So, another Indian has cracked it in Hollywood. And as usual, everyone is busy sniggering about how desperate it makes Priyanka Chopra look. I have no idea why. Hollywood produces better cinema and television than we do. Any intelligent individual would jump at such an opportunity and lap it up. If Chopra started doing an Indian soap, everyone would start murmuring about whether her film offers were drying up. Stop with the gossip, people.
Honestly, Quantico is not something out-of-the-box. A FBI agent is framed for a terrorist attack in the US and then, she escapes from custody to find out who did that to her before she is hunted down. Pretty average American television. Chopra plays Alex Parrish, an Indian-American with a horrifying past that haunts her to the present day. The show oscillates between two storylines – Parrish and her batchmates getting trained in Quantico, the FBI Academy, and the present day narrative set off by the attack.
But why should you watch Quantico?
It is refreshing to watch an Indian character playing a serious lead in an American TV show. And no, Raj Koothrapalli does not count. You also realise that the US has come a long way and has started accepting and accommodating different people into the folds of its pop culture.
It is also refreshing to watch an Indian character sans Bollywood dance sequences, sans stereotyping, sans blingy sarees and gaudy make up. America is growing up. Chopra’s Alex Parrish is a character-driven role in a solid narrative.
Priyanka Chopra is wonderful on screen. The woman has always been the camera’s darling and even though the first episode is just scratching the surface, her role seems to be layered and complex. Chopra brings confidence and strength into the role of Parrish, something that is a delight to watch.
The ensemble cast are a talented bunch of actors who seem dedicated and eager to do a good show. They infuse fun and positive energy and the women just light up the screen.
Other than the main plot line, the sub-plots are extremely exciting. Every character has a dark secret which somehow seems to affect Parrish. Who is the real terrorist who caused the “worst attack on American soil since 9/11”?
SPOILER ALERT: Someone has a twin sister.
Featured image: Screengrab
