Decades of film and tv have fed into the idea that South Asians are not the romantic leads, that we do not belong at the centre of rom-coms. But One Day feels like a big step in the right direction for South Asian Women like me.
If you are late to the party, One Day is based on the 2009 book by David Nichols, that follows Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodhall) who meet at graduation at the University of Edinburgh in 1988 and we follow how they are intertwined in each other’s life for the next 20 years. Think about your favourite rom-com, how many of them have a south asian actor as the lead character, not a friend, or a workplace colleague. The main character. Chances are, not many.
Not seeing yourself represented on screen is tough, it makes you believe that you are not as desirable as your white counterparts. But, I believe One day, has helped change this narrative. Ambika is of Indian heritage and is playing a character that up until now has been a white woman, both in the book and the 2011 film, which starred Anne Hathaway.
It is so refreshing that her ethnicity is not the focus of her character. And while it does add a certain subtext to the show, it is rarely brought up. Although it may not have been a conscious choice to make Emma Asian, it is so important to people such as myself; a mixed-race 20 year old who can count on one hand how many times I have seen people who look like me as the romantic lead in a mainstream film or TV show.
Ambika admitted herself that she turned down the role initially as she couldn’t see herself playing the romantic lead, and it took her a while whilst shooting to feel as though the role was really hers. And while this is tough to hear, it shows the effect that not being represented on screen has- we struggle to see ourselves in these characters. Growing up in the 2000’s, diversity was not always a big topic of conversation. Main characters were normally, white, skinny, model types. But that is not reality. Love is not unique to those who look like that.
While the media has not always been the most inclusive, we are starting to see improvements, although they may be small, they are improvements nonetheless. With season 2 of Bridgerton introducing the Sharma family, and the Netflix show Never Have I Ever I which focused on the trials and tribulations of growing up as an Indian American teen. I have seen comments that have questioned the casting of Ambika and I think this is because society is so used to having certain people on their screens that this change has really stood out. And while some may question it, to me it is perfect.
I hope that the media continues to move in this direction, to have more diverse actors on our screens, and hopefully the next generation of South Asian girls will be able to see themselves in our favourite characters.
Image Credit: TMDB