Brown History

Brown History

Share this post

Brown History
Brown History
The True Lives of South Asians in Regency England vs. the Bridgerton Fantasy

The True Lives of South Asians in Regency England vs. the Bridgerton Fantasy

Words by Priyan Majumdar

Brown History's avatar
Brown History
Jul 23, 2024
∙ Paid
22

Share this post

Brown History
Brown History
The True Lives of South Asians in Regency England vs. the Bridgerton Fantasy
2
3
Share

Welcome to the Brown History Newsletter. If you’re enjoying this labor of love, please do consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your contribution would help pay the writers and illustrators and support this weekly publication. If you like to submit a writing piece, please send me a pitch by email at brownhistory1947@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to check out our SHOP and our Podcast

The Maharaja and Maharani of Indore, a royal couple, very young and fabulously wealthy, stylish, were completely cosmopolitan and deeply in love. This series of portraits - both in traditional and modern attires - were painted in Paris in the late 1920s to early 1930s. Available now

Recommended Reads:

Heera Mandi: The Real Story behind Lahore's Red Light District

Heera Mandi: The Real Story behind Lahore's Red Light District

Brown History
·
February 1, 2024
Read full story
Gold Inheritance: the Quiet Feminism of South Asian Women

Gold Inheritance: the Quiet Feminism of South Asian Women

Brown History
·
November 8, 2022
Read full story


The True Lives of South Asians in Regency England vs. the Bridgerton Fantasy

Kate Sharma

"I despise English tea." With those four words, Kate Sharma had instantly won over the entire South Asian community.

Netflix’s Bridgerton broke the period drama mold by bringing the opulence of Regency-era England to a global audience with a fresh, inclusive twist. The show’s triumph lay in placing the Sharma sisters, characters of Indian descent, as the female leads of Season 2, challenging the “all-white” portrayals of Regency England and paving the way for meaningful South Asian representation on screen.

If you STILL haven’t seen Bridgerton Season 2 (in that case - what are you actually doing?)—spoilers ahead!

Set in 1814, Season 2 follows Kathani “Kate” Sharma and Edwina Sharma, half-sisters from Bombay, as they navigate the ballrooms of London high society in an attempt to find a husband for Edwina. However, this is not a case of blind color-casting; the Sharmas are not British people who just happen to have brown skin, but are Brown because they have Indian heritage that forms a substantial part of their wider identity. Their jewelry and attire incorporate elements of South Asian ethnic attire, their speech includes words like “didi” and “appa”, there is an endearing hair oiling scene and even a haldi ceremony in Edwina’s pre-wedding nuptials. Although their cultural differences are emphasized, they are also normalized within the otherwise stringent and restrictive nature of the ton (upper-class British society), posing no obstacles to Edwina being crowned the “diamond of the season” and Kate bagging a white Englishman by the season’s end. 

By doing so, Bridgerton paints a fantasy where South Asians blended effortlessly into British high society, raising questions about the presence of South Asians in early 19th-century Regency England. What was the reality for those who lived in England at the time? How did they navigate the social hierarchies, and were they truly part of the aristocratic circles depicted in the series? 

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Ahsun Zafar
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share