The web series Class has started streaming on Netflix, and while the plot of the show remains the same as its Spanish counterpart ‘Elite,’ the Indian version explores casteism issues specific to the country. It doesn’t stop at this because they also touch upon queer repression and Islamophobia in the show.
Three students join Delhi’s Hampton International school after they get a fully funded scholarship for their education. This eight-episode long series shows how these three students dream big but are met with social, mental and psychological barriers. But what is commendable is the fact that mainstream content is talking about these caste-based issues which can play a larger role in sensitising people.
This conversation has picked up heed on social media platforms also and here is what people are talking about:
The original series was created by Darios Madrona and Carlos Montero. While the Indian one has been helmed by Ashim Ahluwalia, Kashyap Kapoor and Raghav Kakkar. The series strongly focuses on a murder mystery that happens when two worlds collide in a school full of elite and lower caste kids. The cast includes actors like Gurfateh Pirzada, Piyush Khati, Anjali Sivaraman, Zeyn Shaw and Naina Bhan. Despite a plethora of teenage dramas like Sex Education, Gossip Girl and Never Have I Ever, Class stays true to the Indian context and hence, stands out.
“In February 2020, I got to know about an audition which was for a show on the lives of young adults. Back then, we had Euphoria, 13 Reasons Why, and Riverdale, but not a single show in India on those lines. When I met the casting director, he explained to me the entire plot and my character and then gave me the liberty to play it out the way I want. The aim was to get a gist of how I enact the lines of Faruq, my character. Eventually, with India under lockdown, in August 2020 the production house reached out to me saying that the show-runner Ashim Ahluwalia liked my audition and they wanted to cast me for the role,” said Chintan Rachchh, one of the lead characters in the show.
Lead Image: Netflix
