally thrown out of our lodge, and he was not allowed to stay.”
Dr Ambedkar was a social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India. He inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.
“So, the point is that people from my community, who were first-generation achievers, got imposter syndrome and the persecution complex. You’re filled with insecurities. You’re judged no matter how high you go; even Ambedkar had to go through it. So, that was the initial idea which started,” Ghaywan said.
Speaking of the episode and identifying with the protagonist, Ghaywan said, “I think I’ve brought my entire life story to them. I know how that happened. Like organically… I don’t think I’ve ever narrated about myself to anyone.
“For instance, I haven’t spoken to anyone about me, my last name being ‘Kumar.’ My passport is still there. After a while, I reclaimed my last name as Ghaywan because I grew tired of explaining that as soon as you tell them, you look around, they’ll be like, ‘Okay. So, where are you from? What’s your father do?’ They’re trying to figure out my caste, which is a common problem that all of us face because the scrutiny on the last name is unimaginable.”
In the episode, Menke’s brother questions his sister’s choice of reclaiming her Dalit surname and “outing” the entire family.
“When I proclaimed my identity, there was a lot of press. And with that, what happened is that many of my cousins and family members, who were not claiming their identity suddenly, because of me, they felt that people are questioning and changing their behaviors (towards them).”
Ghaywan says he hopes to make a substantial impact on Menke’s journey and his own: “For me to see that there is so much love, people saying that they’re getting educated about things they were blissfully unaware of. Caste blindness is like an epidemic, and people suddenly understand this.”
Speaking about the show’s reception, Ghaywan said, “For me, it was interesting that I received equal praise from around the world and I was not expecting it. The beautiful thing was that these people said they were facing caste prejudice and had to find another home. And that is why it was so emotionally gutting for them.”
